Aragon (Spain)

Introduction
to the pilot

The Gatekeeper project in Aragón is an opportunity to evolve the chronic patient care model through integrated social and health care. In this progression, automatic analysis of patient data is expected to contribute to the main two goals of quality of life improvement and resources optimisation.

In order to achieve these goals, the information that will be gathered from the patient will be processed through Artificial Intelligence algorithms whose purpose is the prediction of exacerbations of chronic pathologies and deteriorations of health conditions that can result in hospital admission. This information management is a step forward from traditional care models, as early detection of symptoms can avoid exacerbations and/or help to predict more precisely the care demand.

Description

Objective

The final goal of this pilot in Aragón is to improve the quality of care and contribute to the sustainability of the public system of care services provision.

Target population

The pilot in Aragón is organised around three levels of patient complexity (prevention, medium complexity – stable chronic patients, and high complexity- chronic patients in acute phases) and is composed of four use cases (1- prevention, 2-COPD, 3-Heart Failure, and 4- Polymedication and Multimorbidity).

Moreover, a use case has been designed for COVID-19 patients who are at risk of suffering complications due to their situation, but not so critical to be admitted to hospital.

All use cases defined and being rolled out not only meet the General Directorate of Digital Transformation, Innovation and User Rights (DGTIU) department’s strategies but are also aligned with the Next Generation EU instrument in healthcare digitalisation to better adapt to current and future challenges.

Technologies to be used

  • Telemonitoring devices and telemonitoring platform for multi-chronic elderly patient management including Polymedication for medium complexity.
  • Pulse oximeter and telemonitoring platform for COVID-19 use case.
  • Wearable cardiac patch for high complexity use case.
  • Mobile health application to promote healthy lifestyles (MAHA) for low complexity use case.
  • Data Federation Module as a foresight of the future European Health Data Space.
  • Predictive Models to prognosticate on the appearance or evolution of diseases.

Expected impact

Improvement of the quality of care (e.g. users satisfaction QoL, early detection of exacerbations), and optimisation of care resources (e.g. reduce admissions, reduce visits to emergency services, reduce admissions length).

Promote healthy lifestyle habits and inform about the impact of lifestyle on health to prevent and/or delay the onset and/or worsening of chronic diseases that could end in hospitalisation. Improve the empowerment of the general population.

Contribute to the creation of predictive models that can make predictions on the appearance or evolution of diseases.

Ongoing activities

  • Regular activities with the region’s healthcare key actors via close participation of several stakeholders related to different pathologies in the recruitment of patients.
  • Some of the use cases underway are reaping success outcomes (mid-complexity); others such as COVID-19 use care have finalised and yielded the expected outcome, whilst in another use case such as in high-intervention the use of an innovative technology is currently being tested with patients. Low complexity use case with MAHA app is also being rolled out.
  • Materials for the training of professionals and dissemination materials for promoting the different interventions are in place.
  • Dissemination of the Aragon Low complexity Use Case in XVIII Healthcare Quality of Care Aragonese Society Congress held in June-2022.

Pilot Site Team

Innovation unit of Barbastro Healthcare Area

Contact

Aragon Pilot Overview

Testimonial from a healthcare professional of Aragon Pilot.