Telemedicine Nursing

The regular nursing follow-up program, in collaboration with the telemedicine center, aims to achieve two key objectives:

Firstly, it ensures absolute vigilance for the early detection of emerging disorders. This proactive approach is crucial in identifying health issues at their onset.
Secondly, it focuses on the optimal regulation of chronic diseases, ensuring that patients receive the best possible management for their long-term conditions.

During regular visits, a healthcare professional meticulously measures various health parameters for the patient, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation. These include:

Arterial pressure, to monitor the force exerted by blood against artery walls.
Temperature, to check for fevers or other temperature-related health issues.
Oxygen levels, essential for assessing respiratory function and overall oxygenation.
Heartbeats, to track heart rate and rhythm for any irregularities.
Respiratory rate, indicating the breathing frequency and lung health.
Body weight, crucial for managing and monitoring overall health and wellness.
Muscle mass, to assess physical strength and conditioning.
Body water, for understanding hydration levels and fluid balance.
Urine test, to detect kidney and other bodily functions.
Sugar recording, essential for diabetes management or identifying glucose level concerns.
Mood, to evaluate the patient’s psychological well-being, crucial for a holistic health approach.

All measurements are made with telemedicine devices, which automatically update the examinee’s electronic file.

The health professional during the first visit to the examinee records the history and creates the electronic online medical file , which will be – with the consent of the examinee – accessible by the doctors of the center.

The doctors at the center keep a close watch on various critical health metrics, ensuring thorough patient care.

They monitor:

Pathological measurements, which could indicate deviations from normal health parameters.
Changes in oxygen levels, both descending and ascending, to assess respiratory function.
Body weight fluctuations, crucial for understanding overall health and detecting potential issues.
Respiratory rate, tracking the frequency of breaths for signs of respiratory distress or other conditions.
Heart rate, observing for any irregularities or changes that could signal cardiovascular concerns.
Urine density, an important indicator of kidney function and hydration status.

The center’s doctors evaluate the measurements based on:

Between measurements
With the history
With the medications taken

If necessary, the doctors of the center may recommend:

Medical examination
Hospitalization

At every visit, the healthcare professional is thoroughly equipped with an array of telemedicine tools, ensuring comprehensive patient assessment. These include:

A telemedicine sphygmomanometer, vital for measuring blood pressure accurately.
A telemedicine pulse oximeter, essential for monitoring oxygen saturation levels in the blood.
A telemedicine thermometer, crucial for checking the patient’s body temperature.
A telemedicine body composition analyzer, useful for assessing body fat and muscle mass.
A telemedicine urine analyzer, important for evaluating kidney function and other health indicators.
A tablet, specifically used to connect to the telemedicine platform, facilitating seamless data recording and access.

Each of these tools plays a key role in providing a complete health evaluation during the visit.

The examinee can have it at home

Telemedicine glucose meter for measurements according to the schedule.
Telemedicine smart watch for 24-hour pulse recording.

At each visit, the healthcare professional selects the examinee’s tab on the tablet through the telemedicine platform . The following are automatically transferred to the tab:

All the measurements made by the examinee with his own telemedicine blood sugar meter and the continuous heart rate recording from the smart watch.
All the measurements he takes during the visit, with the devices he brings with him.

The doctors of the center have direct supervision:

Individual measurements that display an “alarm” signal when they deviate from normal limits
Graphs of variation of all parameters for each patient separately, as the downward or upward evolution of a parameter, before it deviates outside the normal limits, has diagnostic and prognostic significance.

The examinee or their caregivers receive a monthly report via email in pdf format with the price fluctuation graphs, averages, prevailing and extreme values recorded.

With each subscription to the Nursing Telemedicine program, a range of complimentary services is provided, enhancing patient care and convenience:

Firstly, the Creation of an Electronic Online Medical Record: This service offers a digital platform for efficiently maintaining and accessing patient health information.
Secondly, Automatic Updating of the File: This feature ensures the medical record is always up-to-date with data from examinations conducted at affiliated laboratories.
Thirdly, a Quarterly Blood Check-Up: Subscribers receive a comprehensive blood test every three months, crucial for monitoring various health parameters.
Lastly, Monthly Electronic Drug Prescription: This service provides easy and regular access to prescribed medications, adding to the program’s convenience.

Importance of tracking metrics

A long list of diseases and life-threatening disorders can be diagnosed early and prevented with the Nursing Telemedicine program.

Arterial pressure, commonly referred to as blood pressure, plays a crucial role in overall health. It’s important to understand that:

High blood pressure often shows no symptoms, making it a silent but potentially dangerous condition.
If high blood pressure persists over time, it can lead to serious health issues, including heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, dementia, and renal (kidney) failure.
Statistically, two-thirds of individuals with hypertension develop the condition after the age of 65.
Alarmingly, one in four people with high blood pressure are unaware of their condition, highlighting the importance of regular health check-ups.
Furthermore, half of the individuals diagnosed with hypertension do not manage their blood pressure effectively, which can lead to further health complications.

