Video consultation and more: pediatric oncology project wins telemedicine prize
This year's Telemedicine Prize of the German Society for Telemedicine went to "KULT-SH", a project for the remote examination of children with cancer.
The finalists of the Telemedicine Award at the 14th National Telemedicine Congress.
(Image: ZTG GmbH)
(Image: UKSH Kiel)
At the 14th Telemedicine Congress of the German Society for Telemedicine, "KULT-SH", a project for the telemedical examination of children with cancer in Schleswig-Holstein, received an award. Young cancer patients can hold video consultations with their doctor via an app.
(Image: UKSH Kiel)
Telemedical sensors measure vital parameters such as oxygen saturation, temperature and heart rate in the home environment. The children are given small measuring devices for this purpose. The data is then transferred to a personal electronic patient file. This means that the examinations at the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH Kiel) can take place in the children's familiar surroundings, namely at home. This means that the children have to go to hospital less often, the increasingly long journey times are eliminated and they do not have to wait in waiting rooms.
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24-hour blood pressure measurement without a cuff
(Image: Biopeak GmbH)
Second place went to a project for 24-hour blood pressure measurement without a cuff from Biopeak GmbH. It distributes a chest patch from the Israeli company Biobeat exclusively in the DACH region. This is designed to be quick to set up and establish a connection to the patient's smartphone. The data can be transmitted via a Bluetooth transmitter. The patch is only used once and transmits an evaluation of the data after 24 hours. According to the manufacturer, the device continuously records up to 13 vital parameters such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate. Blood pressure is measured using photoplethysmography (PPG).
PPG sensors are widely used and often integrated into wearables. The light from one or more LEDs on the wearable penetrates the upper layers of the skin. An optical sensor reacts to reflected light. A blood vessel that is strongly perfused during a pulse wave reflects the light differently than a vessel during a pulse pause.
Digital health guide
(Image: Digitaler Gesundheitslotse)
Third place went to the digital health guide at Halle University Hospital. The online service helps people anonymously to answer the question of whether they are dealing with a medical emergency. The service is particularly helpful for serious illnesses with unclear symptoms (such as thrombosis, sepsis or stroke) and "warns before it is too late". The freely accessible service, which is certified as a medical device, does not collect any data, according to the website.
Decision support in the emergency room
Behind this is the Structured Medical Assessment System (SMASS) software developed by Swiss doctors, which has been helping with decision-making since April 2023. The application has also been used in the Central Emergency Department at the University Hospital Halle (Saale) since October 2023. Patients can call up the digital health guide in the waiting area using an individual QR code, which also helps with their medical history. The digital health guide is not intended to replace a consultation with a doctor.
(mack)