Innovative new service for diabetes

Telemonitoring involves remotely monitoring patients who are not at the same location as the health care provider, for example a nurse.

A patient has a number of monitoring devices at home and the results are sent via telephone to their nurse/doctor.

Telemonitoring can help patients avoid a stay in hospital or the need to travel to clinics for treatment. The service is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Sharon Wilson, a specialist diabetic nurse working for the Northern Trust advises: “When patients begin to take control of their health, telemonitoring empowers them and makes them more independent as they take their own readings from the comfort of their home and send them electronically to the centre. I review their readings every week but the system definitely helps patients to learn about their condition and control it. This of course improves their quality of life and reduces the risk of long term complications.

“Any changes are easy to spot, meaning I can get in touch straight away and increase or decrease insulin as needed, and then monitor the effects.”

For more information contact Bronagh Mooney on 028 94426100 or email [email protected]