VALORA enters its pilot phase

The VALORA project, conducted by GSK, clinically and technically managed by Dr Simonet -of the Maria Bernades PCT- and Fundació TIC Salud Salut Social, respectively, has entered its pilot phase this month. At this stage, a collaborative effort will be made by healthcare professionals and patients diagnosed with COPD and/or asthma in order to test the Propeller platform.

The Propeller platform, developed by Propeller Health, consists of a sensor which can be connected to inhalation devices, a free smartphone app and two web portals: one for the patient and another for the healthcare professional. The objective of the platform is to collect information on respiratory health for patients diagnosed with COPD and asthma which can be used by healthcare professionals, caregivers and patients.

Over the next six months, Dr Simonet together with various Primary Care Teams from the Atenció Primària de la Gerència Territorial Costa de Ponent [Costa de Ponent Primary Healthcare Territorial Management] will carry out the initial phase of the project and ultimately evaluate the results.

The pilot study is designed for sixty volunteers in which the principle aspects under analysis are patient experience and satisfaction in using this technology, which is already available in the US. The doctors will be able to study whether patients  the adhere to the treatment by means of the portal for healthcare professionals.

The investigators are currently engaged in recruiting volunteers to participate in the pilot study. The Propeller platform, which provides a digital solution for the telemonitoring of patients with chronic respiratory diseases, once again places the patient at the centre of their treatment with the aim of establishing a new kind of relationship. The intention is to transform welfare methods and move towards preventive models. Collaboration between all the parties involved determines the success of the treatment and the technological solutions which support them.

The VALORA project is aimed at incorporating innovative, changeable elements which are tailored to suit the concept of digital transformation. The project is a clear example of the potential of data analysis and management in the health sector over the coming years.