If you suffer with a chronic long term illness such as Diabetes, COPD, Asthma, or Heart Conditions or hypertension, taking the time to help yourself can be as important as having the assistance and support of a medical carer such as GP or nurse. It also means that you can take some of the pressure off other people looking after you, like family or friends.

Increased support is now available for people with long term conditions through telehealth. And this will continue as the government, medical authorities and professional carers recognise and promote the benefits of telehealth systems.

Simple and routine tasks that would otherwise be carried out by a GP or nurse at the local surgery or hospital can be performed by you in the comfort of your own home.

The results of such tests are monitored and observed by your carer who can then advise you on the best course of action. It means that time and attention can focus on the caring aspect of your illness rather than performing routine tests which most of us are able to undertake ourselves.

So, if you’ve taken several blood pressure readings and these have shown to rise over the course of the week, your clinician or nurse may intervene to look at why this has occurred. Together you can then discuss and agree what steps should be taken to lower it.

Not only does this approach to healthcare save you time, particularly if you’re someone who’s on the go and would prefer not to sit in a waiting room, it means that you can take greater control of your health. If you wish to monitor your blood pressure on a daily basis, for example, then it’s possible to do so.

Although telehealth involves highly sophisticated technologies such as Docobo’s HealthHUB, devices are very easy to use and the process of monitoring is actually very simple.

The healthcare provider will only intervene if they feel the need to do so. This doesn’t mean, of course, that you cannot schedule an appointment with your doctor, consultant or nurse if you feel you need help.