Cancer

Remedus ensures that cancer patients receive the same qualitative health care and services at home as they get at the hospital. That not only benefits the patient, but also strongly relieves the impact on his or her family members. To realize that, we work closely together with the patient’s health-care team.

Remedus’s services include:

• Administering medication (intravenously/intramuscularly)
• Taking a blood sample at home one day before the planned chemotherapy at the outpatient clinic, which results in shorter waiting periods and no unnecessary transfers to the hospital
• Watching over side effects of the anticancer medication
• Supervising the correct intake of the necessary medication
• Alleviating pain quickly
• Facilitating intensive follow-up with the help of  blood samples
• Helping the patient’s health-care team to detect changes in the clinical picture more quickly, by intensively monitoring vital parameters and side effects

Heart failure

Heart failure includes a set of complaints caused by a no longer properly functioning heart. It develops when the heart has long been damaged or overburdened, and usually is a chronic disorder from which the patient cannot fully recover. However, with the right treatment the disorder can be kept under control.

During the past years, Remedus has acquired a lot of experience in order to support patients with chronic heart failure in their treatment and to help them deal with their disorder:

• Medication reminders via a smartphone application to increase therapy adherence
• Education on lifestyle changes
• Education on symptom recognition
• Support to the patient’s health-care team through more quickly detecting changes in the clinical picture by intensively monitoring vital parameters and symptoms

Lysosomal storage diseases

People who suffer from a lysosomal storage disease are not able to produce enough specific enzymes in order to let the body function as it should. Those enzymes, which take care of the disintegration of a lot of different substances, are not at all or in really small amounts present. The treatment consists of regular infusions of the lacking enzyme.

Although this disorder affects only a couple of thousand people all over the world (and therefore is known as an ‘orphan disease’), Remedus wants to ensure that those patients as well can receive the necessary treatment, which normally takes place at the hospital, within their own environment. Our services include:

• To provide the necessary material and equipment
• To monitor vital parameters before and after the drip/infusion
• To administer medication at home

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Mainly people between the age of 20 and 50 are diagnosed with it and the disease occurs more often in women than in men. The damage to the insulating material (myelin) around the cerebrum and the spinal marrow in different places and at different times interrupts the nerve conduction. That results in complaints which can be temporary, but often do not disappear completely.

Because MS treatment consists of more than just the intake or administration of medication, Remedus wants to answer for the sensitization of MS therapy. We want to provide customized support, dependent on the treatment. It can include:

• Coaching and advice on lifestyle
• Injection training to teach the patient how he or she can independently administer medication
• Reminder service to timely administer the necessary medication
• Watch over therapy adherence via registrations and questionnaires
• Facilitate intensive follow-up, for example monthly blood samples
• Monitor possible side effects of MS medication

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease from which about 2 percent of the population suffers. It very often has a big impact on the patient’s daily activities and psychological awareness. Fortunately, most patients obtain relief from treatment. Biological therapies especially have been successful in that area.

Since stress often causes flare-ups of the disease, it is important for those patients to combine stress management with medicinal treatment. That’s why Remedus offers:

• Training visits to learn to administer subcutaneous medication oneself
• Support with medication administration via a reminder service which increases therapy adherence and lowers chances of flare-ups
• Psychological support to learn to deal with the disorder and to manage it oneself
• Coaching and lifestyle tips

Rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis, inflammation of one or more joints, is a rather common disorder which can affect people of all ages. Although the damage is irreversible, there are a couple of treatment options to relieve the pain, help the patient function better and prevent further damage to the joints.

What does Remedus offer someone who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis?

• Training to learn how to administer medication oneself
• Reminder service via SMS to timely administer medication
• Psychological support to learn to deal with the disorder and manage it oneself
• Social coaching on several topics (such as emotional impact, relations with one’s doctor, treatment perception)

Crohn’s disease

When someone suffers from Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory disorder, the immune system in the intestinal wall causes infections in the entire gastrointestinal tract. That can lead to several gastrointestinal complaints which occur in flare-ups, alternated with periods free of complaints. Adjusted medication which suppresses the inflammatory reactions can help control the symptoms.

Remedus offers several services to increase therapy adherence and to support the patient in his or her illness:

• Training to learn to administer subcutaneous medication oneself
• Provide calprotectin (an indicator of bowel inflammation) tests and teach how to self test

• A reminder service to support medication administration which increases therapy adherence and lowers the chance of flare-ups
• Psychological support to learn how to deal with the disorder and how to manage it oneself
• Social coaching in several topics (for example emotional impact, relations with one’s doctor, treatment perception)

Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which ulcers grow near the mucous membrane of the large intestine. This manifests itself in several bowel complaints, but complaints and infections outside of the large bowel are also possible. Adjusted medication which suppresses inflammatory reactions can help keep the symptoms under control.

Remedus offers several services to increase therapy adherence and support the patient in his or her illness:

• Training to learn to administer subcutaneous medication oneself
• Provide calprotectin (an indicator of bowel inflammation) tests and teach how to self test
• A reminder service to support medication administration, which increases therapy adherence and lowers the chance of flare-ups
• Psychological support to learn how to deal with the disorder and how to manage it oneself
• Social coaching in several topics (for example emotional impact, relations with one’s doctor, treatment perception)

Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is the most common hereditary disease and about 1270 patients in Belgium suffer from it. Abnormally viscous mucous membrane clogs the airways and the digestive system, which causes frequent bacterial infections.

