The Norwegian Directorate of Health believes: "Use digital home follow-up"
The Norwegian Directorate of Health recently published a final report for testing digital home follow-up (DHO). The report shows good signs that DHO should be part of the health care of the future.
Technology is crucial
Digital home follow-up will be a necessity in the future. Statistisk Sentralbyrå (SSB) reports that there will be a significant shortage of nurses and health professionals in the future. In 2035, Norway will lack as many as 28,000 nurses and 18,000 health professionals. The importance of supplementing today's health services with technology could therefore be crucial for us to get the health care we want.
Technology is one of the mainstays of the health and care service of the future.
Digital home follow-up provided increased security
The Norwegian Directorate of Health's final report on national testing of digital home follow-up (DHO) took place between 2018-2021. The purpose of the project has been to come up with national recommendations for digital home follow-up, where as many as 735 patients and 250 GPs have been included in the trial.
The trial showed that digital home follow-up (DHO) contributed to increased security for both the users and their relatives. This means, among other things, increased knowledge and control over their own illness and health, that they have someone to contact, and that they know that someone is following their measurements.
The state of health is stabilized
DHO also had a positive impact on users' health and quality of life. The report showed that 12 months after inclusion, mortality was lower in the intervention group compared with the control group that did not use digital home follow-up.
Several patients reported that they had fewer hospital admissions, and fewer visits to the GP. In addition, many believed that the self-treatment plan provides good support in living the best possible life with illness and ailments.
The care crisis is not created by the aging wave, but by the notion that care can not be done differently than today.
Contributes to better collaboration for health professionals
Health personnel gave feedback that DHO contributes to better interaction. In the report, nurses and doctors could tell that they experience DHO is an effective way to follow up patients in the form that it detects signs of deterioration, provides insight into their own disease and provides a better dialogue in consultation with the GP.
The national health and hospital plan emphasizes that the health service must use technology to move services home to patients, and collaborate on comprehensive follow-up of patients across the levels.