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Content archived on 2024-04-30

HOME REHABILITATION TREATMENT-DIALYSIS

Objective

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.

Among 500.000 patients worldwide with end-stage renal failure who need dialysis treatment, haemodialysis is considered as one of the best therapeutic methods which usually takes place in a hospital environment, normally for four hours every two days. Home haemodialysis (HH) is a particular method, applicable to home environment requiring basic training of patients and their family members. Despite its advantages in cost, rehabilitation and survival rates, the percentage of patients on HH was decreasing during the last years, mainly due to their fear about the absence of experienced medical personnel for each session as well as the unreliable operation of existing haemodialysis machines.

The ultimate goal of the HOMER-D project is to develop, apply and validate essential and novel telematics 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 will have the potential to enhance its functionality with innovative telematics monitoring 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 specialists (doctors and nurses). The adoption of high security levels as well as the transferability and interoperability of these services to actual hospital environments will offer more confidence to the patients and will radically influence the quality and efficacy of their treatment.

The anticipated results from the above mentioned telematics services mainly include the improvement of patient's 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 hospitals. 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.

Call for proposal

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Coordinator

ERGO S.A.,
EU contribution
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Address
15 Ag. Orous Str.
15123 Athens
Greece

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Total cost
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Participants (4)