St Leonards House Peel Blog

Monitor your blood pressure from the comfort of your home, like Carolyn Brown, with the Invacare Advanced Manual Inflate Blood Pressure Monitor.

By Avery Johnson, The Wall Street Journal

Technology that aims to keep congestive heart failure patients out of the hospital is gaining traction.

The idea is for heart patients to take readings like their weight, blood pressure and other key metrics using wireless and other technologies; the data are then transmitted to a case manager or medical care giver. That way health care givers can catch, and address, warning signs before the patient lands in the ER with shortness of breath or a heart attack. In the past, patients have found such technology difficult to use. But a number of managed-care companies are experimenting with electronic devices meant to make the process easier.

A big benefit is that it allows patients to stay in their homes, but the systems can’t catch everything, and patients shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security by the technology.

WellPoint Inc.’s Anthem unit in California is piloting a wireless scale and blood-pressure cuff that communicates in real time with nurses on alert for fluctuations that can signal heart failure, or when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the body’s organs. Humana Inc. in January will launch a program to track heart patients’ vital signs wirelessly and link them up via video to chat with nurses if appropriate.

And Aetna Inc. is running a clinical trial with Intel Corp. to assess how remote monitoring of vital signs can cut down on unnecessary hospitalization for heart patients.

It is more important than ever for health plans and patients to combat medical costs, growing at a clip of between 6% and 9% a year, according to various estimates. Heart failure—which can be triggered by simple mistakes such as consuming too much salt—is a leading cause of hospital readmissions, with about 25% of patients returning to the hospital within 30 days. It’s also one of the biggest single claims expenses at insurance companies. Aetna estimates that 40% of readmissions are avoidable.

Thomas J. Baldwin, CEO of Morton's Restaurant Group, residentEmily Barringer (1876-1961), physician and the first female ambulance surgeon, lived in town. Glenn Beck, conservative TV Show host on Fox News. Lorenzo Borghese, the bachelor for season 9 of The Bachelor Solon Borglum, a sculptor L. Paul Bremer, Director of the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for post-war Iraq - raised in New Canaan H. Keith H. Brodie, former Duke University president - former resident Bliss Carman, Canadian poet - resident for the last 20 years of his life (1909-1929) Anthony Comstock namesake of Comstock Law, born in town (George Bernard Shaw coined "comstockery" after him), namesake of Comstock Hill Rd in town Harry Connick Jr., singer - resident Ann Coulter, commentator - raised in town Norman Cousins, editor, peace activist - former residentRoland Crandall, early animator - lived in town A. J. Cronin, Scottish novelist - former resident Paul Dano, Actor - raised in town Jack Douglas, writer - former resident Phoebe Dunn (author) Writer and photographer - former resident (until her death) Gerald Green (1922-2006), author of The Last Angry Man among other works, lived in town Florence Harding, First Lady - According to the book Florence Harding: The First Lady, The Jazz Age, And The Death Of America's Most Scandalous President by Carl Sferrazza Anthony spent some time living across from the old Methodist Church on Main Street and Church as a young lady. Katherine Heigl, actress - raised in town Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric - lives in town Philip C. Johnson (1906–2005), architect who built and lived in the famous Glass House in town David Letterman, Late Show host - former resident Christopher Lloyd, actor - distant relative of Lapham family who sold Waveny Park to New Canaan. Douglas Marland, soap opera head writer Martin Mull (b. 1943), actor and comedian of Roseanne and My Bodyguard, moved to town when he was 15 and graduated from New Canaan High School David Neeleman, Founder of JetBlue Airways - resident Eliot Noyes, Architect - former resident. Member of The Harvard Five, a group of architects including Philip Johnson, John Johansen, Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores and John Black Lee who built modern homes in the town during period from the 1940s through the 70's. Maxwell Perkins, the late, notable editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe and others - former resident Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, sports talk-show personality formerly of WFAN radio, currently with Sirius XM Radio - resident Paul Simon, singer and songwriter - resident Warren Allen Smith, author of "Who's Who in Hell" Stuart Symington, U.S. Senator and Secretary of the Air Force - died in town Arthur Szyk, famous anti-Nazi cartoonist and book illustrator and artist Bill Toomey, 1968 Olympic decathlon champion - former resident Heidi Voight, Miss Connecticut 2006, actress- resident Barry Williams of The Brady Bunch - former resident Brian Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News - resident Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadians forward