Heart failure care platform achieves highest score in European tender

Consortium of Viduet Health, UMC Utrecht and Ziekenhuis Gelderse Vallei are going to test self-management application in three countries

A consortium of Viduet Health, UMC Utrecht and Hospital Gelderse Vallei has achieved the highest score in a tender for a new, innovative form of European heart failure care. The developed platform will be installed for use trials in regions of Spain, Italy and Sweden from December. In the Netherlands, the platform has already proven itself.

Due to an ageing population and the increase in diseases of affluence, the number of heart failure patients is rising rapidly. At the same time, healthcare spending is under pressure and all European countries are facing a shortage of healthcare personnel. To address this problem, three European regions in Spain, Italy and Sweden have launched a tender for an integrated form of European heart failure care under the name ‘TIQUE’. TIQUE is looking for smart solutions that give patients more control and relieve caregivers.

EU grant

Of the 17 participating European consortia, two remained after three selection rounds. Their application will soon be evaluated in the regions of Catalonia (Spain), Västerbotten (Sweden) and the province of Avellino (Italy), with the support of an EU grant. One challenge is that the three European regions each have different healthcare systems. In addition, the level of digitalisation and the relationship between healthcare providers and patients differ.

Patient in control

Healthcare innovation company Viduet Health is now taking the step abroad. With support from both hospitals, Viduet Health has developed a digital platform for European integrated remote heart failure care. Patients perform self-measurements that are automatically sent to the platform. If necessary, they adjust their medication themselves based on agreements with their doctor.

Oscar van Dijk, CEO Viduet Health: ‘In traditional telemonitoring, the patient enters data and then hears from the hospital what to do. We now know that supported self-management produces better results.’

Heart failure nurses and primary care providers watch along via the platform and provide support and advice. Informed caregivers can take over some of the support from caregivers.

Care reduction

It is estimated that the new platform delivers a care reduction of more than 50 per cent. Because patients make timely adjustments to their medication or lifestyle themselves, they can avoid hospitalisation in many cases. Furthermore, remote care means fewer check-up visits to the GP or cardiologist.

Successful in the Netherlands

During the development phase, Ziekenhuis Gelderse Vallei tested the platform in the Netherlands. It proved successful for both care providers and patients.

Sandra Rozeboom, nursing specialist at Ziekenhuis Gelderse Vallei: ‘The platform supports cooperation between patient, informal carer and healthcare professional. This can help with the right care in the right place, faster adjustment to optimal medication and support in self-management.’

Conform to IZA

The dutch Integral Care Agreement (IZA) focuses on prevention, cooperation and reducing healthcare costs. The new platform responds to these desired changes in healthcare. Viduet Health is in talks with potential regional partners for this purpose.

About Viduet Health

Viduet Health has been building mobile self-management solutions since 2012 and developed the Viduet platform to improve the quality of life of chronically ill patients. Viduet is deployed in hospitals, GP practices and medical research. Viduet Health’s mission is that healthcare providers will have saved one million hours by 2030 thanks to the Viduet telemonitoring platform.