Integrated technologies for prostate cancer patient care services

The Integrated System for the management of patients with prostate cancer was born from the experience of BeForPharma researchers in response to the Innonetwork call. It was carried out within the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the Policlinico di Bari, with a field work in collaboration between the IT designers of the E-result and the medical and paramedical staff of the department. The multidisciplinary team has worked to analyze the current treatment and diagnosis procedures, grasp the needs of the entire process and respond to the challenge of improving the relationship between patient and hospital immediately.

The system brings together a computerized medical record that deals with the integrated administration of the entire cycle of patient acceptance-examination-care. The medical record itself is a real platform, enriched with functions that, through connection to familiar and minimally invasive devices such as the smartwatch and a sensorized band that can be worn by the patient, send data and physiological parameters easy to associate to the patient on the web and on a mobile application. At the same time, the physical space of the Department was made more efficient with the application of patient localization systems via Bluetooth and Wifi, which did not require structural interventions.

The computerized medical record connected to the devices for patient identification and monitoring, allows data to flow more safely and quickly. The data is filled in automatically and this reduces the waiting time in queue for the patient from 10 to 3 minutes.

With a click and 5 seconds the doctor can find the patient’s data, instead of the 15 minutes required by the research in the paper archives. The digital compilation allows a safer passage of data between doctors and technicians, in all phases of patient care.

A centralized computer system detects the physiological parameters of patients, reducing errors resulting from manual entry. The technician can prepare the drug without the long wait for the patient data sheets; the duration of the stay is reduced, as well as the quality is improved.

Through a smartwatch worn by the patient, the doctor is able to know his unique code, associate the drug code and automatically enter the waiting times between drug administration and test execution, just receiving a reminder.

The integrated platform-smartwatch-band system reduces the use and the transport of paper data; the operator no longer has to manually insert them into the machine, thus exposing himself to radiation; nor must he manually fill in the forms of the exams taken. It is enough for him to compile the digital lists and the system interacts directly with the machines.

The integrated electronic medical record streamlines the doctor’s work, saving him the time spent searching for each patient’s word files. By using simple drop-down menus and standard wordings, a crucial moment in the diagnostic process is significantly speeded up.

The smartwatch and the belt worn by the patient monitor the dosimetry, allowing to accelerate the time of confinement in the shielded rooms. With the App and the Bluetooth localization system, the doctor always knows where the patient is moving in the ward without having to follow him.

The univocal code present on the smartwatch allows to upload on the platform all the information regard the administration of the drug to the patient and the waiting times, very quickly. The insertion times are reduced by a minute and thanks to the computerized system the medical staff can receive useful reminders.

The integrated system was designed by analyzing how patients are treated in the nuclear medicine ward, in collaboration with doctors and staff. It evolves on the basis of patient satisfaction, expressed through a touch screen Totem in the waiting room.

In general, the results achieved in these months of experimentation are manifold.

On the hospital side, the protection of patient data has increased thanks to the reduction of paper photocopies, a reduction in the irradiation times of medical personnel has been achieved, as well as the efficiency of the work of medical personnel thanks to monitoring systems. The latter have reduced control over the patient’s movements by following him throughout the entire structure.

On the patient side, it was possible to ensure shorter waiting time in the pre and post examination phase, a higher quality of stay in the facility and an improved error managment while processing the personal data at all levels of the diagnostic and therapeutic path.