Outpatient Management of Chronic Diseases Using the TeleWatch Patient Monitoring System

The number of Americans with chronic illnesses is rapidly increasing, and traditional health care delivery systems cannot adequately treat them. However, automated telemedicine systems may allow effective management of these patients. The TeleWatch Patient Monitoring System was designed at APL in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine Division of Cardiology to study the effectiveness of a telephone-based telemedicine system in managing outpatients with chronic illnesses. The system is currently undergoing clinical studies in outpatients with chronic cardiovascular illness who are being treated by organizations affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine. Preliminary results indicate that patients are highly receptive to using the system.