Innovation for NSW Health Chronic Disease Programme

Tunstall Healthcare has been selected by NSW Health as one of a panel of suppliers for the Chronic Disease Management program to deliver telehealth monitoring systems in NSW.

General Manager for Tunstall Healthcare Australasia, Lyn McFarlane said “Everyday I see what a difference our services and products make to people’s lives and the lives of their families and carers. We are privileged to have the opportunity to deliver our innovative telehealth solutions to the NSW community”.

Telehealth is the transmission of images, voice, or data between two or more health units via telecommunications channels to provide clinical advice consultation education and training services.

The Chronic Disease Management program, coordinated by NSW Health, uses health coaching and telehealth systems targeting NSW residents over 65 and Aboriginal people over 45 living with acute chronic health conditions.

The program establishes an integrated model of care and incorporates GPs, specialist medical services, acute care services, sub acute services, residential and aged services, and community support services.

Over the next four years the Chronic Disease Management program has the potential to support 43,000 people – with up to 6,000 of those people using telehealth monitoring packages to monitor their health on a daily basis from the comfort of their own home.

The new program offers more patient centric care and directs all medical information back to the patient’s GP and other healthcare providers to ensure a coordinated approach to care.

Telehealth monitoring also provides greater support to people living in remote and regional areas, by using the phone line or GSM network to transmit the patient’s health information to care providers, allowing remote coaching and education to be reciprocated to the patient via the phone, email and online facilities.

Those eligible for the program will predominantly have one or more chronic conditions, including diabetes, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension and be at high risk of an acute attack.

The Telehealth initiative monitors the patient’s ongoing condition to immediately identify any changes, allowing medical intervention before an acute attack occurs.

This in turn reduces the amount of emergency hospital visits experienced by a patient as well as duration of stay when hospital visits do occur.

Internationally, telehealth is being used by regions to successfully manage the growing prevalence of chronic health conditions.

Tunstall Healthcare is the world’s leading provider of telehealthcare and supports over 2.5 million people in 30 countries around the world.

Implementation of tele-monitoring services for The Chronic Disease Management program is scheduled to commence in early 2011.

To find out more about the Chronic Disease Management program visit www.health.nsw.gov.au. To find out more about Tunstall Healthcare and telehealth visit www.tunstallhealthcare.com.au.

ENDS

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