A project that involves keeping a close eye on the health of care home residents has been extended for a year – after a trial showed impressive results.
The Docobo telehealth project was initially piloted for six months in two care homes in Maidstone, Kent. In the first three months, it resulted in a 32 per cent reduction in hospital admissions, a 25 per cent reduction in 999 calls, a 67 per cent reduction in 111 calls and a 44 per cent reduction in all GP contact.
As a result of this success, it is now running in four care homes, with three of the homes in Maidstone and one in Tonbridge. The project was paused during the first wave of COVID-19, but resumed and extended in September (2020).
Using a Docobo telehealth solution, staff at the care homes carry out simple health checks with residents each day and record these via a Docobo app.
This system is closely monitored by the Complex Care Team at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) which can instantly see if a resident’s health is stable or deteriorating. The team can then immediately step in with the most appropriate action, which might be as simple as carrying out increased observations to monitor a patient more closely, or tweaking a patient’s medication.
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