Thales Nederland, Ziekenhuis ZGT and the University of Twente are initiating a pilot project for iMediSense: an app in combination with various sensors for patients with heart failure. In the project, they teamed up with Vodafone for the mobile connections, and health insurance company Menzis as a supporter, with the aim of further rolling out the solution after successful completion of the pilot phase. The pilot will start immediately with patients of Ziekenhuis ZGT.
About iMediSense
iMediSense is a telemonitoring and patient coaching solution. In addition to a mobile app registering some information, the patient will answer a number of questions every day. The information is collected on a central, protected server that provides the nurse and cardiologist with information about the patient’s trend development. This enables them to intervene in a timely manner in case of unusual results.
Smart integration
There are many different health apps for smartphones for measuring pulse, blood pressure, sleep cycles, weight, nutrition, exercise, and so on. iMediSense features a smart combination of all of these technologies, which is also offered to the hospital’s patient information system in an integrated format.
Practical example
For example: The patient uses iMediSense daily to measure their weight, among other things (this measurement takes place using a Bluetooth connection between the sensor and the app). They gain three kilos in three days. This could be an indication of the patient retaining too much water. A clear signal that a cardiologist or a nurse can respond to in a timely fashion, thanks to iMediSense.
Why for patients with heart failure?
Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death in the Netherlands. One out of every four Dutch people dies as a result of a cardiovascular disease. This is why iMediSense was designed primarily for patients with heart failure. If the first pilot proves successful, other applications will be considered as well.
University of Twente’s role
The University of Twente will act as a scientific research coordinator. The UT will focus primarily on how this eHealth technology can coach patients with their own care in a practical manner, as well as how this technology can be meaningfully implemented in medical practice to support healthcare providers.