Blood pressure monitoring helps:

In the diagnosis of hypertension and the monitoring of the therapeutic effect.
In identifying causes that increase pressure in people who are not hypertensive.
In identifying causes that reduce pressure .

They are important:

The average of the pressures.
How high are the spikes.
The upward or downward trend over time.

Temperature

It’s widely acknowledged that a fever, characterized by a temperature above 38°C, typically signals an infection or, less commonly, other pathological conditions such as autoimmune diseases or malignancies.

Conversely, minor temperature increases, even just by tenths of a degree, can arise from a range of potential pathological sources.

Throughout the history of medicine, doctors have consistently relied on body temperature as a crucial indicator to assess a person’s overall health status.

Heart beats

Numerous arrhythmias, along with various extracardiac factors, often present themselves through changes in heart rate, primarily tachycardias.

A prevalent example of this is atrial fibrillation, a condition that frequently occurs intermittently, often going undetected.

The technology for 24-hour heart rate recording facilitates the monitoring of such conditions.

A gradual increase in heart rate could indicate several medical conditions, including:

Dehydration, where the body loses more fluids than it takes in, causing the heart to work harder.
Blood loss, such as from gastric bleeding, leading to a reduced blood volume and increased heart rate.
Infection, which often triggers the body’s immune response, speeding up the heart rate.
Other causes of tachycardia, encompassing a range of medical issues that can result in a faster heart rate.

A sudden increase in heart rate can mean:

Atrial Fibrillation
Extraordinary contractions
Other arrhythmias

Respiratory rate

It is a very sensitive indicator of a number of pathological and possibly life-threatening conditions, which can be prevented or cured if diagnosed in time such as:

Infection
Acidosis
Pulmonary edema
Pulmonary embolism

The healthcare professional measures the respiratory rate by observation and using a timer in 15 seconds.

Body composition analysis (fat, muscle mass, bone)

Fluctuations in body weight can indeed be categorized according to their rate of change, which can be indicative of various health factors:

Firstly, Acute Fluctuations: This category includes considerable changes, usually exceeding 50-100 grams within a 24-hour period. These rapid shifts in weight could potentially signal changes in fluid balance or the presence of acute health issues.
Secondly, Gradual Fluctuations: These changes are more subtle, amounting to less than 50 grams per 24 hours. Such gradual weight alterations often result from long-term factors like dietary modifications, changes in exercise habits, or the progression of slow-developing health conditions.

Understanding these patterns is key in assessing overall health and identifying potential underlying health concerns.

Abrupt fluctuations are mainly related to body water and may indicate:

Dehydration
Fluid retention (heart failure, hypoalbuminemia, kidney disease)

Gradual fluctuations in body composition, affecting water, fat, or muscle mass, can indicate various health conditions, including:

Malnutrition: Changes in fat and muscle mass due to inadequate nutrient intake.
Increased Catabolism: Often seen in malignancies, leading to a loss of muscle and fat tissue.
Thyroid Gland Disorders: Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can affect body weight and composition.
Loss of Muscle Mass: Could be due to aging, inactivity, or certain diseases.
Medications: Some drugs can lead to changes in body weight and composition, impacting fat or muscle mass.

The analysis of the composition of the body in water , fat , muscle and bone , facilitates the drawing of conclusions, diagnosis and treatment.

Conditions that can be prevented with daily body composition analysis

Acute renal failure
Pulmonary edema

Measuring the basic metabolism at home (within 2 minutes with a special machine) contributes decisively to identifying the cause of weight fluctuation.

Urinalysis

Indeed, a simple urine test can swiftly uncover a multitude of pathological conditions, illustrating its significant role in medical diagnostics. Some of these conditions include:

Firstly, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): This is indicated by the presence of bacteria, white blood cells, or nitrates in the urine.
Secondly, Hematuria: The detection of blood in urine can signal issues in the urinary tract or kidney problems.
Thirdly, Jaundice: This condition is characterized by elevated bilirubin levels in urine, pointing to liver dysfunction.
Next, Kidney Disease: This is detected through abnormal protein levels or the presence of kidney cells in urine.
Additionally, Diabetes: This is identified by glucose or ketones in the urine.
Also, Malnutrition: Indicated by abnormal levels of proteins, vitamins, or minerals in urine.
Dehydration: This is suggested by a high concentration and specific gravity of urine.
Lastly, Overhydration: This condition is evidenced by overly diluted urine with low specific gravity.
The ability of urine tests to detect these conditions underscores their critical role in the diagnosis and management of various health issues.

Mood

During the examination process, the examinee engages in an interactive experience with a tablet, where they select an emotional symbol (face) that accurately reflects their current mood. The available options span a spectrum from:

Very bad,
A little bad,
Moderate,
Kinda good, to
Very well.

Importantly, this mood assessment serves as a sensitive barometer for the examinee’s overall health, integrating both psychological and organic aspects. For instance, a mood that suggests depression might link to medical conditions like hypothyroidism. Using this approach is crucial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s health, covering both their mental and physical well-being.

Nursing Telemedicine