Salford Care Organisation healthcare teams are helping patients stay safe by talking to them remotely in their own homes via their TV screens
The initiative, which is being trialled by a small number of Salford Care Organisation respiratory patients, aims to help people stay home and keep safe during the pandemic, as well as help them remain independent as they age.
The scheme involves installing home-based support technology linked to a patients’ TV.
Community healthcare teams in Salford are using the system to help them manage specific patients who they feel will benefit from this type of support.
It means patients can have home-based support without using computers or mobile devices – they simply turn on their TV and use a remote control.
The technology, called ‘Konnect’, allows staff to hold virtual consultations with patients via the TV screen, and the system can even link to a range of monitoring devices such as pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors and thermometers which can monitor a patient’s condition.
So far, Salford’s community health teams have installed 17 Konnect systems inside people’s homes and plan to increase this as suitable patients are identified.
The system can help patients maintain their independence, while keeping up with their regular healthcare routines. Reminders will flash up on the screen for patients to remember to take medication or do their regular exercises, directing then to specific exercise videos included in the system.
Relatives can also check in on them via the TV system – their face will pop up on the screen when a call is placed.
One Salford patient, Annie, was overjoyed when she saw and spoke to a family member for the first time, via Konnect.
Melissa Collinge, Respiratory Nurse Lead at Salford Care Organisation, said: “It was so emotional for Annie to see her relative who she hadn’t seen for a considerable time, due to Covid. These connections are very important for people’s health and wellbeing and can impact on how their condition improves too.
“It’s so simple and is particularly good for older people who live alone – the beauty of it for patients is they have it in their living room to be used, as and when needed – it’s just like having Facetime on your TV.”
It can also send alerts to carers or family, if necessary.
The Konnect technology has been developed by Ireland-based technology company Kraydel. It includes a set top device with an on-board camera and sensors. A remote control drives the user interface with large, easy-to-use buttons. Very limited training is required to get used to the system.
Benefits include:
- treating people in their own home by providing safe care remotely
- reducing travel for both patients or staff having to come into healthcare settings
- supporting people more with long-term conditions by more regular monitoring of their health and wellbeing
- reducing social isolation through regular contact
- reassurance for relatives who are worried about their loved ones
- improving moral of staff - increased workload pressure and excess travel impacts staff wellbeing