Radboudumc University Medical Center works to innovate all aspects of healthcare. It develops and uses technologies and methods in ways that make patient care more person-centered. It also conducts basic, translational, and clinical research on disorders and new treatments.

Where does the need come from?

Radboud Amalia children’s hospital aims to improve health care for children and adults by making it more accessible and less demanding. “Luchtbrug” was developed as an online asthma clinic for children. A randomized trial confirmed that up to 50% of outpatient visits can be serviced with online monitoring [1]. The Luchtbrug platforms aims to support patients and parents in reaching and maintaining control over asthma symptoms and to prevent asthma exacerbations. The idea is to partly replace traditional outpatient visits with online monitoring. Radboudumc sets personal goals for treatment and provides targeted information on drug use (instructional videos).

How was the cooperation and what did it consist of?

Radboudumc has planned to expand the scope of the platform by introducing innovations concerning the emerging possibilities of integrating smart inhalers and lung function testing devices. Therefore, a pilot study was conducted with the FindAir ONE device. Individual patients were selected and invited to use the device as well as the application. Using the FindAir application and FindAir ONE made it possible to collect information directly from patients. The pilot study examined whether the technical and functional integration met the standards that Radboudumc strives for. The views of patients and parents were also taken into consideration. Based on the pilot study, Radboudumc has developed a separate module for smart inhalers and Pulmonary Function Testing. This will allow the FindAir ONE device to be linked to patients and have access to all information about asthma treatment in one place. If the pilot is successful, a smart inhaler connection may be considered for a standard functionality in Luchtbrug, enabling large-scale use in regular asthma care.

Read more: Digital Health – can monitoring and management of diseases become easier?

Conclusions

The “Luchtbrug” platforms provides benefits for both patients and their families. Home monitoring leads to more patient-centered care and better asthma control. Contact with the asthma team is also easier. Patients don’t have to come to hospitals for appointments as often. They also don’t miss school, and their parents don’t have to take breaks from work. Increasing access to more expert care and specialized health professionals entails the necessity of introduce innovative solutions.

References
van den Wijngaart LS, Roukema J, Boehmer ALM, Brouwer ML, Hugen CAC, Niers LEM, Sprij AJ, Rikkers-Mutsaerts ERVM, Rottier BL, Donders ART, Verhaak CM, Pijnenburg MW, Merkus PJFM. A virtual asthma clinic for children: fewer routine outpatient visits, same asthma control. Eur Respir J. 2017 Oct 5;50(4):1700471