Peace of Mind Through Technology

Navigating the challenges of managing cardiac disease in children requires constant attention and care, a journey that can be overwhelming for both young patients and their families. A particularly important part of managing cardiac disease is timely and accurate blood coagulation monitoring, which measures the blood’s ability to clot, how long it takes to clot and helps to guide treatment decisions for various conditions. Now, through innovative technology and a partnership with Stel.life, Valley Children’s is enabling patients and their families to monitor coagulation levels from home.

Traditional blood coagulation monitoring can be particularly distressing for children because it requires frequent visits to a medical facility. For families in rural communities, simply getting to the clinic can be a challenge that makes meeting their child’s healthcare needs even more difficult.

By partnering with Stel.life, Valley Children’s is providing cardiac patients with a user-friendly, Bluetooth-enabled portable device that makes at-home monitoring possible, even when there’s no WiFi connection available. The Stel.life device connects to a cellular network via Bluetooth which allows seamless, remote monitoring, easing the burden on patients and their families.

“We’re particularly sensitive to the digital divide that could prevent some of our families from taking advantage of sophisticated technology,” said Alyssa Webber, program director of digital health at Valley Children’s. “The device is free to families, easy to use and doesn’t require an internet connection. Our physicians benefit from immediate access to patients’ health status, so they can make informed decisions to provide the best possible care at all times.”

Julia, a Valley Children’s cardiac patient (recently transitioned into the cardiac adult clinic) and also an intern at Valley Children’s through the Fresno State internship program, started using the Stel.life device last year. Julia had three open heart surgeries at Valley Children’s beginning in 2011. During the third surgery, her mitral valve was replaced with a mechanical valve. “Mechanical valves last longer than prosthetic tissue valves but run the risk of causing blood clots that can lead to stroke,” Julia said, adding that she takes Warfarin, a blood thinner, to help mitigate that risk.

Prior to using the Stel.life device, Julia would have to visit Valley Children’s outpatient lab frequently so they could closely monitor her blood coagulation levels and adjust her Warfarin dosage according to her test results. This process was time-consuming and inconvenient, and delayed the delivery of personalized, effective care. Now that she has the Stel.life device, frequent trips to the lab are a thing of the past, giving Julia a lot more freedom.

“I take the Stel device everywhere – to school, out to dinner and on trips out of town. Whenever I sense my levels are out of the normal range, I can simply test myself and send the results to my care team immediately, no matter where I am. It gives me tremendous peace of mind.”

Julia, Valley Children’s Cardiac Patient