Evaluate patients before starting telemonitoring

Not the right prescription for some patients

Even if you have a strong telemedicine program with enthusiastic staff members and physicians, a good inventory of equipment, and a thorough patient education program, not all home health patients will qualify for the program, says Sandy McNeely, RN, MSN, telemonitoring program manager for the Visiting Nurse Association of Houston.

Basic guidelines used by McNeely include:

• Caregiver or patient must demonstrate the proper use of telemonitoring equipment.
• Caregiver or patient must be willing and able to consent and agree to daily monitoring.
• Environment is safe for equipment. For example, the home is safe from threat of theft, weather damage, extreme dust or dirt, or other environmental factors that will affect the equipment�s operation.

It is important to make sure that patients are well-educated about the use of the equipment and that you are able to keep the equipment in working order, says Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq., an attorney in Burtonsville, MD.