TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 16, 2017) - Tunstall Healthcare, a world leader in connected healthcare, and TELUS Health, an organization committed to driving healthcare efficiencies and enhanced patient experiences through the use of advanced technology, have today announced to work together to provide Canadians with better access to healthcare through the Tunstall world-leading ICP Integrated Care Platform™. By leveraging remote monitoring and videoconferencing telehealth software solutions, together the companies will improve the lives of patients living with chronic disease and help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
Today, patients managing chronic conditions do so for about 5,800 waking hours each year while typically spending fewer than 10 hours with a healthcare professional. Through the use of this technology, clinicians can support these patients even if in remote areas of the country, while empowering them to stay active in the effective management of their own health and chronic conditions. By enabling them to track and upload their own vital signs from the comfort of their own home, the TELUS Home Health Monitoring solution powered by ICP, will allow virtual care teams to maintain a close watch on biometrics in real-time and intervene before a health issue arises, regardless of where they are located.
"Creating tools that allow patients to partner with their caregivers to manage their own health is a foundational step in our pursuit of a fully integrated healthcare ecosystem," said Dr. Michael Guerriere, Chief Medical Officer, TELUS Health. "Our home health monitoring projects have resulted in significant cost savings and reduced patient emergency room visits and hospital re-admissions. Patients using this technology reported being highly engaged in their health and enjoying an improved quality of life. Our relationship with Tunstall will advance the capabilities of our current solution to provide more Canadians with the opportunity to stay at home while closely managing their health."
A report from the Public Health Agency of Canada also states that 16 percent of the Canadian population report having been diagnosed with at least 2 of the 10 common chronic diseases. Furthermore, it is estimated that Canadians over 60 years of age generally have three or more chronic diseases .
"We are proud that TELUS Health has chosen the Tunstall Integrated Care Platform to be the core of its managed service model for remote patient monitoring," said Oscar Meyer, President and CEO, Tunstall Americas. "We share a passion for helping patients remain safe, healthy, and independent at home through innovative technology and high-touch connected monitoring services."
Since its launch in Europe, Australasia and China, this technology has proven its benefit to thousands of patients with chronic conditions by enhancing their quality of life, improving their healthcare experience and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.
Gordon Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer of Tunstall Healthcare Group, added: "With the growing numbers of citizens living with long term conditions and increased expectations of care delivery, healthcare providers are under continued pressure to deliver new models of care and improve patient outcomes through the adoption of technology-enabled care systems such as ICP. Tunstall's leadership and sustained innovation in this area continues to enable us to provide the best solutions to meet this growing global market demand."
About Tunstall:
Tunstall Healthcare Group, founded in 1957 in England, is a world leader and supplier of Connected Health and Connected Care products and services. Tunstall helps people during emergencies and crisis situations 24/7/365 from dozens of company-owned and operated monitoring centers around the globe. Tunstall connects, talks with, and informs people with in-home technology and services that enhance their independence, freedom, social engagement, health, and wellbeing. Tunstall serves more than 3.5 million people every day in 51 countries. Tunstall Americas provides nationwide 24/7 connected healthcare monitoring solutions from HIPAA compliant call centers in New York and Rhode Island. Tunstall also manufactures, sells and distributes a wide variety of FDA registered connected health products such as medical alert, telehealth, and medication management solutions to meet the needs of all people. These solutions enable home based connected health services through traditional telephone lines, cellular connectivity, and the internet. Collectively, these products and services deliver a seamless connected care experience to help people remain independent in their own home by being connected to high-touch healthcare monitoring services.
About TELUS Health:
TELUS Health is a leader in telehomecare, electronic medical and health records, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. TELUS Health solutions give health authorities, providers, physicians, patients and consumers the power to turn information into better health outcomes. For more information about TELUS Health, please visit telushealth.com.
