The Pro Health is Pro Heart

Ponderosa Heart House Call uses Electronic Caregiver’s Pro Health to provide cardiac care

Arizona Physician Assistant Cole Bewley believes comprehensive heart care begins with open communication between patient and provider. One way Bewley ensures he stays connected with patients is with Electronic Caregiver’s Precision Remote Patient Monitoring (PRPM) technology. Bewley is the owner of Ponderosa Heart House Call, which opened in November 2020. The Phoenix clinic provides cardiac care to patients in the privacy and safety of their own homes. Patients who qualify and enroll in Electronic Caregiver’s PRPM program receive the Pro Health smart health hub.

The system connects with several Bluetooth vitals-monitoring devices and includes medication reminders and telemedicine services. It also provides emergency assistance at the touch of a button. You can definitely say that the Pro Health is pro heart. PA Bewley receives information collected via the Pro Health.  This enables him to monitor patients’ heart health remotely.

“Electronic Caregiver gives me a very useful platform,” Bewley said. “It gives me the ability to identify patients’ heart rates, pulse oximetry, daily weights, and blood pressure in real-time.” Monitoring these vitals in patients with cardiovascular conditions is crucial to preventing recurrent and unnecessary hospitalizations. And, knowing when a patient contacts emergency services can be lifesaving.

Pro Health Heart Emergency

Pro Health is Pro Heart with Ponderosa

Bewley described a recent event in which this was exactly the case for one patient with an underlying heart condition. Less than 24 hours after enrolling the patient in Electronic Caregiver’s PRPM program, Bewley got a notification. The patient had pushed the emergency response button on Electronic Caregiver’s Pro Health system. As a result, the patient was immediately connected with a certified emergency medical dispatcher. The dispatcher stayed on the line with him until paramedics arrived at his home.

Pro Health Package with Add-On Devices. Glucometer, Thermometer, Wrist Pendent, Blood Pressure Cuff

In this situation, the Pro Health, used in combination with the patient’s heart monitoring device, proved very beneficial. After getting notified, Bewley used the heart monitoring service, provided through another company, to study the patient’s heart rhythms remotely. “In this particular gentleman, his heart rates were in excess of about 160 beats per minute in an abnormal and potentially morbidity- and mortality-increasing, unfavorable cardiac arrhythmia,” Bewley said.

Accordingly, Bewley acted quickly to assist his patient and connect with all points of care. He contacted the patient’s wife and had her print out the heart telemetry reading. When Emergency Medical Services arrived on the scene, the paramedics had the necessary information about the patient’s heart condition. “Bewley stated that he “was able to fax that same telemetry reading over to the emergency room.” He continued, “I talked to the emergency attending physician. I gave him a background clinical summary before the patient even arriving at their hospital ER facility.”

Ultimately, Bewley collaborated with the physician on the best care for the patient based on his history. Using this information, the physician got the patient’s heart rate under control. “They did not need to admit that patient for further inpatient services,” Bewley said. “He stabilized. The patient was discharged home at 10 a.m.”

Putting all the Pieces Together

That same afternoon, Bewley visited the patient’s home for a follow-up. This was about 12 hours after the patient had initially hit the emergency response button on his Pro Health. “In this case, it’s an example of how PRPM, when paired with personal emergency response, really creates an amazing story. It shows how those two services combined are far better than either one of them alone for a chronically ill patient,” said Electronic Caregiver Chief Clinical Officer Tim Washburn. “PRPM, paired with personal emergency response, can allow for near real-time detection of issues and near real-time intervention that can greatly reduce morbidity and mortality.” A simple example of how, for one cardiology practice and one patient, the Pro Health is Pro Heart.

Through this experience, the patient also gained insight into the puzzle pieces that make up comprehensive care. “…He was able to see in real-time, the coordination of care from all these different angles and different services and different individuals,” Bewley said. “This tremendously benefited his trust in the overall healthcare system; that this wasn’t just another reason to bill for services. It actually helped prevent (negative outcomes) and provided him with great, timely, and necessary care.” With simple instruction and user-friendly tools, people using the Pro Health are quickly learning how to take vitals at home, including glucose, oxygen levels, and more.

Care Plan Adherence

Also, Electronic Caregiver’s Pro Health helps Bewley identify when patients aren’t following their recommended care plan. “I do appreciate the setting (with the Pro Health) that if an individual does not perform their vital signs or their daily monitoring after 72 hours, I get a notification that they’re not doing it so we can intervene.”

Recently, one of his patients was over medicated. Bewley received notification that the patient wasn’t taking his blood pressure regularly. “I was able to go back over and see this gentleman. And, it turns out, his blood pressure was extremely on the low side and he was getting overmedicated,” he said. “I wouldn’t have known that if the device hadn’t sent me a message saying that the patient wasn’t using it.  Nobody would recognize that this individual was getting overmedicated regarding his blood pressure control had he not had Electronic Caregiver.”

While this scenario wasn’t an emergency, it could have been if it continued, Bewley said. “Just that extra ability to have that technology to clue us in provides a significant benefit,” he said. “And then we use our medical decision making and our clinical skills to identify what’s going on.”

COVID, the Pro Health and PRPM

Moreover, Electronic Caregiver’s PRPM program is also beneficial in keeping track of patients’ health during COVID-19. “… It’s another way for us to keep in contact and monitor patients in a landscape where they are very concerned, and in some cases, fearful, of receiving the medical care they deserve.” Looking ahead, PRPM is a necessary part of improving patient care, Bewley said. Doctors and clinics across the country are now recommending the Pro Health for their patients with exemplary results.

Traditionally, physicians must rely on their patients to keep an accurate record of their vitals. Patients bring this into their provider during each visit or send them the notes periodically. “That’s great, but it’s still secondary to the fact of we know exactly right here and now what those vital signs are doing,” he said. “That’s absolutely a needed change for the future that Electronic Caregiver is providing, without a doubt.”

For more information about Electronic Caregiver’s including the Pro Health, PRPM, and COVD19 mitigation apps, please call us at 833-ECG-LIFE and speak to one of our representatives.