NCRHA launches app to monitor quarantined covid19 patients

THE North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) has launched the PreView app to monitor suspected and confirmed covid19 cases in home quarantine.

In a release on Tuesday, the authority said the app will allow patients to self-report and share information about their health status, oxygen levels and inform medical officials of new developments relating to symptoms.

The authority will work closely with the Global Medical Response ambulance service to take seriously ill patients to a covid19 facility for immediate care. The app is a digital platform for managing covid19 at home.

The app was created by an NCRHA team supported by an external consultant. The app will manage up to 100 patients a day during the trial stage.

“This can help health care professionals determine the level of recovery or regression of covid19 patients, based on trends noted according to the information the patients provide via the app,” the release said.

Authority CEO Davlin Thomas said the authority has already seen positive results with this app in its fight against the virus. It has also strengthened the RHA’s ability to offer improved remote patient care.

“This is a step in the right direction for healthcare services. What we have been able to offer here is accessibility and connectivity right at your fingertips. We are right there, within touching distance through the use of technology, to ensure the safekeeping and improvement of all patients,” Thomas said.

“In a time where it is challenging to engage and monitor patients in the same physical spaces v as we used to, we at the NCRHA have been finding ways to continue reaching, caring and understanding the needs of our patients in this evolving climate.”

Chief of staff at the Arima General Hospital, Dr Ravi Lalla, said the app was created to monitor a large number of people from the comfort of their homes without having to bring in each patient to be examined.

“We can zoom in on patients who may need a more urgent intervention based on the reading and trends observed from the information provided thereby making the most effective use of the resources available within the health care system,” Lalla said.