Authors: (including presenting author): :
Mo KC, Ng MW, Tse YW, Yeung KM, Hau CY, Poon KH, Tsang HC, To YL
Affiliation: :
Physiotherapy Department, North District Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Community Health
Keyword 3: :
Tele-monitoring
Keyword 4: :
Clinical safety
Keyword 5: :
Rehabilitation
Introduction: :
Tele-training has been introduced in Physiotherapy Department of North District Hospital to support post-discharge physical rehabilitation, aligning with the Hospital Authority (HA) strategic goals of providing Smart Care and developing Smart Hospital. This service aims to reduce patients’ need for hospital-based care and enhance operational efficiency through technology-based rehabilitation support in the community. The "Check before, Look after" practice was launched in early 2025 to integrate structured vital signs monitoring prior to tele-training sessions, with real-time data transmission through a secured cloud platform. Before this initiative, therapists mainly relied on patient self-reported vitals or subjective assessment for those without appropriate home monitoring devices, potentially compromising safety. The ultimate goal of this practice is to early detect patients who are not suitable for exercise, and to prevent adverse events during remote sessions.
Objectives: :
To evaluate the effectiveness of the "Check before, Look after" practice in utilizing tele-monitoring during tele-training sessions.
Methodology: :
Equipment was loaned to patients, with face-to-face demonstration and instructions provided. Before each tele-training session, patients were instructed to measure their vital signs, which were reviewed by therapists immediately prior to start any exercise. With reference to existing workflow for exercise screening and monitoring, a standardized practice was developed and introduced to all therapists who involved in tele-training on "Check before, Look after" practice.
Result & Outcome: :
In 2025 2Q, seven patients were included in tele-training program for post-discharge physical rehabilitation. Three patients were able to use the tele-monitoring devices, while four patients shown limitations in accessing internet, operating the devices and refusing to use. In one tele-training episode, a patient was found hypertensive before exercise. The therapist arranged a 10 minutes rest, rechecked the blood pressure (BP) and communicated with residential care home staff to confirm patient was with normal BP on recent days. A normal reading was repeated after rest, low intensity exercise was commenced. The residential care home staff was reminded to monitor patient’s BP closely and seek early medical attention when abnormality was found. The "Check before, Look after" practice strengthens quality and safety in tele-rehabilitation by enabling objective and real-time physiological screening before training. With the expansion of tele-health services, wider adoption of different tele-monitoring devices may be necessary for disease-specific rehabilitation monitoring. With appropriate technological support, manual-to-auto inputs may also worth in empowering patients with chronic diseases in self-monitoring and self-management.
