Healthcare
Telehealth cooperation Successful launch of care provision program for COPD patients in Germany High patient acceptance
- Bosch Healthcare, Techniker Krankenkasse and Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus aim to enhance patients‘ quality of life
- High patient and physician engagement
Success factors for targeted support of high-risk patients
“Our goal is to respond to a worsening in COPD patients’ condition early on and spare them avoidable stays in hospital wherever possible,” explained Thomas Heilmann, responsible for the program at TK. He added that this was also relevant from a cost point of view, given that each of these hospitalizations entails an average cost of 4,000 euros.
“To ensure the program’s success we specifically target critically ill patients whose potential for a worsening of their condition, also called an exacerbation of COPD, is assessed as being particularly high,” Heilmann said. This is based on a specially developed predictive modeling to identify patients at risk of requiring acute hospital treatment in the near future.
“The cooperation partners consciously build on working closely with general practitioners and respiratory physicians across Germany. Without the support of local doctors, who know the patients personally and monitor their progress, a decisive component of the telehealth program would be lacking“, said Prof. Dr. Mark Dominik Alscher, Medical Director of the RBK. The program therefore supports medical practitioners in recognizing trends in the phases of the disease and provides opportunities to optimize care processes.
High patient and physician engagement
“The acceptance and engagement of the participating policyholders is very high and initial feedback from those registered in the scheme is broadly positive,” says Thomas Heilmann. “We therefore anticipate that we will quickly reach the 300 patients required for the evaluation. It is then planned to assess the benefits of the program compared to a randomized control group.”
To be able to participate in the program patients need the approval of their doctor. The high engagement of 81 percent of healthcare providers exceeds our expectations,” Dr. Ralf von Baer, managing director of Robert Bosch Healthcare GmbH, adds. He sees this as pointing to a growing acceptance of telehealth solutions among the medical profession.
Medical Director Alscher on first experiences with direct patient care through the thelehealth center: “Patients participating in the program appreciate the targeted approach and information. They place a high level of trust in the staff from the telehealth center, show high adherence and as a result feel more confident in their familiar home surroundings. First results show that intensive telehealth care helps stabilize patients’ condition.”
COPD third most frequent cause of death in Europe by 2030
Surveys conducted by the Federal Statistical Office indicate that 80 patients die from COPD every day in Germany alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticipates that by 2030 COPD will be the third most frequent cause of death in Europe after heart failure and stroke (World Health Statistics). According to estimates, more than six million people in Germany are currently suffering from COPD (based on the BOLD study, Geldmacher 2008). However, only around 1.5 million of these have been diagnosed (Chapman 2006).
Approximately 100,000 COPD patients are currently registered with the Techniker Krankenkasse alone (of a total of around eight million policyholders).
Successfully implemented in the USA for over a decade
This program builds on the Bosch Healthcare Telehealth system that has been implemented internationally for over a decade. As well as COPD the Bosch Healthcare system is also used to successfully monitor other chronic diseases such as heart failure and diabetes. “Here we go a long way towards living up to Bosch’s vision of “Invented for life”,” explains Dr. Jasper zu Putlitz, president of Robert Bosch Healthcare. Referring to the further rollout in Germany zu Putlitz says: “We are expecting other health insurance companies and insurers – also for other chronic diseases – to participate in our telehealth infrastructure in the near future.”
Further information is available online at: www.A-T-em.de
Press contact:
Dr. Sandra Nelles, Robert Bosch Healthcare GmbH,
Phone +49 711 811-58269
Christian Elspas, Techniker Krankenkasse,
Phone +49 211 936 00-27
Martina Amrhein, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus,
Phone +49 711 8101 3047
| Bosch Healthcare is a pioneer and global market leader of telehealth solutions and a leading provider of telecare systems in Europe. The Telehealth division offers payers and healthcare providers a broad portfolio of telehealth products and services aimed at supporting patients with chronic diseases in their home environment and contributing to an efficient and sustainable healthcare system. The Bosch Telehealth System delivers educational content, records health data (incl. symptoms and vital signs), transmits the processed data to the respective healthcare provider and provides the patient with feedback. The Bosch telehealth system currently monitors over 50,000 patients with chronic diseases worldwide in order to support their care. The success of the system - documented in over 30 publications - results from the timely identification of patients at risk of their condition worsening, and from support of improved patient self-management. The Bosch Telecare division offers a range of personal emergency response systems that allow people to live securely and independently in their own homes while having access to assistance 24/7 at the touch of a button. Personal alert systems allow those living in retirement homes and other assisted living facilities to have direct access to a call button which they can press if they need to alert staff. |
- November 15, 2012
- Press releases
- Healthcare
- Images: 3
New telehealth cooperation Extended care for COPD patients in Germany Enhanced quality of life for high-risk patients
- Cooperation between Bosch Healthcare, Süddeutscher Krankenversicherung and Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus
- Telehealth program with SDK policyholders
Cooperation builds on working closely with general practitioners
Dr. Ralf von Baer, managing director of Robert Bosch Healthcare GmbH on the existing telehealth infrastructure: “Within the scope of the “Alltag mit Telemedizin erfolgreich meistern” (A.T.e.m.) project (“Coping with everyday life with telehealth support”) launched for COPD patients in April of this year we are already supporting a large number of Techniker Krankenkasse policyholders. Now patients insured by SDK can also benefit from the program.”
