A.S.Z. Ziekenhuis and Comarch Renew Partnership to Implement Remote Care for Chronic Heart Failure

A.S.Z. Ziekenhuis and Comarch announced the launch of a continued collaboration to enable hybrid care paths in the hospital’s heart failure clinic. In the upcoming 12 months A.S.Z Ziekenhuis and Comarch will explore how to further embed Comarch’s remote monitoring ecosystem in the current care path for Chronic Heart Failure to improve patient outcomes and optimize healthcare efficiency. 

The first iteration of this partnership, initiated at the start of 2023, investigated the impact of remote monitoring on patient outcomes and workflow in A.S.Z.’s heart failure clinic. Comarch was introduced to A.S.Z. Ziekenhuis by Proximus, building on a successful prior collaboration. During the pilot, patients at high risk of readmission were monitored via Comarch HomeHealth for a period of 6 months after their discharge from the hospital. Heart failure nurses reported higher treatment adherence, earlier detection of exacerbations, and a reduced risk of hospital readmission.

The continuation of the partnership, which will run for 12 months, will aim to include 50 patients, focusing on those with chronic heart failure, to validate the positive results of the pilot project. Through Comarch HomeHealth, a smartphone application, care recipients will receive reminders and  instructions on how and when to perform measurements of blood pressure, weight, and oxygen saturation, along with questionnaires assessing shortness of breath, fatigue and Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs).

“We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Comarch in this important initiative,” said Dr. Elke de Vuyst, clinical cardiologist at A.S.Z. Aalst. “The first edition of the project demonstrated the potential of telemonitoring to transform patient care, and we are eager to build on that success. By extending the monitoring period and expanding our patient cohort, we hope to achieve even greater improvements in patient outcomes and care efficiency.”

“We are pleased to see Comarch and A.S.Z. Aalst continuing this fruitful collaboration,” said Frédéric Helding, Business Development Manager at Proximus. “The continuation of such projects plays a crucial role in creating a seamless healthcare experience. At Proximus, we don’t just provide healthcare solutions; we aim to connect the dots within the ecosystem. This project proves that our strategy is effective and delivers real value to both patients and providers.”

The primary objectives of the project remain focused on improving patient quality of life, ensuring early detection of health issues, and enhancing the efficiency of care. Specific benefits anticipated from the extended project include:

“We are proud that A.S.Z. Ziekenhuis chose to renew their commitment with us”, said Stef Schots, Business Development Manager eHealth at Comarch. “After several years, mobile health is finally breaking through the glass ceiling following continued efforts of several stakeholders. Through our pilot project we were able to highlight the added value of hybrid care as an addition to traditional care paths. In the near future, we hope to see progress on structural reimbursement for such initiatives.”

Source: A.S.Z. Ziekenhuis and Comarch media announcement