The Martini Hospital begins remote monitoring for patients with COPD and heart failure

The Martini Hospital, in collaboration with FocusCura, is launching two innovative projects to remotely monitor patients with a chronic disorder. This can prevent hospitalization.

Patients with COPD or heart failure receive at home a tablet to which they transmit medical information about their condition to the hospital on a daily or weekly basis. If the numbers exceed an individually determined threshold value, the hospital will contact the patient by video call. For example, medications can be adjusted at an early stage to ultimately prevent hospitalization.

In addition, it increases the degree of self-management, the feeling of safety and the quality of life of patients

Hans Feenstra, president of the Martini Hospital: "These projects are a good example of "Good care in the right place." We believe that care should in principle be organized as close as possible to the patient and we actively participate in it. "

These patients are already treated by the hospital and not by the hospital. Hospital care to move care to the GP (substitution) .These effective care is not only good for patients, they also reduce the cost of health care because emergency admissions are avoided and that less

The two projects start with a small group of patients to work in. In collaboration with FocusCura, there is also scientific research on the results of remote monitoring

pulmonary tests

COPD is a lung disease in which the lungs are damaged. The lungs do not allow proper breathing and the patient has less energy. COPD is characterized by pulmonary seizures, in which the patient experiences more congestion, coughing or mucus production, which often results in hospitalization.

Through more frequent surveillance, we want to prevent these lung attacks. Patients with many symptoms of COPD complete a questionnaire about how they feel each week. A specialized nurse then monitors the results at the hospital. If these results exceed certain threshold values, the nurse will communicate with the patient by video call. For example, it literally understands how the patient behaves and can, for example, adjust the medication. This can possibly prevent a lung attack.

Especially for patients with COPD, the trip to the hospital is an entire undertaking, as it often requires great physical effort. For them, therefore, this type of distance care is very appropriate.

Drug adjustment

Heart failure is a condition in which the pumping function of the heart decreases slowly or abruptly. As a result, patients get tired more quickly, retain moisture and breathlessness in their daily activities. Patients with heart failure daily spend their weight, blood pressure and heart rate via the tablet. For this they have not only the tablet, but also a blood pressure monitor and a scale. This type of care is particularly suitable for patients who have just been diagnosed with heart failure and for patients who are in an unstable phase of their condition.

In both groups, the drug must be properly adjusted. And when this normally happens over a period of eight weeks through a series of visits to the outpatient clinic, it is expected that this can now be done in a few fonts in just a few weeks. The introduction of the drug and the explanation of the clinical picture and lifestyle now occur via the image connection, the patient no longer needs to come to the clinic. ;hospital. It is also expected that emergency admissions will be avoided.

In addition, the patient actively participates in his care process through this form of remote monitoring. Research shows that more control for the patient increases the quality of life of patients with heart failure.