More Than A Number

Last month, Columbine Health Systems in Colorado launched a telehealth monitoring system at its Fort Collins and Loveland facilities designed to help patients with recurring or frequent medical problems better deal with their health challenges and avoid serious and expensive emergency medical treatments down the road.

The customer support services program is designed to target senior citizens, with a goal of keeping the elderly in their homes and out of managed care situations.

“Our average age is around 85 years old,” said a company spokesperson. “It’s about helping them to better manage their health and doing it at home helps them be in charge of their life. They all want to stay in the least restrictive environment as long as possible.”

Each patient in the customer support solution receives a home monitoring system that allows them to check their own vital signs. These home units are hooked up to the telephone or an Internet connection, and feeds the basic information to a local call center, where nurses can monitor the results and call for emergency intervention if necessary or recommend appointments with doctors for less-serious conditions.