Digital monitoring of patients at home eases the pressure on hospitals. But it has some serious drawbacks
Virtual wards may sound like something out of a dystopian sci-fi book, but they’re a very real policy initiative being expanded by the government to ease demands on critical care in UK hospitals.
In 2012, I was responsible for setting up one of these “wards” in the Midlands. The idea was that an algorithm would use available patient data – such as age, medications, long-term conditions, previous admissions etc – to identify those most likely to be admitted to hospital in an emergency. Using this data, nurses, in conjunction with GPs, managed patients at home. My patients were mostly elderly, but anyone with multiple health problems or a history of higher than average attendances was considered for the ward.
Brian Bostock is a registered nurse, independent healthcare management consultant and expert in complex long-term and end of life care
