The pilot Oncology Monitoring @ Home service, will be hosted by the Remote Monitoring Team from Dorset HealthCare.

Dorset’s Oncology Monitoring @ Home service enables oncology patients who are undergoing oncology treatment, to be monitored remotely in the comfort of their own home.

Patients referred to the service will remain under the hospital’s care whilst being monitored remotely from their home by the Remote Monitoring Team, using the technology-enabled service.

Devices such as a thermometer, scales, blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter will be used to enable the patient to submit their observations via the service powered by Inhealthcare. Patients will also complete a questionnaire three times a week about their symptoms whilst on the oncology treatment. This information can then be accessed by the clinical team to help them monitor the patient’s progress, providing patients with self-care advice as required, keeping them safer but also ensuring early access to the hospital if required.

The service, codesigned by Oncology patients from Dorset, is accessible via a website and mobile app on smart phone and tablet devices. Automated telephone calls are an option when submitting observations and responses to the questionnaire for selected patients. This is to ensure the service is open to as many patients as possible, including those who are less digitally enabled.

Following the pilot at Poole hospital site, roll out is planned for the service across Dorset should it be well received by patients and healthcare professionals.

Dr Amelie Harle, Oncology consultant and clinical lead, said “This innovative system designed by patients and oncology teams together, should provide patients with early advice at the onset of symptoms to empower a patient to safely manage milder symptoms at home or, when symptoms are more significant to seek urgent advice from the Acute Oncology Hotline Service.”

Sheila Soper, Cancer patient, age 74 from Dorset, said, “For me, this service is accessible, useable, and I’d be grateful to receive it”

For more information about this service contact: ourdorsetdigital@nhsdorset.nhs.uk