With digital hospital care, we must think of solutions such as the smart plaster with which various vital functions of patients are automatically monitored and can be read and monitored remotely. This is also possible with other digital or connection aids such as an ICD or smartwatch. They measure data such as heart rate, temperature, respiration and oxygen content and send the measurement data from the patient’s home to the specialists in the hospital.
Home monitoring already widely deployed
The Isala puts home monitoring already fully involved in various diseases such as COPD, asthma, heart failure, certain cancers and Crohn’s disease. The intention is that in the future even more patient groups will be able to receive (digital) hospital care by means of home monitoring. “Together with specialists, nurses and other care providers in Isala, we are looking at how connected care within their specialty can contribute to even better care and help patients to gain more control over their own health,” says Job Leenen, project leader and PhD candidate in monitoring. the Connected Care Center.
“Through the Connected Care Center In the coming years, Isala wants to work towards ensuring that 25 percent of the care that is currently provided in hospital takes place at home. We do this because we believe that digitization of care contributes to making it more pleasant, better and safer for patients. We are well on our way to achieving these goals,” says Tom Faber, Connected Care Center program manager.
Digital hospital care during corona
During the corona crisis, the added value of digital hospital care, insofar as it was not yet known, became abundantly clear demonstrated. The focus was mainly on the remote monitor of patients. The Isala did this on two levels.
“First of all, to monitor patients with COVID-19 who had an increased risk of serious complaints so that we could provide care on time and prevent hospitalization as much as possible. In addition, through efforts of the Pulmonary Medicine department, patients with COVID-19 in hospital could be discharged home earlier thanks to monitoring in combination with oxygen,” says Job.
For this form of remote hospital care, the COVID-19 patients were given, among other things, a saturation meter to take home. This allowed them to measure the oxygen level in their blood on a daily basis. If the value deteriorated, it was checked which care was needed.
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