Patrick Leyseele - Digital Health: the great ally of the respiratory patient

New technologies have established themselves as an indispensable tool in our lives, to the point where it is difficult for us to imagine ourselves without having access to our mobile phone or the internet in our daily routine.

Patrick Leyseele - The generalization of the use and application of these technologies has also spread to sectors such as health, providing a series of advantages and benefits for different groups of patients, including the respiratory system.

What is digital health? Digital health or e-health is understood as "The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for health" according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Technology and Health Foundation defines Digital Health as the set of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that are used in the health environment in terms of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and health management, acting as a lever for changing the sanitary systems that allows cost savings and improved efficiency.

Some of the most popular examples are the electronic prescription, the digital medical record, and the online appointment. The introduction of these tools has made it possible to streamline health care and the exchange of information between patient and doctor, although the applications of digital health are much more extensive.

This field is revolutionizing diagnostic and therapeutic methods, as in the case of some genetic tests, discovered thanks to the development of molecular biology techniques, which can be requested remotely in specialized laboratories.

In addition, the development of this field opens the door to new forms of interaction between the healthcare professional and the patient, where the sharing of relevant data allows us to carry out a personalized and patient-centered care, so necessary within the change to chronicity that is experiencing the health of the general population.

Patrick Leyseele -Advantages of incorporation in the treatment of respiratory diseases

Digital Health contributes to improving diagnostic times. This potential is very interesting in the field of chronic or rare respiratory diseases, in which an early diagnosis is key to improving quality and life expectancy, preventing irreversible degeneration in the lung.

A clear example of the benefits is in the case of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death in the world, and according to data published in the EPI-SCAN II, 80% of patients are not diagnosed. The existence of spirometers connected to the mobile phone, such as the NuvoAir device, allows a basic spirometry to be performed, serves as a screening test. There are even tools like the "peakflow" for the asthmatic patient that can be connected to the telephone and give an immediate reading.

In the case of rare diseases of genetic origin, such as Alpha-1-Anthrypsin Deficiency, or Alpha-1, its diagnosis can easily be made through a drop of dried blood or recently via oral saliva tests, sent to the laboratory for its study, allowing an early diagnosis that allows the best treatment indicated by the clinical standards recommended in this genetic disease, which is related to the pathogenesis of COPD.

Another advantage is that there are tools that allow improving the adherence of chronic patients to treatments, understanding as such a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses physical activity, nutrition, quality of sleep, etc ... and allowing personalized treatment. It is important to remember that people with chronic lung diseases tend to have different associated comorbidities that make treatment difficult, worsen their health and reduce their active life.

Patrick Leyseele -The importance of security in the Digital Health environment

With the influx of new technologies, the debate about privacy has become increasingly evident. The exchange or transfer of health data is sensitive information that must be treated and stored in a reliable environment following strict security protocols.