The heart clinic at the Blekinge Hospital has now started testing to care for patients remotely in the home through so-called distance monitoring. The 20 patients who participate then receive a laptop with the associated equipment that measures weight, heart rate, blood pressure and temperature.

- Before we were tied to physical premises but now there are other possibilities and this is a set we are testing now, says Helene Bjerstedt, health and care strategist.

Fewer emergency visits

The values ​​are sent wirelessly and automatically to the heart reception on a daily basis and the patient can simultaneously answer a number of questions about symptoms and how the person is feeling.

- It has been very good. The patient feels confident that we see their measured values ​​on a daily basis, they have an increased accessibility because they can write to us in a chat function and we see at an early stage if we need to change, for example, medication, says Marita Sideström, department head at the heart clinic.

This has resulted in patients not having to visit the hospital as often.

- Those patients have not had to visit or be admitted to the hospital, but they have become better and have been able to stay at home, says Marita Sideström.

Tested for four months

About once a week, video meetings between the patient and the nurses are also held at the heart clinic.

- Above all, it reduces the risk of re-admission and visits to the emergency room and we see that this is the future of health care in the field of e-health, says Marita Sideström

The test will last for four months and in the long term, the Blekinge Hospital hopes that the model will be applicable to patients with other conditions of illness.

- It is conceivable that it can also be used on, for example, patients with diabetes or diabetic patients. We will do an evaluation in February and then the hospital will decide on how to proceed, says Helene Bjerstedt.