Andover, Mass-Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) announced the results of a survey conducted by Fazzi Associates of more than 950 home care agencies in the United States through the Philips National Study on the Future of Technology and Telehealth in Home Care. While only 17 percent of home care agencies are currently using a telehealth system, the industry should expect the number of agencies using remote patient monitoring to double over the next two years as one-third reported they are planning to purchase a system.

Co-sponsored by Philips, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), and Fazzi Associates, the results of this first-of-its-kind study reflect the opportunities and challenges for the adoption of home care technology. The study, presented today at the National Association of Home Care's Annual Meeting, reveals growth opportunities emerging for home care agencies delivering services to 4.2 million seniors each year in the United States.

"The study indicates that the home care market is growing in the numbers of people served, while the acceptance and continued need for advanced in-home care technologies are shaping the industry's future," said Dr. Robert Fazzi, founder and managing partner of Fazzi Associates and co-director of the Philips National Study. "After analyzing the results, it is clear the home care field is rapidly moving toward the universal adoption of telehealth systems. Remote monitoring of chronic disease patients can lead to improvements in quality of care and economic savings through reduced trips to the hospital emergency room."
The study also pointed to the convergence of four technologies - fiscal and backroom IS systems, point of service (POS), electronic medical records (EMR) and telehealth - which are increasingly being viewed as critical to clinical and operational management, and which must be compatible and integrated to best serve the industry.

"A study of this magnitude is beneficial to the overall home care industry as it sheds light on the importance of integrating technology and telehealth into clinical practice to ensure both quality patient care and operational efficiency," said Mike Lemnitzer, senior director of Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions. "We believe that easy-to-use technology, coupled with excellent customer service, can help home care agencies simplify the delivery of services and provide better quality care as the industry evolves and grows over the next few years."

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