Bernard Ross explains how, as the virtual wards programme expands, innovations can be adopted to further support patients and healthcare professionals deliver care in the home setting where necessary. He argues that leveraging self-application devices can inspire patients to manage and take charge of their own care.
Compared to other industries, the healthcare sector is typically slow to adopt new technologies and solutions, largely due to the precautions that need to be taken to protect patient health and reduce potential risks. However, the industry experienced a shift during the pandemic where new solutions were required to be able to deliver care safely and quickly.
The result has been an increased use of telemedicine to deliver non-urgent care and the adoption of new technologies such as wearable devices and digital health tools to monitor patients and help them self-manage their conditions in and out of the home.
More recently, the NHS deployed virtual wards, also known as 'hospital at home', designed to remotely monitor and care for patients. The 'virtual ward' model was first developed by Dr. Geraint Lewis in 2006, caring for 100 patients in Croydon.1
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