Reading room: Telehealth

Telehealth is the remote exchange of physiological data between a patient at home and medical staff at hospital to assist in diagnosis and monitoring. Amongst other things it comprises home units to measure and monitor temperature, blood pressure and other vital signs for clinical review at a remote location (for example, a hospital site) using phone lines or wireless technology.

Examples of telehealth devices include: blood pressure monitoring; blood glucose monitoring; cardiac arrhythmia monitoring; and medication reminder systems.
Source: Curry RG, Trejo Tinoco M, Wardle D. 'Telecare: using information and communication technology to support independent living by older, disabled and vulnerable people: report to the UK Department of Health, July 2003

This online reading room brings together details of books, reports and journal articles on telehealth which are held by the King's Fund Information and Library Service (many of which are available in full text as links). It also offers links to relevant organisations and other information resources.

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  • Telehealth
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Recent additions to The King's Fund catalogue

Journal articles with abstracts on this topic are displayed here. Subscribe to our web feed to keep up to date with this information. How to subscribe to our web feeds.

  • Get yourself connected.

    Sarhan, Firas. - By Sarhan, Firas. 2011 In the first of a two-part series on technology in health care, Firas Sarhan explains the government drive to promote telehealth. [Introduction]

  • Development of a program for tele-rehabilitation of COPD patients across sectors : co-innovation in a network.

    Dinesen, Birthe . - By Dinesen, Birthe . 2011 INTRODUCTION: The aim of the Telekat project is to prevent re-admissions of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by developing a preventive program of tele-rehabilitation across sectors for COPD patients. The development of the program is based on a co-innovation process between COPD patients, relatives, healthcare professionals and representatives from private firms and universities. This paper discusses the obstacles that arise in the co-innovation process of developing an integrated technique for tele-rehabilitation of COPD patients. THEORY: Network and innovation theory. METHODS: The case study was applied. A triangulation of data collection techniques was used: documents, observations (123 hours), qualitative interviews (n=32) and action research. FINDINGS: Obstacles were identified in the network context; these obstacles included the mindset of the healthcare professionals, inter-professionals relations, views of technology as a tool and competing visions for the goals of tele-rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: We have identified obstacles that emerge in the co-innovation process when developing a programme for tele-rehabilitation of COPD patients in an inter-organizational context. Action research has been carried out and can have helped to facilitate the co-innovation process. [Abstract]

  • Home comfort.

    Moore, Alison. - By Moore, Alison. 2011 Telehealth will be one NHS weapon as it deals with the increasing number of patients with long term conditions. While many health economies have been slow to adopt the technology, there are signs this is slowly changing, Alison Moore asks whether telehealth will be the next big thing and what the barriers are. [Introduction]
  • Liddell, A., Adshead, S. and Burgess, E. Technology in the NHS: Transforming the patient's experience of care. London: The King's Fund, October 2008
  • Heasley, C. and Esslinger, E. Identified Participant Telehealth Utilization Analysis. Quality Insights of Pennsylvania, 12 June 2008
  • Whitehouse, Diane and Virtuoso, Salvatore. Telehealth 2007: telemedicine and innovative technologies for chronic disease management. Conference: Breydel Building, Brussels, 11 December 2007. Brussels: European Commission, 18 February 2008
  • Brownsell, Simon. Supporting long term conditions and disease management through telecare and telehealth: evidence and challenges. London: Care Services Improvement Partnership, 14 January 2008
  • Department of Health. Research evidence on the effectiveness of self care support (work in progress 2005-07). London: Department of Health, 12 December 2007
  • Dinesen, Birthe, et al. Telehomecare technology across sectors : claims of jurisdiction and emerging controversies. International Journal of Integrated Care 2007; 7: (21 November 2007)
  • Cusack, Caitlin M., et al. The value of provider-to-provider telehealth technologies. Charlestown, MA: CITL, 2007
  • Stachura, M. and Khasanshina, E. Telehomecare and remote monitoring: an outcomes review. Augusta: The Advanced Medical Technology Association, October 2007
  • Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust, NHS Direct and Pfizer Health Solutions. OwnHealth Birmingham: successes and learning from the first year. Birmingham: Birmingham, East and North Primary Care Trust, September 2007
  • Kim, Chulsik, et al. Internet diabetic patient management using a short messaging service automatically produced by a knowledge matrix system. Diabetes Care 2007; 30: 2857-2858 (6 August 2007)
  • Dinesen, Birthe, et al. Implementation of the concept of home hospitalisation for heart patients by means of telehomecare technology : integration of clinical tasks. International Journal of Integrated Care 2007; 7: (30 May 2007)
  • Shea, Steven, et al. A randomized controlled trial comparing telemedicine case management with usual care in older, ethnically diverse, medically underserved patients with diabetes mellitus. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 2006; 13 (1): 40-51 (January- February 2006)
  • Cho, Jae-Hyoung, et al. Long-term effect of the Internet-Based Glucose Monitoring System on HbA1c reduction and glucose stability. Diabetes Care 2006; 29: 2625-2631 (2006)
  • Vodafone Group Plc. The role of mobile phones in increasing accessibility and efficiency in healthcare. London: Vodafone Group Plc, 2006
  • McMahon, Graham T. et al. Web-based care management in patients with poorly controlled diabetes. Diabetes Care 2005; 28: 1624-1629 (July 2005)
  • Finch, Tracy L., et al. Integrating service development with evaluation in telehealthcare : an ethnographic study. BMJ 2003; 327 (7425): 1205-1208 (22 November 2003)
  • Jacklin, P. B., et al. Virtual outreach : economic evaluation of joint teleconsultations for patients referred by their general practitioner for a specialist opinion. BMJ 2003; 327 (7406): 84-88 (12 July 2003)

Information resources

  • e-Health Insider

Related websites

  • Telemedicine and telehealth news (Telemedicine Information Exchange)
  • Telecare LIN (Includes links to some telehealth services) (Care Services Improvement Partnership)
  • Telecare Aware (Includes some telehealth stories)
  • Telecare Knowledge Network (online forum)
  • TEIS: UK Telemedicine and E-health information service: all activities (Contains some telehealth projects) (University of Portsmouth)
  • SENIOR: Social Ethical and privacy Needs in ICT for Older people: a dialogue Roadmap (Centre for Science, Society and Citizenship, Rome)
  • European Commission eHealth Impact Study (contains 100 good practice case studies from across Europe, many related to telecare, telehealth and chronic disease management)