Comunicare

A digital integrated care and lifestyle path after stroke

Within the Stroke2gether project, a fully-fledged digital integrated lifestyle and care path is being developed, applied and valorised for people after a stroke.

This integrated lifestyle and care path is evidenced-based, focused on medical follow-up and monitoring as well as health prevention, via monitoring, education and coaching, both live and remote. As a result, the patient and his/her care providers interact in a smooth way. Treatment results are also reliably shared and adjusted.

Project partners

With the support of

The project receives financial support from ERDF Flanders. Stroke2gether runs from 1 December 2020 to 30 June 2023.

Liège, October 18, 2022 – Comunicare Solutions obtains ISO-27001 and HDS (Health Data Hosting) certifications.

The protection and confidentiality of patient data has been a priority for COMUNICARE SOLUTIONS from the beginning. Our platform has been designed according to the “privacy-by-design” principle and we are constantly working on continuous improvement.

ISO-27001 is the international standard for information systems security, the implementation of which ensures that the company applies best practices in information security management.
HDS certification is a regulatory requirement for providers hosting personal health data in France. HDS certification is based on ISO 27001 certification to meet data security challenges and is enhanced by additional requirements in connection with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the health sector. This certification was obtained as a “hosting provider” for the provision of virtual infrastructure, software platform, administration/operation and outsourced backup.

These certifications testify to the development of our business, both internationally and particularly in France, and to our commitment to assure our customers and patients that information security requirements are respected. It is also the result of the collaborative work of a professional and motivated team which demonstrates its commitment to continually improve its practices.

The certifications were issued by AFNOR for a period of 3 years with the obligation of an annual audit.

Liège, march 30th, 2022 – Study shows added value of a digital follow-up by a pharmacist for patients with type 2 diabetes

ULiège, Multipharma and Comunicare announce the results of a pre-experimental study.

An estimated one million people in Belgium suffer from diabetes. Comprehensive advice from a health advisor and digital apps that help them monitor certain parameters can make all the difference for these patients.

That’s why ULiège, in collaboration with Multipharma and Comunicare, conducted a study on the impact of educational support by the pharmacist in combination with the use of a mobile health app in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The results of this study are very promising. Health coaching by a pharmacist, combined with the use of a mobile health application, can help patients with type 2 diabetes to better control their disease.

Diabetes on the rise in Belgium

In Belgium, it is estimated that 8% of Belgians have diabetes, which corresponds to about 1 million Belgians. In reality, this figure is probably even higher, as one in three patients is not diagnosed. Because of these high and constantly increasing figures and the possible complications of this disease, we can say that diabetes is a real public health problem.

A multidisciplinary approach is necessary

Lifestyle adaptation, complemented by drug treatment if necessary, can prevent complications, improve the patient’s quality of life and reduce mortality. To achieve this, a multidisciplinary approach is essential.

The pharmacist – given his or her crucial role in primary care – can make a real difference. Not only by providing pharmaceutical care, but also by organizing educational sessions that encourage the diabetic patient to get involved in their own health care. And certainly at the beginning of their treatment, when they are not yet on a care pathway.

Collaboration between ULiège, Multipharma and Comunicare

ULiège, in collaboration with Multipharma and Comunicare and with the support of Novo Nordisk, has set up a study on the impact of educational support by the pharmacist and the use of a mobile health application in patients with type 2 diabetes. The application used has two interfaces, one for the patient and one for the pharmacist, and allows communication between the two. Through this application, patients can set reminders for taking their medications, enter health parameters or consult information sheets on their pathology and treatment.

The goal of this intervention is to encourage patients to actively participate in the monitoring of their disease and to adopt favorable health habits, particularly to increase their therapeutic adherence.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the coaching on primary parameters (HbA1c and MARS-5 treatment adherence score), which provide a good estimate of therapeutic adherence, and on secondary parameters (HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, and waist circumference), which are related to the monitoring of the diabetic patient.

The quantitative pre-experimental study was conducted on 66 patients, 50 of whom completed the study, over a 6-month period with 3 data collection periods (baseline, midterm, and end of study).

Statistical analyses did not immediately show an improvement in adherence. However, significant results were observed for changes in systolic blood pressure and waist circumference. All other parameters examined, including HbA1c, also showed a positive change or stabilization between the beginning and end of the study.

