By David Meyer, 25 January 2007 11:55
NEWS
The NHS is planning to institute so-called telehealth systems in homes around the country.
Richard Granger, NHS director general of IT, said this extension of health technology into the home - probably based at first on proprietary systems - would "free things up in terms of time and place" within the NHS.
Speaking to industry figures at a symposium on IT and healthcare in London, Granger also confirmed that "things going into people's homes is new scope", requiring additional budgeting beyond the original remit of the NHS' National Programme for IT (NPfIT).
The NPfIT is already expected to cost tens of billions of pounds, although precise estimates vary.
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Testing the telehealth systems for interoperability with the new national database of patient care records, called '
The telehealth devices would probably be targeted at elderly and infirm people. It's not clear, though, exactly what the systems would consist of, although it's likely they would include sensors and possibly cameras. Patients might be able to take their own blood pressure and upload the results to the NHS systems, for example.
Granger said the existing security levels in place in hospitals today are on a par with those of the best banks, leading to some uncertainty over the security levels that will be supported by telehealth systems.
Granger told the symposium: "Are we going to do that with hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers and voluntary workers who work in people's homes? Maybe, maybe not."
David Meyer writes for ZDNet UK
Comments
There are 3 comments. Join the discussion
1. Chris Goodman
All sounds so wonderful but yet again the NHS is deviating from its true purpose - PROVIDING health care to the people. All the IT in the world will not pay for another operation, another hip replacement, a few more beds opened, a few more nurses, etc.
All we will get is enormous sums drained from the health budget to buy computers, pay for connectivity, pay for IT staff to maintain the system. And then, as always, find it doesn't do the job anyway, another government IT failure.
2. Jean Roberts
There are some well-made business cases for telecare and telehealth monitoring. A number of research projects in ambient, assistive and pervasive health informatics sponsored mainly by the CEC Information Society Framework Calls, have not yet come to market but have great potential.
There is a need to invest in 'joining up' the resarch and the operational BUT avoid utilising technology just because it is available. Telehealth has a place but does not solve all the health problems.
3. Arthur Butterfield
My mother would be a prime guinea pig candidate - how do we get in touch to make it happen?