NWO is providing €3.8 million in funding for the Check@Home study. This brings the total subsidy amount for this study to €8.9 million. The aim of this nationwide study is to find out whether it is possible to detect cardiovascular and kidney diseases and diabetes at an early stage using special home tests. No less than 160,000 people between the ages of 50 and 75 from Breda, Utrecht, Arnhem and Eindhoven will be invited to participate. The new study builds on earlier results of the Groningen Prevend and NierCheck studies and will last 5 years.
In the Netherlands, there is no national approach for early detection of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes, while the social and economic burden of these conditions is large. The Check@Home consortium wants to detect these conditions at an early stage by means of home testing, among other things, through a pilot study in four regions. The Check@Home consortium wants to develop a roadmap and infrastructure for a (cost)effective national screening program for early detection and treatment of chronic diseases, which is accessible to the target population and positions care within the living environment of the citizen. In this way the burden to the healthcare system will be reduced and the affordability and sustainability of care improved. The program will be implemented in close cooperation with citizens, patients and local civic initiatives.
Early detection of diseases with home tests: impact
Early detection of the aforementioned conditions can prevent substantial health loss and also reduce healthcare costs. The actual yield of home testing, in terms of health benefits, cost savings, and accessibility of care will be investigated in work package 5 of the study. In addition, the required capacity for national screening and the optimal use of home testing will be determined. This work package is led by dr.ir. Erik Koffijberg (section HTSR, faculty BMS, TechMed Centre) in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Silvia Evers (Maastricht University) and with the support of Dr. Xavier Pouwels (section HTSR, faculty BMS, TechMed Centre).
Coaching
With an early detection of different conditions, the possibility to act as soon as possible also arises, and thereby prevent diseases. By using intelligent decision support systems, the best preventive program for each citizen is found, and investigated if this can be implemented in a sustainable manner. Each citizen receives digital feedback and coaching using eHealth, to work together to staying healthy. This work is being led by Prof. Dr. Miriam Vollenbroek-Hutten (section BSS, faculteit EEMCS, TechMed Centre).
Collaboration
The Check@Home study receives funding from: Dutch Heart Foundation, Dutch Kidney Foundation, Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation, AstraZeneca, Roche Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers, Healthy.io, Luscii and Happitech. Together with a number of Dutch university medical centers and universities, they form the Check@Home consortium. Research leaders are cardiologist Prof. Dr. Folkert Asselbergs (UMC Utrecht) and nephrologist Prof. Dr. Ron Gansevoort (UMC Groningen). The involvement of the partners in the East Netherlands in Check@Home arose from the 'TOPFIT cooperation'.
