Digitalisation can boost treatment outcomes for heart failure patients: Study

New Delhi, Sep 01: Digitalisation can help boost the treatment outcomes of patients with heart failure, a condition that affects over 60 million people worldwide, a new study shows.

Researchers from five Dutch hospitals discovered that digital consultations enhanced care while preserving patient satisfaction.

Almost all patients became digital consults during the Covid-19 pandemic, which while functioning well also raised some difficulties.

The team split 150 patients into two groups. One used the digital consultation approach, while the other took a more conventional approach to care.

The number of patients who had achieved the ideal drug combination was then determined by the researchers after 12 weeks. In the end, only 7 per cent of participants in the traditional care package obtained the ideal mix, compared to 28 per cent of those undergoing digital consults.

Mark Schuuring, a cardiologist at Medical Spectrum Twente, Netherlands said the study assessed the quality of care by contrasting the physician's method during the online consultation with the most recent recommendations.

They looked into how patients and physicians exchange digital data and gave them both more information.

Such programmes, which encourage medical professionals to treat patients under the most recent worldwide criteria, are widely utilised in the corporate sector, but are not yet typical in the care industry, Schurring said.

In addition, the researchers also examined a number of the frequently voiced issues with the usage of digital consultations and discovered no variations in the amount of time spent, the satisfaction levels, or most importantly, the patient's quality of life.

This study demonstrates that digital consultations are beneficial to both parties, the patient's care was enhanced and their experience was not negatively impacted in any manner. It may also have applications well beyond heart failure.

The findings were concurrently presented at the European Society of Cardiology's annual conference and published in Nature Medicine.