A digital remote monitoring technology care home pilot saw a reduction 25% drop in hospital emergency admissions and a 11% drop in A&E attendances.

The research by the Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) Better Care programme, a collaboration between the universities of Sheffield, Durham, Lancaster and Newcastle, was published today in Age and Ageing – the official journal of the British Geriatrics Society.

Alex Garner, a PhD student at the Centre for Health Informatics, Computing and Statistics at Lancaster University and first author on the study, said: “The findings of our study highlight the potential of data-driven solutions such as remote monitoring technology to improve care through reducing emergency attendances and admissions to hospital. Care home staff also reported that using the app boosted their confidence in being able to identify possible deterioration earlier and support better management of illnesses before hospitalisation is needed.

“Our hope is that these types of digital technology will play a vital role in improving communication between health service providers in the future, benefiting both patients and the NHS.”

Health Call, an NHS-owned digital company, developed the smartphone app that care home staff can use to monitor and manage the long-term health of residents by recording daily observations. The information, held securely in the app, provides a way for doctors and other clinicians to review the resident and offer guidance for their care while the resident is in their home.

Researchers looked at the impact of using the Health Call app for 8,702 residents in 118 care homes across the Northeast of England between 2018 and 2021.

In addition to assessing the impact on hospital attendance and admissions, the research team also performed a cost analysis. They found that the use of Health Call within care homes led to a cost reduction for the NHS of £57 per resident in 2018, increasing to £113 in 2021.