“SDK offers high-risk patients individual care and exceptional quality of treatment. With a healthcare day in September, SDK already put the topic of COPD on its agenda. With this program we hope to contribute significantly to enhancing patients' quality of life,” explains Klaus Henkel, Chairman of SDK's Board of Management. SDK is currently contacting COPD patients with an invitation to participate in the program.
“Continuous monitoring of their medical condition together with intensive patient care and education can prevent an acute worsening of patients' condition, also called an exacerbation of COPD. This can spare them one or more stays in hospital, which would otherwise be inevitable,” stresses Professor Mark Dominik Alscher, Medical Director of the RBK. “The program helps patients to feel more confident in their familiar home surroundings, which in turn improves their quality of life.”
“The collaboration between the health insurance fund, the hospital and the company is built on a strong cooperation with the patients' medical providers,” Ullrich Hipp, managing director of Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus GmbH stressed. “That's why it's important to win the support of attending general practitioners,” Medical Director Alscher adds. Without the support of local doctors, who know the patients personally and monitor their progress, a decisive component of the telehealth program would be lacking.
COPD third most frequent cause of death in Europe by 2030
Surveys conducted by the Federal Statistical Office indicate that 80 patients die from COPD every day in Germany alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticipates that by 2030 COPD will be the third most frequent cause of death in Europe after heart failure and stroke (World Health Statistics). According to estimates, more than six million people in Germany are currently suffering from COPD (based on the BOLD study, Geldmacher 2008). However, only around 1.5 million of these have been diagnosed (Chapman 2006).
System successfully implemented in the USA for over a decade
This program builds on the Bosch Healthcare Telehealth system that has been implemented internationally for over a decade. As well as COPD the Bosch Healthcare system is also used to successfully monitor other chronic diseases such as heart failure and diabetes. “Here we go a long way towards living up to Bosch's vision of “Invented for life”,” explains Dr. Jasper zu Putlitz, president of Robert Bosch Healthcare. Referring to the further rollout in Germany zu Putlitz says: “We are expecting other health insurance companies and insurers – also for other chronic diseases – to participate in our telehealth infrastructure in the near future.”
| Bosch Healthcare is a pioneer and global market leader of telehealth solutions and a leading provider of telecare systems in Europe. The Telehealth division offers payers and healthcare providers a broad portfolio of telehealth products and services aimed at supporting patients with chronic diseases in their home environment and contributing to an efficient and sustainable healthcare system. The Bosch Telehealth System delivers educational content, records health data (incl. symptoms and vital signs), transmits the processed data to the respective healthcare provider and provides the patient with feedback. The Bosch telehealth system currently monitors over 50,000 patients with chronic diseases worldwide in order to support their care. The success of the system – documented in over 30 publications – results from the timely identification of patients at risk of their condition worsening, and from support of improved patient self-management. The Bosch Telecare division offers a range of personal emergency response systems that allow people to live securely and independently in their own homes while having access to assistance 24/7 at the touch of a button. Personal alert systems allow those living in retirement homes and other assisted living facilities to have direct access to a call button which they can press if they need to alert staff. |
- October 30, 2012
- Press releases
- Healthcare
- Images: 3
Telehealth cooperation First nationwide provision of support for high risk COPD patients in Germany For improved health
- Bosch Healthcare, Techniker Krankenkasse and Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus aim to enhance patients’ quality of life
- A.T.e.m. program kicks in with very high-risk patients
- Bosch Telehealth system successfully implemented in the USA for over a decade
“Our goal is to respond to a worsening of patients' condition early on and to avoid stays in hospital wherever possible. That is not only good for patients, but also good for us as a statutory health insurer,” explained Dr. Jens Baas, Deputy Chairman of TK's Board of Management. “For the first time a Bosch Healthcare solution is being introduced Germany-wide that, on a daily basis, already supports 50,000 patients in the USA,” Dr. Siegfried Dais, Deputy Chairman of the Robert Bosch GmbH Board of Management with responsibility among other things for the Healthcare division, added. “The intensive care of patients with complex chronic conditions helps to stabilize their state of health and, consequently, make them feel better,” stressed Prof. Dr. Mark Dominik Alscher, Medical Director of the RBK.
