Web-based health tracker aids in monitoring

A Simon Fraser University (SFU) researcher has developed a website to help patients living with chronic disease manage their health—all from the comfort of their homes.

SFU professor Scott Lear is heading the research team developing the website, My Health Connect, and is inviting patients throughout the province to participate in an ongoing study tracking its use.

“Chronic disease rates are higher in small urban and rural areas, yet access to care is limited to larger cities,” notes Lear in a media release. “Patients from remote areas often end up travelling long distances to receive care, sometimes at great time and financial costs.”

To be eligible to participate patients need to be older than 18 years old, have regular Internet access and be living with diabetes, heart, kidney or lung disease.

“With the monitoring through the Internet, patients can be better supported to manage medications and symptoms and to follow preventative strategies at home,” he said.

My Health Connect is designed to help patients track their own health and receive coordinated care through a team-based approach between the My Health Connect nurse, patient and local physician, said Lear.

Developed in collaboration with the province’s health authorities and currently undergoing study throughout the province, the web-based health tracker keeps symptom data and measurements such as blood pressure, sugar levels and body weight. Patients enter their data manually, he added, and no specialized equipment is necessary.

If a collected value falls outside an individual’s normal range, an alert is sent to a designated nurse, who then telephones the patient to provide counselling and advise whether to see a doctor. The program also gives access to dietician and exercise specialist support.

Maple Ridge doctor Kandasamy Gouden is one of the physicians with patients in the study. “My Health Connect has been an invaluable support for my patients,” he said. “I have several patients participating in the study and it has helped them to take charge of their own health.”

Lear anticipates that the program will prevent disease progression, reduce the need for patient travel for care and keep patients out of the hospital.

The program is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

Lear is seeking additional patients to participate in the ongoing study. To register for the study, readers are asked to call toll free 1.855.444.1265.