The Telehealth Team consists of Telehealth Care Support Workers, a Telehealth Advanced Practitioner, a Telehealth Nurse and a Clinical Lead who work with patients diagnosed with a long-term medical condition(s) to help them to monitor, manage and control their own health. This is achieved by remote monitoring using equipment and devices to send the readings via tablet device or a basic mobile phone (free of charge from a patient's perspective).
Long-term conditions include Hypertension, Diabetes, COPD / chronic respiratory disease, and Heart Failure that need to be managed carefully to avoid periods of illness and unnecessary hospital visits and admissions where possible and appropriate. ELFT Telehealth also supports patients with learning disabilities and works closely with community and specialist services, taking a holistic and integrated approach.
Telehealth Systems
This service is patient-centred, based on personal health needs. Some patients have simple needs and can be offered simple Telehealth. This includes questionnaires and a phone application known as “Florence” or “Flo”, for patients to take their health readings using their own mobile phone.
Others with more complex needs will be offered a set-top box known as “Docobo” to send readings, complete questionnaires and even watch educational clips on their TV. Docobo is the system we use for high-level monitoring for conditions such as Heart Failure or COPD. Patients are asked to enter their BP, heart rate, weight (for Heart Failure only) and temperature readings to a tablet device alongside questions that will help the clinician gauge if the patient's condition is stable or getting worse. The team monitors the patients' responses remotely and escalates any concerns with the relevant hospital specialist team or GP. This service is free, and equipment is provided on a loan basis until the patients are stable or no longer require the monitoring anymore.
Using either Luscii, or Florence, patients can take and send their own readings as and when needed. The readings, for example, pulse rate, blood pressure, weight, or blood sugar, go to the centre where they are automatically logged and checked by a health professional. If there is any cause for concern, the patient will be contacted and given advice accordingly, including advice on taking medication.
REFERRAL CRITERIA:
- Patients with Long Term Conditions like COPD, Heart Failure, Diabetes and Hypertension.
- Referrals accepted from GPs, consultants and healthcare and Care professionals via Single Point of Access (SPA) Email: epct.spa@nhs.net
- Patient must be 18 years of age or over and both living and registered with a GP in Newham.
- Referrals can be made by ringing the service and obtaining the referral form or by downloading from the public domain www.elft.nhs.uk (information for professionals section).
EXCLUSIONS:
- Not available to patients under 16 years of age and those not registered with a Newham GP.
- Referrers: Please contact the service if you have any queries.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Microsite
- Please go to https://telehealth.elft.nhs.uk/.
- Senior Manager: Raguraman Padmanabhan - Clinical and Service Lead
How to Refer: epct.spa@nhs.net
Contact Tel: 0208 709 5555
Where the team is located: East Ham Care Centre, 302 Shrewsbury Road. E7 8QP
Hours of Operation:
- 8am – 4pm Monday – Friday
- 8am – 12pm Saturdays & Bank Holidays
- 8am – 11.30am Sundays