Third most frequent cause of death
According to estimates, more than six million people in Germany are currently suffering from COPD (based on the BOLD study, Geldmacher 2008). However, only around 1.5 million of these have been diagnosed (Chapman 2006). Surveys conducted by the Federal Statistical Office indicate that 80 patients die from the disease every day in Germany alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticipates that by 2030 COPD will be the third most frequent cause of death in Europe after heart failure and stroke (World Health Statistics). Approximately 100,000 COPD patients are currently registered with the Techniker Krankenkasse alone (of a total of around eight million policyholders). And this trend is on the rise: “If telehealth can help us to improve or at least stabilize the health of these patients we can spare them one or more stays in hospital, which a worsening of their respiratory problems would otherwise make inevitable,” Baas said. He added that this was also relevant from a cost point of view, given that each of these hospitalizations entails an average cost of 4,000 euros.
As a first step, it is planned to include at least 300 patients in the program, Germany-wide, whose potential for a worsening of their condition, also called an exacerbation of COPD, is assessed as being particularly high and who are at risk of requiring acute hospital treatment in the near future. “The intensive medical care helps patients to feel more confident in their familiar home surroundings, which in turn improves their quality of life,” said Medical Director Alscher. The Techniker Krankenkasse has already contacted the first patients with an invitation to participate in the program. Participation will not involve any additional costs for the patients.
System successfully implemented in the USA for over a decade
This program builds on the Bosch Telehealth system that has been implemented in the USA for over a decade. In addition to the daily transmission of health data, patients receive detailed information about their disease within their own home via their in-home device. This helps them to cope with their situation better and consequently avoid relapses over the long term. As well as COPD, the Bosch Telehealth system is also used successfully to monitor other chronic diseases such as heart failure and diabetes. “Here we go a long way towards living up to Bosch's vision of “Invented for life”,” explained Dr. Jasper zu Putlitz, president of Bosch Healthcare.
“The collaboration between the health insurance fund, the hospital and the company is built on a strong cooperation with the patients' medical providers,” Ullrich Hipp, managing director of Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus GmbH stressed. Without the support of local doctors, who know the patients personally and monitor their progress, a decisive component of the telehealth program would be lacking. The care of patients is governed within the scope of an integrated medical services contract pursuant to Section 140 SGB V (German Social Insurance Code, Statute Book V). Other clinics are expected to collaborate in this telehealth infrastructure in the coming years. “We hope other health insurance companies will also participate in the near future,” zu Putlitz said.
| Bosch Healthcare is a pioneer and global market leader of telehealth solutions and a leading provider of telecare systems in Europe. The Telehealth division offers payers and healthcare providers a broad portfolio of telehealth products and services aimed at supporting patients with chronic diseases in the home environment and contributing to an efficient and sustainable healthcare system. The Bosch Telehealth System delivers educational content, records health data (incl. symptoms and vital signs), transmits the processed data to the respective healthcare provider and provides the patient with feedback. The Bosch telehealth system currently monitors over 50,000 patients with chronic diseases worldwide in order to support their care. The success of the system - documented in over 30 publications - results from the timely identification of patients at risk of their condition worsening, and from support of improved patient self-management. The Bosch Care Solutions division offers a range of home service call solutions that allow people to live securely and independently in their own homes while having access to assistance 24/7 at the touch of a button. NurseCall systems allow those living in retirement homes, nursing homes and other assisted living facilities to have direct access to an emergency call button which they can press if they need to alert nursing staff. |
- May 30, 2012
- Press releases
- Healthcare
- Images: 3
- April 26, 2012
- Press releases
- Healthcare
