KULT-SH – Efficient healthcare for children with cancer using telemedicine in Schleswig-Holstein

The KULT-SH project aims to provide statistical evidence of the non-inferiority of telemedicine in comparison with on-site visits in terms of serious complications. The implementation of this study will be done by using a telemedical intervention on children suffering from cancer who are under chemotherapy treatment. The results of this study should pave the way for a nationwide introduction of telemedicine as a standard of care for children with cancer as well as of other vulnerable patient groups.

In the context of the study, on-site visits to the pediatric intensive care in a large health care center with high rural catchment areas are replaced by telemedicine. Outpatient visits for clinical assessment must be frequent in children with cancer, as their medical condition require a higher degree of precaution. KULT-SH should prove that these outpatient visits can also be carried out using telemedicine, without posing any disadvantages in the medical care of the patients. The use of telemedicine is intended to reduce the risk of infectious complications, reduce the frequency of inpatient stays, reduce treatment costs, and make daily life easier for the patients and their families.

The telemedical intervention is based on a modular IT architecture that enables the integration of all generated data into a personal electronic patient record (ePA), ensuring sustainability and promoting interoperability (IHE).

The subject’s vital parameters are automatically recorded with the help of technical sensors. The sensor’s data is automatically transferred into the project’s KULT-SH app via a Bluetooth® interface. The same app is also used for video conferencing with the medical staff. To promote cross-sectoral integration, the general practitioners (GP) are equipped with reading rights in the ePA.