(Health Cities website)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Health Cities

Home Health Monitoring Project shows quality of life improvements for central Albertans

Oct 13, 2023 | 12:35 PM

A home health monitoring project is showing an improvement in the quality of life for central Albertans, according to non-profit organization Health Cities.

In 2012, Pearl O’Gorman says she received a diabetes diagnosis, a life-changing condition that had a history within her family. While her parents’ experience offered some familiarity, the daily lifestyle adjustments were still overwhelming and a difficult adjustment.

“My parents had diabetes, but we never really talked about it,” said O’Gorman. “When I was diagnosed, I was confused and overwhelmed.”

In 2021, O’Gorman’s primary care physician at the Red Deer Primary Care Network (PCN) recommended her for the Home Health Monitoring (HHM) Project, part of Health Cities’ Remote Monitoring Project.

Health Cities says the HHM Project utilizes proven digital technologies that allow nurses and physicians to monitor their patients remotely. For O’Gorman, this meant she could maintain the same, if not higher, levels of support and care for her condition while in the comfort of her own home and minimizing the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

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O’Gorman says she was enthusiastic about this innovative and empowering approach to managing her condition and looked forward to the added support the project would provide.

“I was excited to participate. Seeing the daily measurements was encouraging,” she said. “After completing the project, my blood sugar levels and weight had improved. My lifestyle has changed. The extra support made a difference. I feel like a new me.”

Health Cities claims the HHM Project displayed groundbreaking results, with O’Gorman’s story just one of many inspiring examples of how the program has positively impacted the lives of Alberta seniors living with chronic illness.

The HHM Project was a collaborative effort led by the Alberta Central Zone PCN Committee with Health Cities serving as a catalyst in the testing and scaling of the pilot. The Alberta Central Zone PCN stretches across the province between Edmonton and Calgary, working with rural communities and alongside over 350 physicians to provide primary care for nearly 400,000 patients within the zone. The initial HHM Project involved the Wolf Creek, Drayton Valley and Kalyna County PCNs and has since been scaled to include more Central Zone PCNs.

The Wolf Creek PCN provides service to the communities of Bashaw, Bowden, Eckville, Innisfail, Lacombe, Ponoka and more.The Drayton Valley PCN provides service to the communities of Alsike, Breton, Carnwood, Drayton Valley, Pembina, Winfield, and more. The Kalyna County PCN provides service to the communities of Innisfree, Islay, Mannville, Vegreville, Vermilion, Viking, and more.

Health Cities is an independent, non-profit organization geared towards transforming healthcare solutions and helping people with chronic conditions better understand their health.