News
GE Healthcare, Intel and Mayo Clinic trial telecare technology for
patient-centred care
4 March 2010
GE Healthcare, Intel Corporation and Mayo Clinic in the US are
investigating a new model of healthcare delivery for patients at
increased risk of rehospitalization that is designed to meet patients’
needs where they are, including in their homes.
Mayo Clinic will conduct a yearlong research study to determine if
home monitoring of patients with chronic diseases, using Intel’s remote
patient monitoring technology, will reduce hospitalizations and
emergency department (ED) visits.
This study reflects the commitment of GE Healthcare, Intel and Mayo
Clinic to develop new patient-centered delivery care models. With the
numbers of seniors expected to rise dramatically and increasing numbers
of patients experiencing chronic disease, the current focus on
face-to-face clinic interaction with the provider is not a sustainable
delivery model. Technology could enable new care models to help rein in
costs and improve patient outcomes through personalized care and ongoing
disease management at home and in the community.
The research study will involve 200 high-risk Mayo Clinic patients
over age 60 who receive care in Rochester, Minnesota in the US. The goal
is to evaluate the effectiveness of daily in-home monitoring technology
in reducing hospitalizations and ED visits compared with usual medical
care.
Patients will measure their vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse
and weight, and respond to questions specific to their diseases on a
daily basis, with all data reviewed by the clinical care team working
with their primary care provider.
The technology, which also includes videoconferencing capability,
allows the care team to assess the patient for signs and symptoms
suggesting clinical deterioration to facilitate early medical
intervention. The hope is that early recognition and treatment of a
change in clinical status will reduce the need for ED visits and
hospitalizations.
“To meet evolving patient needs and broaden its reach in the 21st
century,” says Gregory Hanson, MD, Mayo Clinic Department of Primary
Care Internal Medicine, one of the principal investigators in the study,
“Mayo Clinic will build on its model of care to provide products and
services to people in new ways. Mayo Clinic is evaluating several
approaches to remote monitoring of patients. We’re excited to move
forward with this research study in collaboration with GE Healthcare and
Intel.”
This research study further illustrates GE Healthcare and Intel’s
commitment, announced in April 2009, to jointly market and develop
innovative technologies for independent living and chronic disease
management and to extend care from the hospital to the home.
The two companies plan to invest $250 million over the next five
years for the research and product development of home-based health
technologies. In addition, GE Healthcare is selling and marketing the
Intel Health Guide in the United States and the United Kingdom (first
announced in April 2009. See BJHC&IM news:
Intel and GE
form $250m alliance to develop home healthcare technology)
“Transforming healthcare requires more than just healthcare reform.
It requires innovative thinking and the use of technology to change how
and where care is delivered,” says Louis Burns, vice president and
general manager of the Intel Digital Health Group. “We need to go beyond
just hospital-and-clinic visits when we are sick — to home and
community-based care models that allow for prevention, early detection,
behavior change and social support. This study is an example of how we
are looking to address this.”
Omar Ishrak, president and CEO Healthcare Systems at GE Healthcare
says, “Nearly 80 million ‘baby boomers’ in the US are approaching
‘seniors’ status, and they expect the best possible care. By joining
together with two world-class partners in this research study — Mayo
Clinic and Intel — GE expects to gain valuable insight on how we can
better deliver technologies that improve the lives of seniors and people
with chronic illness. This is an important step in a journey to improve
access to quality care while helping lower health costs.”
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