FRESH: Move data - not patients

At Odense University Hospital (OUH), the Department of Haematology has been one of the first in Denmark to successfully implement home chemotherapy treatment. Research shows that this form of treatment has given patients greater freedom and flexibility and reduced the need for physical visits to the hospital. However, there is still a need for patients to have regular blood tests taken by their doctor or at the hospital to monitor their bone marrow, kidney and liver function.

AIM

The FRESH (Remote Evaluation with Self-testing and Home treatment) project will develop a solution that enables patients receiving home cancer treatment to perform blood tests in their own homes via Point Of Care Technology (POCT) equipment.

Once the blood sample has been taken, data from the POCT equipment is transferred to the laboratory system at OUH, which automatically moves these to OUH's electronic patient record and Sundhed.dk. Healthcare professionals can then immediately assess whether to act on these test results and ensure correct management of the patient's data.

The project includes the development and testing of a secure IT solution for data transfer from POCT equipment in patients' homes to the laboratory's information system. An educational programme for patients will be developed and tested, as well as training for the nurses who will teach them.

The performance and usability of the POCT equipment will be validated in relation to clinical needs, and will then be tested in practice with patients. In addition, a new model for quality assurance will be developed.

The project also includes the development of cross-functional workflows, an early health economic assessment and an initial measurement of patient experiences. The goal is to create generic and scalable solutions that can be implemented across clinical departments at OUH and the region's other hospitals.

PARTNERS

• Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• Department of Haematology, OUH
• Department of Medicine, Haematology Section, Lillebaelt Hospital
• Regional IT, Region of Southern Denmark

CIMT will be responsible for project management and HTA assessment of the solution.

FUNDING

The project has received grants from the Regional Innovation Fund and the Patients' Cancer Hospital, Programme Plan III, Lillebaelt Hospital.