In June 2021, Eastern AHSN was asked by the NHS England/Improvement East of England regional team to complete a rapid review of remote monitoring solutions and virtual ward implementation.
Background and Project Aims
The use of at home remote monitoring has accelerated rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic, with dedicated funding and 'how to' guidance made available for Covid-19 virtual wards using pulse oximetry at home. Integrated Care Systems are now looking at where virtual wards can be used to safely support patients with a range of conditions to avoid hospital (re)admissions and to support early discharge from hospital.
In response to this request, Eastern AHSN developed an implementation support pack that aimed to provide:
- An overview of the evidence for remote monitoring across three clinical pathways: heart failure, respiratory (COPD & pneumonia) and pre-elective and post-operative care;
- Learning from implementation of remote monitoring pathways in the East of England and;
- A summary of remote monitoring devices.
ARC East of England played a key role in reviewing the rapid evidence review conducted by the AHSN and providing valuable feedback regarding how it could be strengthened. The support pack was launched at a regional workshop in September 2021, which brought together national and regional policy-makers as well as those with expertise in implementing remote monitoring across the region.
