The Abilita project among the finalists of the 2023 Digital Innovation in Healthcare Award
We are at the forefront of innovating the healthcare system thanks to the new technologies. With this intent, TS4.0 presented to the jury of the Politecnico di Milano Award the ABILITA service, in use in Trentino nursing homes (RSAs), which was among the nine finalists for the “Digital Innovation in Healthcare” award in the telemedicine services category. The Trentino project was the runner-up , ex aequo with Ferrara Ausl’s project for the teleretinography service for diabetic patients.
ABILITA – “Nuovo modello aziendale di Teleconsulto e Telecooperazione“ (New business model of Teleconsultation and Telecooperation) – has been designed for healthcare professionals and facilities that host people who are not self-sufficient. In fact, the system involves the provision of a Telecooperation service between the ABILITA hospital medical and health care team and RSAs physical therapists, through the use of a certified platform integrated to the health care databases, which allows the secure sharing of documents useful for patient assessment. The process is initiated when the RSA’s physical therapist determines that an aid is needed for the patient in the facility.
After completing the patient’s clinical records form and gathering other information useful for the assessment (e.g. video on patient’s walking, photos of aids already used), the physical therapist can proceed with sending the request for assistance through the platform. Once it has received the required documents, the ABILITA team is able to assess the request and therefore can proceed with the scheduling of a video call in which, in addition to the hospital doctor and physical therapist, the RSA physical therapist participates with the patient. Once the most indicated aid has been identified, its availability in the central warehouse is verified and the ABILITA team can digitally sign the prescriptive certificate directly from the Hospital’s Information System. The aid can then be delivered to the RSA, which, if necessary, can provide feedback on the aid’s testing. The first version of the solution was completed in October 2022 and is being used by ten RSAs, who have processed over 30 Telecooperation requests.
What are the benefits?
The possibility of dematerializing aid prescriptions has led to a significant reduction in the time and resources that were devoted for these activities. For patients, especially those with disabilities, the main advantage was the possibility of avoiding unnecessary travel for face-to-face visits.
The Province of Trento has already won the Prize twice: last year with TreC Cardiology (winning first place in the “audience” jury’s preference and second place in the “Hospital-Local communities Integration Services and Telemedicine” category) and in 2021 with TreC Pediatrics (section dedicated to primary care support).
The winners:
Francesca Perini, TS4.0 Project Manager, presents the ABILITA project
Fondazione IRCCS “Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori”, Regione Puglia, FAIS on the other hand, are the winners of the 2023 edition of the Politecnico di Milano School of Management’s Digital Innovation in Healthcare Award , the recognition of the Osservatorio Sanità Digitale which aims to create opportunities for knowledge and sharing of the best digital healthcare projects in Italy, awarded at the “Sanità Digitale: vietato fermarsi!” (Digital Healthcare: halting forbidden!) conference. The award was given to the organizations that have distinguished themselves most in the ability to use modern digital technologies, selected from 9 finalists. A special mention went to the SoleLuna Social Cooperative, MD Concierge, the University of Bari and the Local Health Authority of Teramo. FAIS also wins the prize awarded by the public and Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale – Ospedali Civili di Brescia wins the prize awarded by the Italian Federation of Hospitals and Healthcare Systems.
“From virtual reality to educational gaming, ranging from telemedicine to platforms that use machine learning mechanisms. The projects selected this year” – Cristina Masella, Scientific Manager of the Digital Health Observatory said – “demonstrate to waht extent digital technologies are increasingly entering people’s lives, to improve care and assistance processes. The aim of the Prize, as in previous years, is to give visibility to the most innovative organizations and encourage a virtuous mechanism for sharing experiences.
