In-Home Health Monitoring For Australia's Veterans

Australia has recently announced an $8-million trial that will allow health professionals to electronically and remotely monitor the health of the country's chronically ill veterans at their homes.

Warren Snowdon, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, said the use of in-home telemonitoring technology combines the best of the national high-speed broadband network with chronic care management to benefit the veteran community.

"Vital statistics will be monitored from home and veterans will also have access to high-definition video consultations with their GP or nurse coordinator when required," he said. "This will ensure the veterans’ health can be observed, any irregularities can be identified and appropriate GP intervention provided in a timely manner."

The 300 veterans who will participate in the trial, which is scheduled to commence in July, would have an individual health care plan developed for them in consultation with their GP and a nurse coordinator. All information will be provided via a secure format to safeguard the privacy of personal data.

Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, said the trial is an example of the opportunities enabled by the National Broadband Network and contributes to the Australian Government’s vision for Australia as a world leading digital economy by 2020.

Source: eGov Innovation