Cardiovascular disease affects all of us and accounts for over 1.2 million hospitalisations in Australia alone, so it comes as no surprise that the Prince of Wales Cardiology Department is the busiest inpatient department in our hospital.
To make matters worse, hospital re-admission for cardiovascular patients – especially in the first 6 months – are sadly all too common. To address this issue, Prince of Wales Hospital cardiologists Dr Praveen Indraratna and Associate Professor Sze-Yuan Ooi, in collaboration with Scientia Professor Nigel Lovell from the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering UNSW, developed an Australian first smartphone app-based model of care to support the transition from hospital to home through real-time telemonitoring and education.
The app-based model funded through the Foundation’s Reg Inglis Award, enables clinicians to make proactive interventions with patients long after their discharge from hospital, reducing hospital readmissions by 50% through improved cardiac rehabilitation and medication adherence whilst providing patients with peace of mind after a life-changing event.
Because of the unprecedented patient benefit, and efficiencies for the public health system of the app-based model, the project will be scaled from two hospitals to 12 in 2022, representing a state-wide adoption reaching high risk patients outside of Prince of Wales Hospital’s catchment area, including NSW’s remote and regional population and indigenous communities.
