Remote patient monitoring with the Ortus-iHealth app

The Ortus app

Using the Ortus app is important: 

• The hospital team can remotely monitor and support you throughout your care and treatment to keep you safe whilst managing you remotely.
• You will use the app to track and send us your vital observations daily (e.g., your blood pressure, heart rate and weight) and your symptoms (e.g., chest pain).
• You can see useful information provided to you from the hospital team e.g., information about your health.
• The hospital team can use it for video appointments and send you messages through the Ortus app.

This patient rescource will help you to understand how to register with the Ortus app, to complete your registration with the Ortus app, how to answer questionnaires and provide your vital observations and symptoms, and what to do if you feel unwell.

It is important to update it often so the hospital team can monitor you through your care and treatment with up-to-date data. This service is provided by Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

Using the Ortus app will help you to give the hospital team up-to-date health data so they can monitor your condition accurately. They will use the app to:

1. Send you a symptoms questionnaire: Heart Failure Symptoms Checker’ to monitor your symptoms.
2. Send you information about your treatment (videos/leaflets) and what to do before and after your treatment (videos/leaflets).

Using the app, you can: 

1. Update the hospital team about your vital observations (e.g., blood pressure) and symptoms (e.g., chest pain).
2. Look for information about your condition or treatment.
3. Contact the hospital team. 

If you are unable to use Ortus

If you are unable to use Ortus through the internet or through the app, then the hospital team will contact you by telephone or mobile phone at the appropriate time to discuss your care. 

Reviewing your information via the app is a core component of the hospital’s remote monitoring service. If problems with uploading data persists, the hospital team may need to discharge you from this service. The team will ensure you are informed and will make alternative arrangements with you.

What happens next?

1. Register on the application (see below)
2. Fill in the Heart Failure Symptoms Checker: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
3. You have been given a Blood pressure machine and weighing scale: Measure your Blood pressure and weight and put it in the Observations section every day.
4. The heart failure team will review your input and contact you telling you what to do. This may be via message on the app or via telephone.
5. You will need to return the blood pressure machine and weighing scale after four weeks. 

Getting started: registration

If you have been registered by the hospital team

1. You will receive an SMS message to the mobile number you were registered with. 
2. You will be asked to confirm:
   • Your name and date of birth
   • Your address
   • Your GP contact information
   • Your email address (this will become your username)
   • A password for your account
3. You will be told that you have completed your registration, and will be prompted to download the Ortus-iHealth App. 
   • Whilst this is recommended, it is not necessary as Ortus can be accessed through a web browser e.g., on a laptop.
   • If you are already registered, then please login or contact the hospital team if you are having issues with access. 

If you are registering yourself

1. Visit https://mui.ortus-ihealth.com/login
2. Select ‘Self-Registration’
3. Enter your mobile number or your NHS number. 
   • You will be told if you are already, or if you need to complete a new registration.
4. To complete your registration: 
   • Select ‘Insert Trust’ (there is a menu for you to choose from)
   • Enter the required personal details
   • Enter the required contact details
   • Enter your email address and set your password for your account
   • Enter your GP contact information
5. You will be told that you have completed your registration process and will be prompted to download the Ortus-iHealth App.
   • Whilst this is recommended, it is not necessary as Ortus can be accessed through a web browser e.g., on a laptop.
   • If you are already registered, then please login or contact the hospital team if you are having issues with access.

If you have any problems registering with the App, please contact the hospital team at
rf-tr.HeartImprovementTeam@nhs.net or 020 8216 4704.

How to access Ortus once you have registered

Web browser

Visit Ortus-iHealth

App

1. Go to the App Store (Apple users) or the Google Play Store (Android users). 
2. Search for ‘Ortus’.
3. Install the application ‘ManageMyHealth – Ortus’.
4. Please ensure that you allow access for the app to your microphone, camera, and notifications when prompted

Tell the hospital team about your symptoms

To keep you safe while managing your health remotely, please complete the ‘heart failure: symptoms checker’ questionnaire. Please do this every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11am. You will find the questionnaire to complete in the ‘questionnaire’ tab on your Ortus home screen. 

You can also report symptoms through the ‘symptoms’ tab. A member of the hospital team will be monitoring your inputted symptoms and questionnaire answers on weekdays between 9am to 5pm. If your symptoms get worse, we will contact you by telephone or through the app’s messaging system.

Additional app functionality: what else can you do in the app? 

You can: 

1. View information about your care and treatment from the hospital team. 
2. Send and receive messages from the hospital team. 
3. Enter health indicators and observations like your blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and blood sugars.

To help you make the most of the app, we have created some short videos. Visit Ortus-iHealth and select the ‘patient videos’ tab. 

What to do if you feel unwell or experience these symptoms

If you feel capable, add your symptoms to Ortus to inform the hospital team. Ring 999 or 
seek urgent clinical attention if you experience the following: 

You have chest pain:

1. Chest pain once a day or more 
2. You notice your chest pain is getting worse 
3. You are having to use your Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) spray daily

Or you are breathless and:

• It is much worse compared than the week before

Or you have experienced dizziness:

• Your dizziness is getting much worse than last week

Or you have palpitations that cause:

• Severe breathlessness, near fainting or fainting