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• Using technology to connect healthcare professionals to chronically ill patients
• Can reduce costs associated with hospital bed stays
• Empowers patients to help them to better understand their own illness.

Marking the growing demand for remote patient technologies as the NHS looks to streamline costs, the Bosch Group, market leaders in healthcare, have announced a move into the UK telehealth market.  Bosch Telehealth Plus is a system that uses technology to connect healthcare professionals to chronically ill patients.

As the ageing population continues to grow, the number of chronically ill people with long-term conditions is also rising fast. 80 per cent of GP consultations and 60 per cent of hospital bed days relate to long term conditions* and these figures are only expected to increase over the next few years.

Bosch Telehealth Plus, a system solution for hospitals, medical centres and physicians, allows patients suffering from chronic cardiac or pulmonary conditions including Congestive Heart Failure, Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, COPD Hypertension and Depression, to be monitored regularly from home. “Intensive care of this kind means that the number of cost-intensive stays in hospital can be reduced, thus achieving a significant improvement in patients’ quality of life,” said Dr. Sascha Henke, Vice President Marketing and Sales at Robert Bosch Healthcare GmbH.

The system, which requires patients to undertake self-health checks on a daily basis**, also aims to empower patients and help them to better understand their own illness.

Proven technology
Bosch Telehealth Plus is based on the products of two telehealth pioneers – the former U.S. companies Health Hero Network and ViTel Net. Following its acquisition of these two companies, Bosch is developing the technology further. “Here, we can build on Bosch’s wealth of experience in areas such as the rapid and secure transmission and processing of measured data,” said Dr. Ulrich Behner, Vice President Technical at Bosch Healthcare.

A leading provider of Telehealth in the U.S
In the U.S, some 30,000 patients are already being monitored by Bosch telehealth systems, making the company one of the leading providers in what is still a relatively new market.

The Bosch system is being used in collaboration with a number of organisations in the U.S, with proven long-term success. For example, a partnership study with the US Department of Veterans Affairs at the University of Colorado found that the number of hospital stays for patients with COPD was cut by 20 percent when the Bosch telehealth system was used.

Peter Fouquet, President of Bosch in the UK says:

“Our company slogan is ‘Invented for life’. It emphasises that Bosch develops high-quality, reliable and efficient innovations that bring real benefits to people’s lives. As a leading technology and services company, we have both knowledge and expertise in the innovation of electronics, sensor technology and system networking. Telehealth, by its very nature, requires this.

“Our entrepreneurial freedom and financial independence enable our actions to be guided by a long-term perspective. In the spirit of our founder, we are able to demonstrate our social and environmental responsibility wherever we do business. As the number of chronically ill people rises fast, it is vital that healthcare providers continue to invest in remote patient management technologies as part of their long-term treatment strategies. Bosch Telehealth Plus can provide the solution.”

*Source:

** On a daily basis, patients undertake self-health checks such as blood pressure and weight and type this into a handheld monitor. They are also asked a number of questions about their health. This information is transmitted to a base station, which is in turn is fed into a telemedical database. Doctors can view the patient data on a pc at their desk. The system supports the GP by identifying the highest risk cases where rapid intervention may be required. Upon evaluation, a patient’s treatment can then be adjusted accordingly. The programme is based on medical principles that have been developed with medical professionals and are regularly updated.

Bosch media enquiries:
Amanda Mills
JBP
Tel: 0117 907 3406

Bosch corporate media enquiries
Jo Hudson
Bosch UK
Tel: +44 (0)1895 878155

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The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 280,000 associates generated sales of 45.1 billion euros in fiscal 2008. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros, or eight percent of its sales revenue, for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial.
The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Robert Bosch Healthcare GmbH is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Bosch-Group providing innovative telehealth solutions. The product spectrum ranges from patient terminals, through fast and secure transmission of health data (vital parameters), to comprehensive evaluation software for healthcare professionals. Bosch Telehealth strives to improve diagnostics and treatment with systematic patient involvement.
Bosch Telehealth supports healthcare professionals at clinician and patient interfaces, as well as funding bodies, in providing enhanced and regular care services for patients with chronic conditions, allowing them to lead happier and healthier lives thanks to continuous healthcare monitoring in their own home environment.

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