What if a patient could emerge from surgery in better physical condition? Or what if healthcare providers could encourage behaviours like therapy adherence and a healthy lifestyle? Wearable technology is one of the solutions to combat rising costs and staff shortages in healthcare. However, this type of technology is still new, and many healthcare professionals have not received adequate training and lack practical experience with it.
To address this, the UMCG and the Hanzehogeschool organised a masterclass on Personal Data and Behavioural Influence, led by 'Personalised Digital Health' lecturer Hilbrand Oldenhuis. He believes that wearable technology could play an increasingly significant role in the future. "By analysing data trends related to movement, sleep, and heart rate variability, healthcare professionals can better match the individual with the appropriate treatment," says Hilbrand. "For instance, they can gain insights into times when a patient is more active, experiences poor sleep, or is under stress, and determine which treatments have been effective or not. By being able to remotely monitor the patient, there's a reduced need for frequent hospital visits for examinations or check-ups, saving time and empowering the patient in their recovery journey", says Hilbrand.
Hilbrand: "An important aspect from the masterclass is to make everyone aware that technology for enhanced self-management is never an end goal in itself. It is a means to tailor healthcare to the patient. Personal contact with the patient remains essential for guidance and motivation. One concern among nurses is the fear of losing contact with their patients. However, as the professional becomes more informed about the patient, they can schedule appointments more precisely at times that are most effective for the patient."
It is quite a pursuit to find which wearable technology is suitable for promoting better health outcomes for patients. "Departments need to develop new approaches. This isn’t easy and requires a significant investment in multiple areas. You need a researcher, such as a technical physician, who can turn it into a project," says Hilbrand. The Home Mechanical Ventilation Center is one of the first departments at the UMCG to clinically implement telemonitoring. Recently, the team received the ZonMw Parel for their research demonstrating that they can remotely adjust patients' settings as safely and effectively as they can in the hospital.
At the Department of Anaesthesiology, Marjolein Haveman, a technical physician and advisor at the Innovation Center, is investigating the use of telemonitoring during surgeries. "One of the challenges for clinical implementation is determining which wearable sensors are best to use. They don't all measure equally well and often vary in battery life and user-friendliness. Consumer wearables are often more user-friendly, but the data they provide are less accurate. Additionally, you quickly encounter various legal and privacy challenges. Furthermore, algorithms are required to help nurses draw conclusions from the acquired data, as interpreting them can be difficult.”
How do you determine as a department whether wearable technology fits into the care trajectory and can help your patients? "The Innovation Center is there to support such innovative ideas. They offer assistance at various stages of the innovation process, from the initial contact moment to the evaluation. With their advice, the department can make informed considerations and proceed with a concrete plan."
If you wish to explore whether an innovation such as telemonitoring is suitable for your team, you can contact the Innovation Center via [email protected].
