Health innovations, a better quality of life for patients

The French are globally “fit” thanks to health research and innovation (1). Indeed, the French enjoy a rather high life expectancy. It was 85 years for women and 78.9 years for men in 2015. The life expectancy of the French continues to increase and is even one of the highest among European countries (1). Yet two types of diseases persist. These are cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Research to find solutions to these diseases is becoming more and more refined. There is already a solution to improve the quality of life for people with heart disease through the development of telemedicine.

Telemedicine, a new national health strategy

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and is not just an absence of illness or infirmity.” This is the world Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of health (1).

While the life expectancy of the French increases every year, health meets new factors against which to fight. These factors are related to influenza epidemics or respiratory problems due to weather events such as heatwaves or winter weather conditions (1).

Unfortunately, the increase in life expectancy also allows for resistance to chronic diseases. The latter continue to grow (1). Indeed, the aging of people induces the accumulation of non-activity, obesity, prolonged smoking, etc. which itself influences the increase in diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to the 2017 health report of La Santé Publique in France and DREES (1), out of 576,000 deaths recorded in 2013 in France, cancers were responsible for 27.6% of these deaths and cardiovascular diseases were 25.1%.

To compensate for these diseases, the consumption of medical care and goods in France has therefore increased sharply. In 2016, the consumption of medical care and goods amounted to 153.9 billion euros. In 2017, it was 199.3 billion euros according to INSEE (2).

Health innovation in telemedicine
Telemedicine is at the service of health innovation, particularly in outpatient care, at the national level.

Innovating at the heart of outpatient care

The largest national consumer of these goods and medical care happens to be outpatient care. “Ambulatory care (or city care) includes care performed in city offices, clinics, health centres or outpatient clinics in public or private hospitals.”

As outpatient care is the most sought-after care, France wants to boost their capacity. One of the national health solutions for this sector is called telemedicine.

According to the 1997 WHO definition, telemedicine is “the part of medicine that uses the telecommunications transmission of medical information (images, reports, recordings, etc.) to remotely obtain a diagnosis, specialized advice, continuous monitoring of a patient, therapeutic decision” (4).

Telemedicine is a way tochange the national health strategy. It provides comfort, support and safety to patients of all ages. Telemedicine facilitates exchanges between patients and caregivers. Patients are reassured before hospitalization, for example, and caregivers can keep a detailed follow-up of their patients.

In Bordeaux, this tele-assisted solution in outpatient surgery has been adopted and strongly developed.

The effectiveness of e-health solutions in Bordeaux

Bordeaux recognises the performance of new e-health innovations. The city is even the home of one of them: the Satelia platform.

Created in November 2017 by Nicolas Pages, an anaesthesia-resuscitation intern at the Chu de Bordeaux, Satelia was born out of a desire to reassure patients before their hospitalization and to follow up on them afterwards.

The Satelia platform has been designed to suit patients of all ages. Indeed, its operation is very simple, allowing a quick grip. The use of each type of user was thought out and then applied. Indeed, for a so-called “connected” patient, a link from the hospital where ‘hospitalization took place’ is sent by text message. The latter leads to a web application with an eight-question questionnaire. The patient can also browse the web application to find short videos that can inform them about certain diseases.

Connected health, via the internet or by phone

For an “unconnected” patient who does not have an internet for example, the follow-up is still insuring but this time by phone. A nurse contacts him by phone to complete the questionnaire.

On the caregiver side, they have a dashboard listing the condition of patients that includes details of their constants and possible complications. Satelia alone brings together simple, reliable and secure digital tools to relieve patients and follow up on post-hospitalization to prevent complications. These e-health solutions improve the comfort and quality of life of people with chronic and heart diseases who require very regular follow-up.

France, which is looking for solutions to fight certain diseases such as chronic and heart diseases, seems to find a start of results via digital technologies. These offer new opportunities for access to care, follow-up and care organizations. Today, many advances are made through digital technology. The health sector can also benefit from this through telemedicine in particular. Simple to use, fast and convenient, telemedicine is booming, and it’s a real step forward! Thanks to it, thousands of people can benefit from new services providing them with support and security.

Sources

Release Satélia

  1. 2017 report of the health of the population in France of La Santé Publique in France and THE DREES:
  2. INSEE French Economy Table, 2019
  3. Outpatient care , definition of INSEE of October 13, 2016
  4. The place of telemedicine in the care organization of the Ministry of Health and Sports of November 2008.
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