Remote monitoring: Saving Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lives
Pilot outcomes, January to March 2021
In a 2021 Innovate UK-funded pilot (£43,139), 545 patients used CheckUp and 70 were remotely monitored; monitored patients reported a 60% reduction in GP appointments needed over three months, and 98% said the service reduced their need to see a GP.
Why we ran the pilot
Black, Asian and minority ethnic people are more likely to live with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and both conditions increase the risk of severe COVID-19. During the pandemic this group also found it harder to reach NHS services. We set out to give them a safe way to monitor their health at home, with a clinician watching their readings.
How it worked
- Patients recorded their blood pressure or blood glucose at home using the CheckUp app and monitoring devices we provided.
- Readings went straight to a clinician dashboard. A CheckUp Health clinician reviewed them as they arrived.
- If a reading was abnormal, the system raised an alert. The clinician contacted the patient to offer support or to direct them to their GP.
- The UK charity ACCM (UK) helped us reach and recruit patients and shaped content in other languages.
The project was funded by Innovate UK's Sustainable Innovation Fund (£43,139 towards total costs of £53,924) and delivered by The Flame Lily Healthcare Ltd, trading as CheckUp Health.
Results
The funded target was to monitor 70 patients with devices. Interest was much wider: 545 patients across the UK used the app.
| Measure | Result |
| Patients who used the CheckUp app | 545 |
| Patients remotely monitored with devices (the funded target) | 70 |
| Reduction in GP appointments needed, reported by monitored patients | 60% over three months |
| Monitored patients who said the service reduced their need to see a GP | 98% |
| Said the service was convenient and reduced their exposure to COVID-19 | 100% |
| Trusted the service because the team understood their language and needs | 100% |
| Would recommend the service to others | 98% |
| Wanted the service to continue | 100% |
| Found the devices easy to use | 70% (30% needed support with the technology) |
Estimated saving: about £90 per monitored patient over the three months, assuming one GP appointment a month avoided at £30 each. This is an estimate based on that assumption, not a measured cost.
About these figures
The 60% reduction and the survey percentages are what monitored patients reported in our end-of-pilot survey of the 70 patients. This was a small, three-month pilot without a comparison group, so the results show early promise rather than proven effect. Larger, independently evaluated studies are needed to confirm them.
What we learned
- A team that understood patients' language and culture built trust: every surveyed patient said this made a difference.
- Three in ten patients needed help with the technology, so digital support and simple devices matter as much as the app.
- Community partners such as ACCM (UK) are essential for reaching people who are often missed by health services.
What happened next
- March 2021: we filed our first patent application, covering the remote-monitoring algorithm.
- 2021: we completed an ORCHA review against NHS app standards, the NHS Personal Demographics Service integration and onboarding to the Digital First Online Consultation and Video Consultation framework.
- 2022: a SMART Concept Fund grant from the University of Wolverhampton supported us to take the pilot's results further.
- Since then, the CheckUp Health platform has continued to develop, building on what this pilot taught us about safe, inclusive remote care.
Thank you
We thank Innovate UK for funding this work, ACCM (UK) and Abalon Trust for their support, and every patient who took part.
Media Coverage
Multiple press articles were published on the following platforms.
- eMinetra UK – Remote Monitoring Saves the Lives of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority People Since COVID-19
- Healthcare Newsdesk – Remote Monitoring: Saving Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lives During COVID-19 and Beyond
- MashupMD – Remote Monitoring: Saving Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lives
- HealthTech Digital – Remote Monitoring: Saving Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lives
- The Journal of mHealth – Remote Monitoring: Saving Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lives During COVID-19 and Beyond
- Public Policy Projects – News article
- Digital Healthcare Council – Press release on JournoLink: Remote Monitoring: Saving Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lives During COVID-19 and Beyond