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Cardiac patients allowed early discharge from hospital in Huma project

Remote cardiac patient monitoring pilot proving a success

26th August 2021 about a 2 minute read
“This pilot demonstrates how technology can improve care, helping people to stay independent and free up space in hospital at the same time." Eluned Morgan, Health and Social Services Minister, NHS Wales

Interim results of the Huma cardiac patient monitoring project are showing success, with patients being discharged early from hospital because they can be safely monitored at home via an App.

The pilot is one of five innovation projects to test products or services as part of Welsh Government’s Covid-19 Digital Solutions Fund  (DSF) and is being coordinated by a team at Digital Health Ecosystem Wales (DHEW).

It is a collaboration between the British healthcare tech company Huma (previously known as Medopad) and  two Welsh health boards – Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

The Huma project which launched in July 2021 will run until mid-October 2021.

As well as allowing patients to be discharged early from hospital, checking for metrics such as heart rate and low oxygen levels has also helped clinical teams find patients who need extra tests, support, or earlier treatment ahead of planned appointments.

Mandie Welch, Lead Heart Failure ANP at CTMUHB, said:

“To date, 23 patients have been on-boarded onto the self-monitoring app, providing us, as clinicians the opportunity to optimise their medications in a timely and safe manner, identify worsening symptoms and facilitate early discharge from hospital.”

Eluned Morgan, Welsh Health and Social Services Minister, said:

“This pilot demonstrates how technology can improve care, helping people to stay independent and free up space in hospital at the same time. Our Digital Solutions Fund is helping us to run small but rapid trials of digital technology which can improve care and improve how our clinicians can work.”

In England the NHS AI Lab, Skunkworks, tests promising ideas for artificial intelligence within health and social care and is open to pitches via AI Virtual Hub.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was recently successful in bidding for Skunkworks’ collaborative project: Long Stayer Risk Stratification.

The project aimed to achieve two core objectives: to determine if an experimental AI approach to predicting hospital long-stayers was possible; secondly, if so, to produce a proof-of-concept (PoC) risk stratification tool. More information here.

*FCC has reported on life-saving pulse oximetry  – a remote monitoring scheme rolled out for patients in England.