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Updated: Jun 3, 97 |
HOMER D | |
| Home Rehabilitation Treatment - Dialysis |
| Project Nr: | HC 1022 | Group: V | Project Duration: 12 months |
| Key words: | |||
| Category: | Telematics Boost for Home Dialysis | ||
| Summary: | Support to haemodialysis at home ; based on the currently availableequipment utilising monitoring telematics services. | ||
| Mission: | HOMER-D will introduce novel telematics services for isolated patients undergoing home treatment for kidney failure. These applications will supersede the remote supervision of home-based dialysis by medical staff which is often difficult. Two-way telematics links between hospitals and homes will still allow for possible medical staff intervention and transfer to hospital if necessary. Telematics monitoring will also enhance the capabilities of the modern dialysis machine operation. The remote supervision of the dialysis at home is generally not only more cost-effective and successful than in hospital but it also improves the quality of life of the patient and the survival rate. Its use will be boosted by increased confidence in its security and the expertise available to support it. | ||
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| Name of Institution | City+Postal Code | Country | Region |
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| YORK District Hospital | GB-YO37HE, York | GB | UK22 |
| University of Athens - ARETAIEON Hospital | GR-11528, Athens | Greece | GR3 |
| IDATE | F-34092, Montpellier | France | FR24 |
| Fachhochschule Nordostniedersachsen | D-21337, Lueneburg | Germany | DE93 |
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Among 500.000 patients with end-stage renal failure who need dialysis treatment worldwide, haemodialysis is one of the best therapeutic methods which usually takes place in a dialysis centre of hospital environment, normally for four hours every two days. Home haemodialysis (HH) is a particular modality which is applied to home environment and requires house modifications along with training of patients and their partners. Despite its advantages in cost, rehabilitation and survival rates, the percentage of patients on HH was decreasing during the last few years, mainly due to the absence of supervision by experienced medical personnel during each session.
The ultimate goal of HOMER-D project is to develop, apply and validate telematics monitoring and consultation services for substantially supporting isolated patients who need a continuous and uninterrupted HH treatment. Filling the "supervision gap" of this treatment and going along with the lines of users' needs (patients, doctors-nephrologists, nurses), an existing haemodialysis machine has the potential to enhance its functionality with innovative telematics services. Bi-directional communication links between a central control station, which is located in a distant hospital, and remote terminal units in patients' sites, will enable and support the supervision of each HH session and the possible intervention by medical personnel through a number of operational modes. The adoption of high security levels, the special training courses, and the interoperability of these services offer more confidence to the patients and radically influence the quality and efficacy of their treatment. The anticipated results from the above mentioned telematics services mainly include the improvement of patients' quality of life and their enhanced rehabilitation potential, the flexibility of choosing the optimum haemodialysis session, the minimization of transportation cost, the drastic reduction of necessary clinical personnel and the corresponding financial cost, as well as the increase of offered medical facilities and services from the specific dialysis centres. Furthermore, the outcome of this project prepares the ground for a growing market for haemodialysis-related medical services of the near future which, undoubtedly, will lead to an increase of business for the already strong and wide industrial sector of this area in Europe.
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Users involved The project intends to address the needs of the following classes of users:
Technologies and/or approach used Seeing the overall architecture at the top level, it consists of a central control station and remote terminal units which are connected via a communication network (PSTN, ISDN). This architecture is based on haemodialysis machine, communication equipment, special sensors/interfaces, and the controlling software/hardware. Expected benefits for the citizen The prosperous project's results improve the level, quality, and diffusion of advanced healthcare services which shall be offered to end-stage renal failure patients living, mainly, in isolated (rural, island) areas. Expected benefits for the users of the application Several benefits are expected for the potential classes of users, like improvement of patients' quality of life and rehabilitation, elimination of transportation cost, reduction of cost for the hospital as well as increase of efficiency for professional users. Expected benefits for the European Industries The final project's results will facilitate the combination of advanced telematics services to existing haemodialysis machines; this fact will lead to increase of sales and profits for the wide European industrial sector of haemodialysis machines and disposables and prepares the ground for a growing market of on-line medical services during HH. Contribution to EU-policies The overall outcome of the project will increase the level of cooperation among various European HH practices and it will contribute to standardisation, harmonisation and convergence of EU policies in this key-importance healthcare sector. |
| Aretaieon Hospital | Athens | Attiki | GR |
| York District Hospital | York, Bootham | North Yorkshire | UK |
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