This study showed that a follow-up by the pharmacist, combined with the use of a mobile health application, can achieve the therapeutic intent of the physician-initiated treatment and have a beneficial impact on the management of patients with type 2 diabetes as well as on parameters considered cardiovascular risk factors.

Liège, 22 novembre 2021 –  WalChain and ComuniCare deploy a first use case on the « Made in Wallonia » blockchain infrastructure. The WalChain initiative, born from the association of Walloon startups working on blockchain, aims to promote a blockchain “Made in Wallonia” as an innovative tool for building collaborative and transparent ecosystems but also as an opportunity to contribute to the sustainable economic redeployment in Wallonia.

As a result of the close collaboration between the members of the network, the first Walloon test infrastructure, called Testnet, was set up in October 2021.

Built on the Parity Substrate technology that offers an open-source framework for blockchain infrastructure, this test environment available to Walloon actors, aims to facilitate and encourage the development of “Made in Wallonia” solutions based on blockchain technology.

COMUNICARE SOLUTIONS is the first start-up to deploy a use case.

COMUNICARE SOLUTIONS is a start-up specializing in e-health technologies, offering ComuniCare, a platform that supports patients in their care pathway and enables better communication with the care givers. The integration of blockchain aims to explore this technology in order to ensure decentralization, transparency and traceability of patient consent when sharing data.

For more information:  https://walchain.be/

Paris, November 3, 2021 – ComuniCare is officially approved by the French Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as a solution that complies with the specifications of the Telemedicine Experimentation Program for the Improvement of Health Care Pathways (ETAPES). This program was set up by the French health authorities in order to experiment and evaluate remote monitoring of various pathologies.

The ETAPES program encourages and financially supports the deployment of remote monitoring projects throughout France. Remote monitoring requires several categories of professionals to coordinate around the patient to perform a medical act, provide a technical solution or ensure therapeutic support. The organization of these practices requires time for appropriation and deployment, which justifies the use of experiments. At present, the experiments concern five pathologies: heart failure, renal failure, respiratory failure, diabetes, and implantable cardiac prostheses. Each type of experimentation is based on national specifications.

ComuniCare has been approved for 3 pathologies: heart failure, respiratory failure and diabetes. This certification is an important step in the strategy to gain access to reimbursement for our therapeutic support solutions for patients in Europe.

For more information: https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/soins-et-maladies/prises-en-charge-specialisees/telesante-pour-l-acces-de-tous-a-des-soins-a-distance/article/la-telesurveillance-etapes#Qu-est-ce-qu-ETAPES

LONDON, september 28th 2021 – ComuniCare is recommended by Orcha with a score of 80%.
ORCHA is the world’s leading assessor of Digital Health products. They review, assess and accredit Digital Health products on behalf of hundreds of health and care organisations across the world. Health and care professionals use ORCHA app libraries to find, assess and prescribe products directly to their patients and service users. Their customers include the NHS, The American Telemedicine Association and Netherlands MIND.

More information: https://appfinder.orcha.co.uk/defaultsearch/?search=comunicare

LIÈGE, september 25th 2021 – Comunicare – First results of a feasibility and efficacy study of a simplified mobile application for self-education and self-monitoring for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Liège region – by Dr Jean-Baptiste Duquenne, under the supervision of Dr Hélène Van Cauwenberge

Background

In Belgium, an estimated 400,000 Belgians suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). A part of the burden comes from exacerbations, which lead to a deterioration in quality of life as well as a significant consumption of medical resources. The prevention of COPD exacerbations is helped by patient empowerment aided by education and self-management practices. It is in this context that telemedicine takes on its full meaning. It takes various forms, whether it be didactic, reinforcement of good practices, remote revalidation or home monitoring.

This telemonitoring is emphasised for the prevention of exacerbations. Promoting results are burdened by a too complicated follow-up of too complex computer tools.

Aims and methods

We want to create a simplified digital application “by the patient, for the patient” that is managed without the support of a health professional. The patient is responsible for himself. In our study, we evaluate the feasibility and effects of our digital health companion developed for a self-education and a self-management. We included patients with severe COPD, GOLD III to IV.

