HTM
What is Home Telehealth Monitoring?
Home Telehealth Monitoring (HTM) is the fastest growing form of telemedicine. A small monitoring unit, installed in the patient’s home, sends patient clinical indicators (blood pressure, weight, pulse, blood glucose, peak air flow and coumadin/PT-INR) to their health care provider.
When the home telehealth monitor is installed, the provider tailors the range for clinical indicators to the individual patient. The provider then monitors the patient’s vital signs daily and intervenes when they are outside of the patient’s target range.
Home telehealth patient, Aggie Lekanof, takes his vital signs in St. George, Alaska. Photo by Deborah Malavansky.
What is the Purpose of the HTM Program?
The overall goal of the HTM program is to improve the quality of health care by deploying home telehealth monitors in Alaska. In a state where transportation and weather are major barriers to health care delivery, home telehealth monitoring has been proven to: improve patient outcomes and compliance, reduce emergency room visits and readmissions, and to reduce cost of care while increasing access to care.
Over 70% of Alaska is only accessible by aircraft. Thus, Many of our federal beneficiaries live where a trip to the clinic or hospital is expensive, time consuming, and a hardship. Home Telehealth Monitoring allows patients to communicate their vital signs to their provider without having to leave their home.
Regular monitoring of vital signs helps identify the onset of an acute condition, such as a heart attack or stroke. In Alaska, particularly in rural areas, having a tool to help diagnose a major, acute medical event before it happens can: 1) Save the person’s life, 2) Greatly improve the prognosis, 3) Reduce air evacuation cost.
Toksook Bay Sub-regional Clinic
