Melville, N.Y. Olsten Health Services has signed a partnership agreement with San Francisco-based Alere Medical to use its DayLink technology to monitor Olsten's congestive heart failure patients at home. The DayLink system is composed of an electronic scale, a simple display and a communications device that asks patients physician-specified questions about their heart failure symptoms.

The system will send weight and symptom data to Olsten clinicians and Alere nurses for daily review. They will alert physicians when necessary, officials said.

Olsten officials expect the program to reduce patients' hospital admission rates, emergency room visits and cost of care. The program will be implemented in selected markets and then expanded nationally, they said.-K.S.