ASU Professor Awarded Research Grant to Study Telehealth

Improvement in Patient Outcomes through Banner Home Care Central to Research

(Gilbert, Ariz.) — The National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research has awarded veteran nurse and Arizona State University Assistant Professor, Dr. Kimberly Shea, a $385,000 research grant to study “telemonitoring” patients in conjunction with Arizona-based Banner Home Care. Dr. Shea will work with Banner to measure self-care behavioral outcomes based on the feedback patients receive from nurses during their daily telemonitoring sessions.

The program involves a telemonitoring station at the person’s home which asks the patient to answer health related questions as well as use wireless electronic devices, such as blood pressure cuffs, oximeters, scales and glucometers, on a daily basis. Information is transmitted to attending nurses via telephone line and examined for any irregularities or deviation from doctor-prescribed ranges. If results are irregular, a nurse will contact the patient to follow-up on the situation.

Dr. Shea’s study will involve the type of feedback patients receive from their daily monitoring. Today, usual care for patients consists of being contacted when something appears out of the ordinary. Dr. Shea believes that by providing usual care plus positive reinforcement to patients when their readings are good, it will motivate regular self-care behaviors, which can lead to reductions in exacerbations and readmission to the hospital.

She will measure behavioral outcomes of 30 patients through 3 weeks of “usual care” and compare their results to the same period of “usual care plus” when the patients will be given additional feedback for maintaining prescribed vital signs. The descriptive study will provide data on differences in reactions and behaviors when motivating feedback is provided in addition to being contacted when the patient requires intervention.

“Banner excels in their use of technology for outstanding patient care,” said Dr. Shea. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to work with an organization that uses innovative practices for health care and look forward to providing them with helpful feedback from my study.”

Banner currently has approximately 60 patients in its telehealth program. Since beginning this innovative practice, the organization has reported a reduction in re-hospitalizations. The program provides early warning signs that nurses and doctors can immediately address rather than waiting until the situation is more serious. The majority of telemonitored patients suffer from congestive heart failure, a chronic condition that can be monitored by measuring weight and vital signs. A significant weight gain, for instance, could indicate increased fluid in the body which can put additional stress on the heart. Telemonitoring can identify these symptoms when they first begin and allow for treatment before a trip to the hospital is needed.

Dr. Shea teaches Informatics and Nursing and Healthcare Systems at ASU. She holds bachelor’s degrees in public administration and nursing, a master’s of science in nursing informatics and a Ph.D. in nursing and healthcare systems. Her study will run from June 2010 to July 2011 and will focus on cardiac patients.

Published on behalf of Banner Health
Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns or manages 22 acute-care hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including family clinics, home care and hospice services, and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. To learn more about Banner health, go to www.bannerhealth.com.

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