Remote follow-up of patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (MICI or Ibd, from the English acronym of Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and personalize the follow-up, to improve their quality of life and optimize the resources of the National Health Service (NHS ). The results of the telemedicine project developed by the Sicilian hospital, under the patronage of Amici Italia – National Association for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases of the Intestine and developed with the MyHospitalHub® PRO platform, created by AdiLife and sold free of charge by Takeda Italia.
Patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are constantly increasing and these are pathologies that have unpredictable evolutions: there are cases in which physical check-ups are not necessary, while it is important to intervene promptly when an exacerbation occurs.
This is one of the reasons that prompted Dr. Maria Cappello, head of the IBD clinic, and Professor Calogero Cammà, Director of the UOC of Gastroenterology and Hepatology – Policlinico di Palermo, to adopt the MyHospitalHub® Pro telemedicine platform. it cannot replace the first visits, also necessary to establish a relationship of trust with the clinician and with the facility, but it can have an extremely positive impact on the quality of life of patients during the follow-up, both for those who have the disease under control and , consequently, for the most severe cases, to which we doctors could spend more time – explains Cappello – The first data, obtained from a study involving about 80 patients in the use of the platform, are very encouraging – continues Cappello – and , once validated, the platform can also be exported to other structures that deal with IBD: scalability is a further value of our project or pilot. However, it is essential that these systems and the work carried out remotely by clinicians are also recognized by the national health system for aspects relating to reimbursements”.
“In a period of insufficient resources for health care, the efficiency of health processes is imperative for the whole system. Among the aspects of greatest attention there is certainly the management of chronic diseases which, if not properly managed, run the risk to become further burdens for the health system – adds Dr. Salvatore Iacolino, extraordinary commissioner of the Policlinico”. “The challenge for the future – he adds – is undoubtedly that of managing chronic pathologies with the tools that technology is able to provide. The project we are presenting today is an important example of orientation towards organizational models that have a positive impact not only from an economic point of view, but above all on the quality of life of patients, and also a virtuous example of public-private collaboration aimed at making the system more efficient.In addition to technology, the role of professionals is however decisive who, as in this case, they create the conditions for improving the quality of healthcare services.I therefore thank Dr. Cappello and the private partners of this initiative”.
Through an app, patients can fill in daily electronic health questionnaires (ePro – Patient Reported Outcome) and book visits. At the same time, doctors can consult the patient’s status and intervene, if necessary, by activating a televisit. The burden of managing the disease is thus lightened for everyone, saving time and resources, through greater circulation of data which makes it possible to provide clinical feedback when face-to-face consultation is not really necessary, to the advantage of sustainability and environmental impact with the reduction of journeys to reach the health facility.
“Technology is an important tool for innovation – underlines Andrea Pecci, data, digital & technology head Takeda Italia – Our intention is to be a highly technological biopharmaceutical company: we are in fact the first among the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world to have a Chief Technology Officer within the Global Board. Projects like the one presented today have a high value for us, because they create a virtuous circle of continuous innovation, which sees the public and private sectors work in partnership with the ultimate aim of bringing benefits to patients. Centers like the one in Palermo are examples of excellence: they get involved and face complex challenges to change the system and bring new knowledge that will benefit everyone”.
The high value of this project was confirmed by Salvatore Leone, general manager of Amici Italia, according to whom: “This initiative is an example of how technology, if developed taking into account the real needs of patients, can really make a difference for their quality of life and contribute to scientific progress. Remote monitoring of chronic patients can also help reduce direct and indirect costs for the healthcare system. Continuous and regular monitoring of patients’ health allows early identification of any problems and prompt intervention, preventing complications and unnecessary hospital admissions. This can reduce direct costs for medical care and increase the efficiency of the healthcare system. Furthermore, remote monitoring allows patients to manage their condition more independently, avoiding frequent doctor visits and trips to the medical center, thus reducing indirect costs. In summary, remote monitoring of chronic patients is an important solution to improve the quality of life of patients and reduce costs for the healthcare system.”
There is another important aspect of the project: the data, collected anonymously, can be analyzed through Artificial Intelligence algorithms, and cross-referenced with diagnostic and therapy data. This system, in addition to allowing the doctor to identify altered parameters, allows clinical studies to be conducted on large case series, useful for tracing the general evolution of the two diseases and the responses to therapies. “We are proud of the partnership with Takeda Italia born in 2019, when telemedicine, which has always been considered an opportunity, has become a necessity, also enabled by a now pervasive and sophisticated technology – declares Engineer Martino Politi, President of ADiLife – In over the years we have developed ‘three-way’ collaborations: we, Takeda Italia and the healthcare partners, adapting the telemedicine platform from time to time to different needs. We are particularly proud of the project with the IBD clinic of the Palermo hospital, because it will allow us to generate large quantities of data that are hardly collected and used for research today”.
