Date published: 14 July 2025
Our world is more connected than ever. Technological advances mean we can chat with family on the other side of the world as if they lived in the next street. Now, technology to provide hospital treatment at home is also bringing nurses and patients closer, even when they’re miles away.
Delivering the best care is always at the front of Louise Davies’ mind. As a Telehealth nurse advisor, she is part of the team delivering hospital level care in the comfort of patients’ own homes. “Frequent clinic appointments to monitor conditions can disrupt people’s lives. With Telehealth, they can instead choose to take a kit home and send us readings of their blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen levels (sometimes known as stats). We can then easily detect changes and react very quickly to prevent complications.”
The technology is also used by patients admitted to the hospital with respiratory conditions, as full recovery can often take several weeks. “Being monitored remotely means people are not stuck in a hospital bed. At home, they are happier, more relaxed and can get better faster. By taking their own readings, patients feel empowered to take control of their own health. They understand the benefits of medication because they can immediately see the effects on their stats.”
Louise has seen another benefit. “The Telehealth system gives me the time and opportunity to have regular and meaningful conversations with my patients. I really get to know them, more than when I have been nursing someone face to face on a ward. As a nurse, I want to support people to be as well as they can possibly be. The information they submit includes a survey, which we use to spark conversations about their overall wellbeing, including their mental health. We can develop real trust between us - it’s what nursing is all about. No matter where we are."
