The Mayo Clinic will conduct a year-long study to determine if home monitoring of patients with chronic conditions can reduce hospitalizations and ED visits. Researchers expect that this approach will demonstrate a lowering of health care costs.
For the study, Mayo will partner with GE Healthcare to implement Intel Corporation’s Intel Health Guide home monitoring technology in the homes of 200 high-risk patients older than age 60 who receive care at the Rochester clinic. Patients will use the Intel Health Guide device to daily measure their blood pressure, pulse and weight, as well as respond to inquiries regarding their specific condition. This information will be monitored and reviewed by a Mayo clinical care team and the patient’s primary care physician. Using the device’s videoconferencing feature and assessing the data, Mayo hopes providers will be able to introduce early medical intervention and thus prevent unnecessary ED visits and hospitalizations.
Home monitoring technology represents a clear model for reducing health care costs. Though nothing can replace face to face appointments with physicians and care provider professionals, web conferencing and home monitoring equipment can help to reduce costs for both providers and patients. I’ll be very interested to see what dividends this care model will bring for patients and providers.
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