The ADELE project will be launched in November and aims to establish a new care model to improve treatment efficiency and patient safety
It includes remote monitoring of implanted devices for arrhythmia control, enlargement and improvement of interventional electrophysiology rooms and patient empowerment
About 15% of the population over the age of 50 suffers from arrhythmia, according to data from the Spanish Society of Cardiology. The Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB) is launching the ADELE project, which proposes an innovative and comprehensive change of the treatment for patients suffering from any alteration in their heart’s electrical system, which regulates its regular beat.
The transformation of arrhythmia care based on this comprehensive vision aims to structure type of care in a more efficient way, tailored to the needs of patients and promoting their empowerment. This will take place within the framework of a network of cardiology patient care in the Metrosud Area, and will be led by the Bellvitge Cardiology Service, which coordinates this type of care with Primary Healthcare and the cardiological departments of the local hospitals network with which the HUB works closely. This transformation is led by the Arrhythmia Unit of HUB’s Cardiology Service and is supported by a profound and powerful digital transformation of patient care.
As a result of a call for innovative public procurement, the Hospital will launch a project in November that proposes this comprehensive approach to its patients with arrhythmias (approximately one thousand yearly). "It is a pioneering approach that provides all the activity of an arrhythmia unit in a hospital of maximum complexity like ours, by improving both the efficiency and safety of procedures and the long-term control of patients' diseases," says Dr Ignasi Anguera, head of the Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Unit of the Cardiology Service of the Hospital de Bellvitge.
In recent years, the number of cardiac devices implants (defibrillators and pacemakers), as well as ablations (application of energy with catheters to heal damaged heart areas and restore its normal rhythm) and other electrophysiological diagnoses and treatments has grown significantly. The ageing of the population and the high prevalence and cardiac pathologies chronicity explain this increase, to which the transformation undertaken with the ADELE project responds. "The implementation of innovative technology, the reorganisation of both care processes and spaces, and the inclusion of patient empowerment measures are key to guaranteeing the best care for patients," says Dr Anguera.
Some of the project’s key elements are:
- Remote monitoring of the defibrillators, which allows the status of the patient and the functioning of the device to be known at all times.
- Coordination of treatment and patient follow-up between different levels of care (primary care and community cardiology).
- Patient health education, so that they can enjoy a better control over the evolution of their disease thanks to digital solutions.
- Adaptation and improvement of HUB's interventional rooms, which will be located in a single space.
The ADELE project is carried out within the Innovative Public Procurement Programme of Catalonia’s public health system, which establishes a new health management model based on co-responsibility with the service provider, in terms of achieving the objectives set. The company Biotronik was awarded the 6-year tender. Bellvitge Hospital is currently participating in five projects of Public Procurement for Innovation in Health by Catalonia’s public health system entities (SISCAT), aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of health care. This fact shows Bellvitge Hospital’s firm commitment to innovation. The programme is subsidised by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).