Because of the frequent intravenous antibiotic treatments, those patients often stay at the hospital. To improve their quality of life, Remedus wants to ensure that those patients can receive the necessary treatment in their own environment. Our services include:

• Providing the necessary material and equipment for home treatment with intravenous antibiotics
• Teaching the patient or the home nurse to administer intravenous antibiotics with the help of a pump or gravity
• Taking blood samples within the scope of specific antibiotic treatments and care of the catheter
• After the intravenous course of antibiotics, a further follow-up of the medication intake and a number of vital parameters (oxygen saturation and lung capacity)

Bacterial infection

Remedus works together with several hospitals for the home treatment of patients who get administered intravenous antibiotics. Home treatment includes several benefits for the patient: he or she receives his or her treatment in his or her own trusted and comfortable home environment, while his or her doctor and a multidisciplinary team still monitor his or her situation.

Remedus’s role in the implementation of ambulant intravenous antibiotics administration:

• Providing the necessary material and equipment for home treatment with intravenous antibiotics
• Appointing a trained home nurse (if desired)
• Training home nurses in administering intravenous antibiotics with the help of a pump or gravity
• Intensively monitoring the administered antibiotics, vital parameters and symptoms

Psychiatric illnesses

Schizophrenia is a chronic disease which often needs treatment all one’s life. According to research, the risk of relapsing for people suffering from psychosis is four times as high if they do not stick to their treatment. Since lack of therapy adherence could have serious consequences, Remedus wants to help the patient to minimize the risk of a relapse.

Remedus’s service consists of support with medication administration, which increases therapy adherence and lowers the risk of relapse. We achieve this through motivating conversations between the patient and highly educated home nurses, and a reminder service via SMS or email.

Hypercholesterolemia

Patients who suffer from hereditary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia often run a higher risk of getting a stroke or heart attack. A treatment is available which considerably lowers that risk.

Remedus supports those patients in sticking to their treatment via:

• A training to learn to administer the medication oneself
• Reminder service via SMS to timely administer the medication
• Education on several topics (risk of hypercholesterolemia, correct treatment use, tips to lower cholesterol in other ways)
• A starter package
• Supporting phone conversations to better understand the treatment

Immune deficiency

Immune deficiency is a disorder of the immune system characterized by a disruption in the production of antibodies. Patients with a disrupted immune system are more susceptible to infections. Those repeatedly manifest themselves and often are uncommon and serious. Regular substitution of so-called immunoglobulins or an enzyme replacement therapy enables the body to build a defense mechanism and guard patients from infections.

To help patients keep up their immune system, Remedus offers a program dependent on the patient’s needs:

• A training within the scope of his or her therapy, whether accompanied by a home nurse or not
• The necessary material and equipment for the treatment at home with intravenous administration of immunoglobulins or enzyme replacement therapy
• Delivery of medication at home
• The possibility to keep an online diary
• An extra point of contact in the case of technical problems and/or  questions concerning his or her therapy

Drip-feed

When someone suffers from a bowel disease, they sometimes do not absorb enough nutrients. Drip-feed helps to prevent undernourishment. Nutrition support is also useful for people who have trouble swallowing or are underfed.

Remedus helps patients with drip-feed to live a fuller and richer life by offering them the possibility to administer nutrition in their home environment:

• Training of home nurses in administering drip-feed with the help of a pump or gravity
• Providing the necessary material and equipment
• Intensive follow-up of administered nutrition, vital parameters and symptoms
• Helping the patient’s health-care team to quickly detect changes in the clinical picture by intensively monitoring vital parameters and symptoms

Intravenous nutrition

Patients who are being administered parenteral nutrition for a long time, will more and more often be treated at home and will not be required stay at the hospital anymore. The patient benefits from home treatment: he or she receives his or her treatment in his or her own trusted and comfortable home environment and is being still monitored by his or her doctor and a multidisciplinary team.

Remedus ensures home treatment runs smoothly. Remedus’s role in the implementation of ambulant intravenous nutrition is:

• Providing the necessary material and equipment for home treatment
• Appointing a trained home nurse (if desired)
• Training the patient/caregiver and home nurses in administering parenteral nutrition with the help of a pump or gravity
• Intensive follow-up of the administered nutrition, vital parameters and symptoms

Drip therapy

Patients who are being administered intravenous medication for a long time will be treated at home more and more often. The patient benefits from home treatment: he or she receives his or her treatment in his or her own trusted and comfortable home environment, while still being monitored by his or her doctor and a multidisciplinary team.

Remedus ensures home treatment runs smoothly. Remedus’s role in the implementation of ambulant drip therapy is:

• Providing the necessary material and equipment for the home treatment
• Appointing a trained home nurse (if desired)
• Training the patient/caregiver and home nurses in administering the intravenous medication with the help of a pump or gravity
• Intensive follow-up of the administered nutrition , vital parameters and symptoms