Leicester City clinical commissioning group (CCG) has saved £350,000 through a telehealth scheme to reduce hospital admissions.
The scheme has been combined with a health coaching programme for support of COPD patients.
A total of 134 hospital admissions have been averted since December 2012.
The current service, provided to a 50-person cohort of patients, has saved more than £353,000 in its first 26 weeks.
Leicester City clinical commissioning group (CCG) has saved £350,000 through a telehealth scheme to reduce hospital admissions.
The scheme has been combined with a health coaching programme for support of COPD patients.
A total of 134 hospital admissions have been averted since December 2012.
The current service, provided to a 50-person cohort of patients, has saved more than £353,000 in its first 26 weeks.
Leicester City CCG has chosen to upscale the current model from 50 patients to 150 existing COPD patients and 250 newly diagnosed COPD patient.
Health coaches work with patients and carers to ensure people suffering from long-term conditions are adequately prepared, are fully compliant with their treatment regimen and, when exacerbations occur, use their rescue medication in a timely and appropriate manner.
In the process, the service helps to minimise exacerbations and reduce expensive, unnecessary unplanned hospital admissions.
Dr Durairaj, GP and CCG lead for COPD said: “Our patients get the support of managing their own condition at home. We know patients are happier and recover quicker when their care is managed at home. We are really pleased that the scheme is working and the project has enabled patients to avoid a hospital stay.”
The programme, was developed and delivered through a partnership between the CCG, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and healthcare experts Totally Health.
