“I have an excellent team of people behind me as well as the most wonderful nurse, who’s been very attentive with me. She’s gotten me through my infections at home,” according to Galway patient Frank O'Connell, who was diagnosed with COPD nine years ago, and who was sharing his experience of virtual care in recent weeks. He described the profound impact being treated at home had on his daily life, explaining that “there’s an immense difference being treated at home as opposed to going into hospital. I hope the service is there for a long time to come, I really appreciate it.”

Frank is one of the patients in the West of Ireland who are now able to access medical care from home as part of a virtual healthcare initiative being rolled out by Galway University Hospitals in collaboration with Community Healthcare West.

While the patients remain under the care of their treating doctors and medical team, this new programme allows them to receive monitoring of their ongoing care from home.

The initiative will also reduce the need for hospital attendance and is expected to save hundreds of bed days per year.

It is aligned to the ambitions of Ireland’s 10-year health and social care reform programme Sláintecare, which aims to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and support patients at home.

The programme’s digital platform is delivered through mobile health apps, which help patients track key health metrics and monitor symptoms from home. A clinician dashboard displays real-time information on a patient’s condition, alerting medical professionals to changes so they can detect deterioration early and deliver timely care.

The programme has had a successful trial in the Galway-based Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) service.

The COPD virtual care pathway is already delivering real benefits, using digital technology to reduce the length of stay for patients who have already been admitted to hospital. It also provides patients who present to the Emergency Department, with stable COPD exacerbations, direct access to the service, resulting in hospital avoidance.

Since the introduction of the service in April, 30 episodes of care have been delivered via the pathway, saving 205.4 bed days with the average length of stay in virtual care now at 7.6 days, a 35.5% improvement on the length of stay compared to the inpatient national average.

Through a user-friendly application, ‘MyPatientSpace’, patients can report daily symptoms and are equipped with a pulse oximeter to monitor vital health metrics such as oxygen levels and heart rate on a daily basis. Any deviations from target levels or problematic patterns provide immediate notifications, allowing for rapid action and personalised care plans to address developing concerns before they escalate.

Emma Burke, Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Respiratory at Galway University Hospitals, and Virtual Care Lead for the Galway City Integrated Care Hub explained that “this initiative aligns with the Slaintecare vision of delivering one universal health service, providing right care, in the right place, at the right time. It represents an important change in the management of COPD, in allowing patients to actively monitor their health via the use of digital technology, while also facilitating prompt specialised intervention.” 

Patients who have a confirmed COPD diagnosis by spirometry, live in the Community Healthcare West area, and are within 30 minutes of University Hospital Galway are eligible for the service.

"Patients with COPD require more hospital visits, but with this new pathway, we are already seeing a reduction in hospital reliance,” explains Dr Sinead Walsh, Respiratory Consultant at Galway University Hospitals and Respiratory Lead for the Galway City Integrated Care Hub.

“While supporting patients' preferences for care in their own homes, which results in more autonomy and a higher quality of life, we are also minimising the need for hospital admission, promoting early discharge, and lowering the risk of hospital-acquired infections and deconditioning.”

Galway patient Frank adds that “since my diagnosis, I've been in hospital on numerous occasions for stays of anything up to ten days. In the last two months, I've had two more infections, both of which were treated at home with this new service.  I was able to catch the infections at the early stages and my recovery was very fast on both occasions.”

Professor Derek O’Keeffe, Consultant Physician (Endocrinologist) at Galway University Hospitals who is the GUH Virtual Hospital Project’s Principal Investigator added that “this project will deliver new ways of providing care to our patients using next generation technology and new clinical pathways to improve health and economic outcomes.

“The virtual initiative will use community virtual wards for enhanced monitoring and treatment of chronic conditions. These community virtual wards offer at-home remote patient monitoring to reduce admissions and support early discharge of patients who would otherwise need hospital admission. Virtual outpatient services for remote appointments and diagnostics are also provided.”

Chris Kane, Hospital Manager, Galway University Hospitals outlined that “the objectives of this distributed healthcare model are to improve patients’ access to services, convenience, and health outcomes. It also seeks to give patients the tools to play an active role in their own recovery. The virtual platforms mean patients will not only be able to monitor their progress, but also have direct access to educational materials, and participate in the decision-making process with their healthcare providers.”

Watch insight into the patient’s journey with virtual care on YouTube.com