Launched on Wednesday and due to go live later this year, Appello is a telehealth service set up by four established companies: telecare monitoring provider CarelineUK, health record provider CentriHealth, contact centre infrastructure provider Volt Delta and telehealth home hub and remote monitoring supplier Numera Health. They are adopting a monthly ‘pay as you go’ model, so there are no upfront costs for a client NHS (or private) organisations or councils that use the service. Appello will provide nurse-led, home-based, personal monitoring, advice and support and its aim is to offer “clinically accurate advice and guidance supported by personalised clinical rules, applied in context of the individuals unique circumstances”. More information and contacts in press release (PDF).
Comment: This is a development that can be welcomed on several fronts. 1) It’s good to see the emergence of a new entity and more competition in the telehealth market. 2) It’s good that it is backed by well-established companies. 3) The approach they are taking – aiming for a highly personal service for patients and their doctors – is excellent. If they can meet the challenge of setting up the service in a way that meets these aims while keeping their costs down (thus making the savings for their customers as large and demonstrable as possible) then Appello should be able to establish itself despite, or even aided by, the squeeze on public services funding. Ed. Steve.