AIDA - Good care and support thanks to telemedicine

The number of GPs in private practice is falling - at the same time, the need for medical care is increasing due to demographic change. This poses particular challenges for nursing staff in retirement homes: If a person cared for in a nursing home falls ill and no doctor is available, the staff often have no option but to call the ambulance service, which usually takes the patient to hospital. This has negative consequences for both the person concerned and the hospitals. The AIDA project has therefore tested a so-called telemedicine system. This enables doctors to communicate with patients in nursing homes from their practice and check their most important vital signs. The aim is to reduce the number of hospital admissions to a necessary minimum.

More than a video consultation

The ERDF NRW-funded project AIDA (short for Arbeitsentwicklung in der Altenpflege durch Einführung eines telemedizinischen Notdienst-Konzeptes) therefore set itself the goal of creating more time for the human care of the elderly and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. To achieve this, AIDA relied on a so-called telemedical system for inpatient care. The TeleDoc-Mobile developed in the project offers more than just a video consultation. In collaboration with the nursing staff, GPs and a telemedical emergency service have access to patients' important vital data and can interact with them in real time.

Cultural change is not easy

AIDA's project was not only associated with technical challenges, but the underlying cultural change was not easy either. Established work processes had to be adapted and digital processes had to be integrated into existing non-digital ones. At the same time, the project raised a number of scientific questions: What effect does the TeleDoc-Mobile have on employee acceptance? How do residents react to the fact that their doctor is suddenly visible on the screen? Which illnesses can be diagnosed remotely? What equipment is required for this? How do relatives react?

More planning security for nursing staff

To answer these questions, the TeleDoc-Mobile was tested in a pilot project. The result: AIDA ensured better networking and more effective collaboration between nursing staff and GPs. For the nursing staff, in turn, this meant more planning security and clear guidelines for action. Work processes could be adapted more flexibly and more time was available for the care of residents. All of these aspects were scientifically examined, evaluated and finally incorporated into an overall concept.

Benefits proven for all involved

The conclusion is positive: Over a total of three years, the TeleDoc system has been optimized in a user-oriented manner, efficient forms of organization and preparation for use have been tested in cooperation with medical practices, and the benefits for all parties involved have been proven. The additional integration of teleconsultation for the medical care of people in need of care has reduced hospital admissions by up to 30 percent in some cases. The final event of the AIDA project at the end of March 2023 was also the kick-off for the rollout of teleconsultations in the Euskirchen district. As part of the Care & Mobility Innovation project, the Teledoc system was implemented in retirement and nursing homes in the district of Euskirchen. Eleven homes there are now successfully using virtual medical home visits.