We succeeded to build a scalable, affordable, safe and user friendly telemonitoring application where the patient is the epicentre of the healthcare processes.
Although our app had been developed due to the needs ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential use of our telemonitoring application exceeds those needs. As the number of chronically ill patients increases due ageing and paradoxically due to better treatment strategies, the burden on the healthcare systems in the Netherlands and worldwide will increase. At the same time the demands for frequent checkups, outpatients department visits and Emergency Room (ER) presentations will increase. For example, in 2040 the Netherlands would have to deal with 6.5 million patients with more than one chronic disease, an increase of 21% compared to 2019. The ageing population older than 75 years will increase to a staggering 2,6 million, a 86% increase compared to 2019 (www.rivm.nl/infographic-impact-van-vergrijzing). The majority of those patients will be mainly patients with chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, chronic ischemic heart disease and atrial fibrillation. The burden on these patients and their families will be substantial if they should come physically to the hospitals or clinics to monitor their vitals and condition.
Our approach revolves around the comfort of the patients in their own houses and environment. Where the measurements can be done by clinically certified devices connected to the hospital’s Electronic Health Records (EHR) or other telemonitoring backend systems through our application. When the telemonitoring system would be used to its full potential, the patients would need to go to the hospitals only when needed and the medical staff could intervene on time when needed based on the vitals of the patients. Only the patients who need to come to the hospitals will be approached to come physically to the hospitals.
Integrating telemonitoring in the existing healthcare systems in the right way will increase the patients’ satisfaction and patient empowerment. At the same time that will effectively reduce the manpower and resources burden of the healthcare systems and increase the efficiency.
Our vision in the Med Company resonates with the global endeavour and that of the Netherlands through the Integral Healthcare agreement “ Integraal Zorg Akkoord” (IZA) Integral Healthcare agreement (https://open.overheid.nl/repository/ronl-bfae762acc730a31c98e9c2480032cc2888c818e/1/pdf/samenvatting-integraal-zorgakkoord.pdf) to keep the healthcare system of high quality, accessible and affordable.
