VA Remote Patient Monitoring programs use telehealth technologies to monitor Veterans’ vital signs and health status while they are at home. Veterans who are enrolled in these home telehealth programs send key vital signs and other health information to their care team, who can then monitor the data and intervene if something seems wrong.

Recently, that’s just what the remote patient monitoring team at the Wilmington VA Medical Center did to assist one Veteran in need. The Veteran has a history of heart failure and depends on home oxygen. His condition had been stable for some time, but that day both his blood oxygen and heart rate measures were abnormal.

Kenneth Horseman, Wilmington VA’s lead home telehealth coordinator, scheduled a VA Video Connect visit to check on the Veteran and quickly noticed that he was having difficulty speaking in complete sentences and appeared pale. Horseman immediately advised the Veteran to seek emergency care. When Horseman followed up the next day, the Veteran was still in the ICU but in much better condition.

Read more of this story on VA News and visit the VA Telehealth website to learn more about home telehealth and VA Video Connect.