Using AI to Remotely Monitor Patients and Prevent Readmissions

With many conditions requiring patients to rehabilitate at home, it can sadly be all too common for the condition to relapse on account of inadequate care of the wound or rehab at home. The UK's Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust have deployed an AI-powered wearable technology to provide remote monitoring of patients once they've been discharged.

The system, known as Current, provides a real-time data stream to clinicians and other medical staff to allow more targeted interventions. This resulted in not only a 22 percent reduction in home visits but reduced rates of readmission to hospitals.

The technology utilizes wearable devices and sensors to provide remote patient monitoring and hopefully reduce visits to the emergency department, minimize readmissions, and avoid hospitalization. The technology proved easy to use, with staff trained to use it in under an hour. It is designed to provide early warnings of deterioration in patients to allow for early and targeted interventions.

The data thus far shows a 92 percent patient adherence rate, with people seemingly happy, even proud, to wear the device, as it helps them to feel safer and more secure. What's more, the ease of use of the system helped adoption considerably.

"The value of Current was demonstrated in our very first patient - a chronically unwell patient who suffered a decline in oxygen saturation, which Current detected sooner than standard care would have caught it, letting us intervene earlier and in the patient's home," the NHS explains. "With Current, we've seen the ability to deliver intervention at a far earlier point and prevent hospital readmission."

Remote Monitoring

The technology is worn on the upper arm and collects a continuous stream of data to an accuracy seen on intensive care units. The AI backend analyzes the data generated autonomously to try and provide actionable and proactive insights into the health of the wearer.

The data is sent to a Hospital at Home health team who manages the care of patients after they've been discharged from hospital. Each patient is discharged with a couple of wearable devices and a Homehub that allows the data to be shared with the medical team securely.

"Dartford and Gravesham is an exemplary hospital committed to improving the complete patient healthcare experience, with both clinicians and patients alike benefiting from such a proactive approach," said Current CEO Christopher McCann. "Not only was preventative care made a reality for patients far earlier than standard care expectations, but patients reported feeling safer and more secure wearing the Current device — this is one of the greatest benefits we can ever expect to realize as a team."