Introduction to Telehomecare
Your Health. Your Home.
There’s a new way to support patients with chronic diseases and it’s called Telehomecare – a new program linking patients with health care professionals to help better manage their chronic disease in the comfort of their own home.
The solution for improving chronic disease management is to develop programs in which health providers partner with patients and support them in the management of their own care. The ultimate goal of telehomecare is to create a partnership between patients and their multidisciplinary care team which enables, teaches and supports patients to actively manage their chronic diseases in their home.
Telehomecare is effective in teaching patients self management, helping them stick to recommended guidelines, supporting provider’s communication with patients and preventing symptoms from getting out of control. This program and supporting technology is well-liked by patients and has been shown to reduce expensive health system costs by reducing hospitalization rates, emergency department visits and long-term home admissions.
The Ontario Telehomecare Phase One Program, launched in March of 2007 and ending in October 2008, will use communications and information technology to provide care and monitoring to 600 patients with chronic diseases. Phase One is supported by eight Family Health Teams across Ontario in collaboration with local Community Care Access Centres - both of whom play key roles in chronic disease management activities. Phase One is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and Canada Health Infoway. The Ontario Telemedicine Network is managing this project.