Background

The background of the project was the idea that hematological patients in the Region of Southern Denmark may be given better treatment by using telemedicine, Odense University Hospital being the only provider of this treatment for citizens of the region.

Hematological patients, including cancer-patients, are very ill and may require treatment up to once a week. This means great expense and inconvenience for the region's citizens in terms of transportation costs and waste of travel time.

Purpose/vision

The project aims to identify the availability, quality and price of existing blood testing technologies for use at the patients' own homes. Tests may also be initiated to identify which patient groups can benefit from telemedical treatment.

The project will also look at the organisational set-up of the telemedical treatment with a view to obtain both organisational and clinical benefits - including the involvement of the local part of the treatment of this patient group.

Activities in projects:

• Market screening of existing technologies is undertaken by an external partner with expertise in the field.

• Analysis of patient groups with the aim of uncovering which groups the telemedical treatment can benefit

• Any test of technology

• Identification of the organisational changes needed to implement telemedical treatment, and how local treatment units can be involved.

What is the expected outcome of the project?

The project wants to find a technology and test an organisational set-up that makes it possible to provide home treatment for hematological patients. In that way fewer patients have to be transported to and from their residence somewhere in the Region of Southern Denmark for treatment in Odense.

The project is not running at the moment because of lack of a suitable telemedicine technology. Expectations are, however, that the technology will be marketed in the foreseeable future as many sources are concentrating on developing blood testing technologies.

Participants

Odense University Hospital - Centre for Innovative Medical Technology & the Department of Hematology X.