In a thoughtful piece, John Guyatt, Telehealthcare Director, Solutions4Health, walks the reader through some of the issues for GPs around implementing some form of technological support for people with long term conditions. Among the points he makes are: “‘Telehealthcare’ is moving beyond placing self-monitoring equipment in homes, towards:
- engaging communities in their healthcare
- care planning as a motivational tool
- social media support networks for education and empowerment
- agile mobile solutions for day-to-day convenience
- internet sites for following vital signs and maintaining a personal health record”
“But” he continues, “a few boxes need to be ticked to make this vision a widespread reality.” Telehealthcare – an acceptable helping hand for General Practice?