Clinical Experience at Ireland’s National Heart and Lung Transplant Centre

Clinicians at Ireland’s National Heart and Lung Transplant Centre, based at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, recently presented their one year experience of using the patientMpower platform for the digital care of lung transplant recipients. 

Fifty patients have been enrolled in the project since March 2021, with the patientMpower platform being used for the real time remote monitoring of spirometry, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and body weight. Lung transplant recipients are susceptible to post lung transplant complications relating to infection or rejection and early detection is important to ensure rapid intervention and treatment. Clinical staff at the Mater Hospital developed an algorithm for the review of patient data collected via the patientMpower app. For example, patients with 10% or greater drop in FEV1 from baseline for 3 consecutive days were escalated for face-to-face assessment. 

Detection of complications: 

• 25% of patients had a decline in lung function and 16% had other concerning reading detected via the patientMpower platform over eight months Aug 2021-period:
• 22% had infection
• 3% has rejection
• 16% had other issues (e.g. hypo/hypertension, weight gain/loss)
• 8% were false alarms due to spirometer technique.
  
  

Reduction in clinic appointments:

There was a 40% reduction in lung transplant outpatient appointments between 2019 and 2021. Telehealth and remote monitoring play a key role in enabling provision of optimal healthcare with reduced need for face-to-face visits.

Patient Feedback:

• 96% of patients found the patientMpower app easy to use
• 82% found the app provided reassurance and confidence
• 100% support continuation of the remote monitoring service

Conclusion:

The remote monitoring programme at the National Heart and Lung Transplant outpatients unit demonstrated a positive impact on patient experience and clinical care, with early detection of decline in lung function allowing timely investigations.

Thank you to the Lung Transplant team at the Mater Hospital, Dublin for permission to share these findings.

patientMpower's remote monitoring platform supports the care of lung transplant patients in centres across the UK, Europe and the US. To find out more please get in touch at info@patientMpower.com