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Description
The main objective of the project is to test and use modern telemedicine tools in order to provide patients suffering from heart failure with the highest level of medical care, including in particular people residing in small towns with poor access to world-class specialists and modern equipment available at Upper Silesian Medical Centre, taking into account the epidemic situation and the resulting restrictions. The project will result in the improvement of access to health care services (telemedicine and e-health) through the implementation of 1 health care service provided with the help of the purchased modern equipment, i.e. telemonitoring of patients with heart failure.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project was to test and use modern telemedicine tools in order to provide the highest level of medical care to heart failure patients/patients, especially those living/staying in small towns with difficult access to world-class specialists and modern equipment, which are the facilities of the Upper Silesian Medical Centre, taking into account the epidemic situation and the resulting restrictions. Hence, the Project''s Partners in the present project ( primary healthcare centres) are located in excluded areas - serving patients from small towns, where the average income per capita at county level is significantly lower than the average income in the country.
The result of the project was the improvement of access to healthcare services (telemedicine and e-health) through the implementation of 1 healthcare service provided with the help of purchased modern equipment, i.e. telemonitoring of patients with heart failure.In addition, the aim of the project was to carry out preventive activities in the field of heart failure.
The aim was to achieve:
- a reduction in the number of hospitalisations, and thus
- an improvement in the prognosis of patients and their quality of life through coordinated inpatient and outpatient treatment,- a saving of funds for treating the patient according to the current treatment pathway
- saving funds for treating the patient according to the current treatment pathway,
- comprehensive outpatient care in primary care centres based on an efficient exchange of information on an internet platform between medical personnel and the patient
- provision of medical services also in an epidemic situation (isolation, in-patient visit only if necessary),
- to overcome the geographical barrier to the provision of medical services through telemedicine,
- reduction of social inequalities in health, including improved access to healthcare services through telemedicine and e-health,
- benefiting from international experience.
Summary
Activities in connection with obtaining funding for the implementation of the Project, preliminary work was undertaken on financing and establishing cooperation with the Norwegian partner, which was the company Apenhet from Oslo. To implement the Project, a telemedicine platform was purchased along with the equipment necessary for medical consultations, as well as for ongoing monitoring of the health status of recruited patients, including scales, blood pressure monitors, tablets and computers for primary care facilities. The devices communicated with each other fully automatically via Bluetooth and the transmitter sent data via the GSM network to a newly designed internet portal. Patients also received free access to the internet portal.
Conferences in the project
According to the application, 2 conferences were organized for doctors and patients. The first conference was held in June 2023, while the seminar for doctors and open days for patients were organized in October 2023, and the closing conference was held in November in Cieszyn. Project promotion In terms of project promotion, posters, leaflets and invitations to conferences and seminars were made. Posters and leaflets were distributed to all primary healthcare facilities to promote the project, and invitations were used to invite guests to the seminar and conference. The results of the Project implementation are shown in the material that will be published in the first quarter of 2025. The second material is currently being developed and will also be published in 2025.
The Norwegian partner participated intensively in on -line meetings and prepared a visualisation of the developed data in Norway on telemedicine services in health care. In November 2023. Norwegian delegation came to Poland. During the delegation''s stay, a seminar on telemedicine in Norway was held. On the next day of their stay, the Beneficiary''s cardiology wards and treatment rooms were shown to the delegates, and modern teaching techniques for medical students were presented at the Centre for Medical Didactics and Simulation of the Silesian Medical University in Katowice. Throughout the duration of the Project, on -line meetings were held at intervals of 6-7 weeks. These meetings were attended by 3-6 persons from the Polish side and 1 - 3 persons from the Norwegian side. The main subject of the meetings was the arrangements of mutual visits, but also exchange of experiences in the field of telemedicine in Poland and Norway.
Results
Thanks to the extension of the project period until January 31, 2024, the planned number of patients, i.e. 510 people, was recruited. During the recruitment of patients, the launch of a hotline for patients for 3 months and the co-option of another family doctor''s facility were of great help. During the study, 4 mandatory visits were held: 0 - contact cardiology visit; 1 – family doctor, 2 – nurse visit and 3 – family doctor visit. The last 3 visits were carried out via developed telemedicine tools or by phone. The summary of the patient''s participation in the project is the completion of a 7-point original survey containing 23 statements describing the user''s experience with the proposed technology. Based on the partial results obtained from 57 users, it can be stated that the proposed program was well received.
Summary of bilateral results
As part of the cooperation with the Norwegian partner, in March 2023, three employees of the Beneficiary visited Oslo, where, among other things, they were guests of one of the largest hospitals in the capital of Norway and participated in numerous seminars on telemedicine services in Norway. In November 2023, a Norwegian delegation represented by employees of the Norwegian partner came to Poland. As part of the Norwegian delegation''s stay, a seminar on telemedicine was also organized, and the delegates were shown the cardiology departments of the Beneficiary, and modern teaching techniques for medical students were presented at the Medical Teaching and Simulation Center of the Silesian Medical University in Katowice. The beneficiary assesses bilateral cooperation as extremely fruitful. The main conclusion is that the Norwegian side is significantly ahead of us in terms of telemedicine development, which is related to demographic characteristics of Norway. The significant funding flowing into the development of telemedicine in Norway is also not insignificant.