A new 24/7 remote health monitoring service is set to reduce hospital admissions and improve patient care throughout regional South Australia.

In a South Australian first, patients can measure their vital signs at home using a monitoring kit and be assessed by a nurse or doctor via live video link at any time of the day or night, seven days a week.

The free service improves access to urgent care, avoids unnecessary visits to emergency departments and supports rural GPs.

Remote 24/7 health monitoring is for patients at risk of hospitalisation, including people with heart and respiratory disease and infections, regional aged care facility residents and COVID-19 patients with underlying health conditions.

Health Minister Chris Picton says the state government is committed to reducing the strain on Emergency Departments and freeing up resources for those who need them the most.

“The delivery of remote health monitoring for regional South Australians, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will mean patients can access high quality care any time they need it, in the comfort of their own homes.”

The service is available to patients in rural and regional South Australia aged 15+ with a GP referral.

After being referred, patients are given a take home kit, including a smart tablet.

They check their blood pressure, oxygen levels, pulse rate and temperature and upload results to a secure website. 

A specialist nurse reviews the results and speaks to the patient before deciding the next steps, which could include escalating care to an after-hours GP service. 

The 24/7 remote health monitoring service was launched on Friday 17 February.

The service is funded by Country SA Primary Health Network. For more information, visit the website.