After the installation, the patient is invited to read the didactic part of the application. then, they complete the self-monitoring part at least three times a week but as many times as they wish. Scores and questionnaires are proposed at inclusion, at three and at six months, the duration of our study. The primary objective is to reduce the number of hospital admissions for COPD exacerbations, while the secondary objectives include, among others, an evaluation of quality of life and adherence to treatment.

Results

Due to the COVID19 pandemic lockdown, our recruitment was limited to 14 patients. The rate of encoding is excellent with no fatigue during the study. It is correlated with the feeling of ease of use of the application. The primary objective, to reduce the number of hospitalizations for COPD exacerbations, was not achieved. However, there is a positive correlation between the rate of encoding and some secondary objectives, such as the reduction of the number of days of hospitalisation, the CAT, and compliance with treatment. We note the increase in the anxiety-depression score.

Conclusion

The arrival of new technologies has allowed the development of telemedicine. Its use in COPD is promising but needs adjustment. The devices must be simple to use and are not suitable for all patients or situations. Motivated candidates will find it a reliable source of information as well as an aid to self-monitoring. It is particularly suitable for destabilising situations. Our study shows the feasibility of a digital companion that limits the complexity of the computer tool.

LIÈGE, 24 june 2021 – Comunicare Solutions (in short Comunicare) and The Medical Cloud Company (in short MedC2) have merged. By pooling their resources, the two Belgian start-ups want to strengthen their capacity to provide innovative solutions to enable patient support and facilitate their interactions with their healthcare teams. This merger expands their portfolio of solutions and is part of an internationalization strategy.

« We have been bringing our activities closer together for several months as part of our European projects and look forward to fully realising the identified synergies. » says Brice Van Eeckhout, co-CEO of Comunicare.

The merged entity, which has taken over the name of Comunicare Solutions, offers an extensive platform for patient support and empowerment that enables therapeutic education, adherence to treatments, collection and analysis of patients’ signs, symptoms and quality of life, and prediction of treatment outcomes or risks of exacerbation.

Professor Philippe Lambin, Scientific Advisor of the company: « Our vision is that the emergence of artificial intelligence must facilitate the involvement of the patient in the management of his health and not the other way around. »

The company already works in Belgium with several Walloon, Flemish and Brussels hospitals, and abroad with hospitals in Germany and the Netherlands. The therapeutic areas currently covered are oncology, cardiology, pulmonology, diabetology and infectious diseases. Comunicare is one of the pioneers in the mHealthBelgium validation process that paves the way for certified eHealth applications to obtain a refund from National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI).

For Alfred Attipoe, co-CEO of the merged company, « in the context of a health crisis marked by a multiplication of eHealth solutions and the awareness of their importance, this merger will accelerate our strategic development ».

COMUNICARE has been chosen as the mobile application and platform of the ONCOCARE project’s PROM action.

Oncocare Project is an Interreg project that aims at improving oncological care in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. This project involves the University Hospital of Liège, the University Hospital of the Aachen, and the Maastricht University Medical Center.

A major topic of Oncocare focuses on innovation and the strengthening of patient-centered medicine. This axis aims at implementing tools for improving evidence-based yet personalized decision making, incorporating patient-reported outcome measurements, and bringing the hospital to the patients’ homes.

This area aims to implement tools to improve evidence-based but personalised decision making, incorporate measures of patient-reported outcomes and bring the hospital into the home.

The quality of care assessment therefore includes “Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement” (PROM), a direct measure of added value for the patient rarely evaluated in clinical practice.

The aim of Comunicare is to collect results reported by patients in a standardized and validated way with an automatic transfer to the electronic patient record. A study of the impact of therapeutic decisions on PROM in 2 selected representative malignant tumors will be conducted to analyze their potential advantages and disadvantages as experienced by the patient.

08/02/2018

Comunicare, the digital « Care Companion »  was present at the Digiself2018 Symposium held on February 8th 2018 in Bern (Switzerland).

During this symposium, various speakers underlined the importance of the digital tools such as Comunicare to enable patient reported outcomes in clinical follow-up and research, but also to improve patient implication and self-efficacy. Thanks to a better management of side effects and symptoms, these tools help to improve the quality of treatments and increase survival rates in cancer therapy.