Have you heard about telemedicine? In a world where new buzzwords seem to pop up everyday, you might have overlooked the importance of this new medical term. But don't be intimidated by its fancy-sounding name…telemedicine simply refers to the delivery of clinical care through information technologies and communications.

At 9:00 am every morning, Elsie Smith is prompted by her HomMed telemonitor to take her vital signs when a friendly voice states, "Good Morning, It is time to take your vital signs." Elsie sits down in her favorite chair as the machine talks her through each step. Her blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation vital signs are recorded and then transmitted to a Central Station at Nightingale Home Healthcare's corporate headquarters (the company is known as Aspire Home Healthcare in San Diego, California). At the Central Station, a licensed nurse looks over Mrs. Smith's vital signs and makes sure that none have fallen outside of her normal parameters. If any vital signs appear to be unusual or of concern, Mrs. Smith is contacted, asked how she is feeling, and receives appropriate emergency triage if necessary. Mrs. Smith's daughter (her caregiver) and physician are also alerted.

Nightingale Home Healthcare is sold on the benefits of providing in-home telemedicine to optimize care for its patients. "Not only does telemonitoring provide peace of mind for caregivers, it has actually saved lives," reports Dr. Dev A. Brar, President of Nightingale and Aspire Home Health companies. Recently, Nightingale's telemedicine nurse received a Central Station report showing a patient to have a critical blood pressure of 227/110. The nurse called the patient, who said she felt fine and wasn't experiencing any shortness of breath or chest pain. The nurse consulted with the Nightingale case manager and the doctor, and the patient received Lasix that night. She was scheduled for a Doppler study the next day, where it was discovered that she had a blood clot in her groin. The patient was immediately hospitalized and started on a heparin drip. After only 1 ½ days of inpatient care, she returned home and is now on Coumadin (a blood thinner). The patient's blood pressure was stabilized and within normal parameters just one week after the incident. Thanks to the proactive triage of our telemedicine nurse, this patient was prevented from suffering a stroke and pulmonary embolism.

For the past 10 years, Nightingale Home Healthcare in Indiana has worked very hard to constantly seek out new and improved medical technologies, such as telemedicine, so that its patients can benefit from the improved care and convenience. As a result, the company has established itself as a pioneer and technological leader within the home healthcare industry. For more information on telemedicine, or to schedule a personal consultation and learn more about Nightingale and Aspire's full range of home healthcare services which include skilled nursing, physical, speech and occupational therapy, home health aides and companions, please contact Stephanie Griffin toll-free at 866-334-7777 or visit their web site at www.HomeCareForYou.com.