SmartClinic

Today, the procedure is for patients with a chronic illness to attend regular check-ups in the healthcare system—even during periods when the patients are stable and not experiencing outbreaks of the illness. It strains the capacity of the healthcare system and creates limited flexibility when a patient needs urgent treatment. The waiting time experienced by acute patients increases sick leave and can worsen the illness.

Therefore, there’s a need to rethink outpatient care pathways (meaning treatment and monitoring without hospitalization). It can be achieved by using health technology to ensure proper patient monitoring and freeing up time at the hospital, enabling acute patients to be treated within a shorter timeframe.

The project’s purpose is to develop a generic model for digitized treatment pathways for patients with chronic illnesses. In the SmartClinic project, the focus is on using the chronic gastrointestinal condition (Inflammatory Bowel Disease, known as IBD) as a case study to develop and test a model for digitized treatment pathways, aiming to eventually apply it to other medical specialties dealing with chronic illnesses. In the project, a model for an outpatient SmartClinic is being developed and tested, comprising two treatment pathways: a Clinic Online and a Clinic on Demand.

The four project partners in Denmark and Sweden consist of:

Zealand University Hospital, Visikon, Skåne University Hospital, and the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. The partners aim to collectively develop a generic model for outpatient monitoring and treatment of patients with chronic illnesses.

The generic model combines self-monitoring with advanced digital technology and online monitoring with more efficient acute treatment in the clinic, utilizing health technology in a novel way. The solution is being developed in collaboration with patients within a user-inclusive setup.