Telehomecare

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Telehomecare (THC) is a subfield within telehealth. It involves the delivery of healthcare services to patients at home through the use of telecommunications technologies, which enable the interaction of voice, video, and health-related data.^[1] The management of care is done from an external site by a healthcare professional.

Though often used interchangeably with remote patient monitoring, telehomecare encompasses more than just monitoring, as it includes education, emotional and social support, information dissemination, and self-care guidance. THC has been employed to improve the management of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, COPD, and diabetes, potentially reducing the number of visits to primary healthcare services. The aging population's increasing demand for home care emphasizes the need for accessible healthcare services, which THC can address. Furthermore, THC facilitates connections between hospitals and primary care providers, improving patients' access to services and potentially reducing healthcare costs.

THC technology caters to various patient needs, ranging from minimal to sophisticated monitoring. A typical system comprises a central unit connected to one or more peripheral devices, such as blood pressure monitors, weight scales, glucometers, pulse oximeters, peak flow meters, or stethoscopes. Patients input their vital signs and health information into the THC unit either manually or via the peripherals. This data is transmitted through telephone lines to a secure server at the manufacturer's data center before being uploaded to a secure web-based application. Healthcare professionals can then access and review the patient's information from any location with internet connectivity.