Anghel Ionut, Cioara Tudor, Bevilacqua Roberta, Barbarossa Federico, Grimstad Terje, Hellman Riitta, Solberg Arnor, Boye Lars Thomas, Anchidin Ovidiu, Nemes Ancuta, Gabrielsen Camilla
Computer Science Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, G. Barițiu 26-28, 400027, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Scientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, Via S. Margherita 5, 60124, Ancona, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 25;15(1):18247. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-03332-w.
Transitional care may play a vital role in the sustainability of Europe's future healthcare system, offering solutions for relocating patient care from hospital to home, therefore addressing the growing demand for medical care as the population is ageing. Re-hospitalization for the same initial pathological cause is a recurrent problem among older adults with chronic conditions such as heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, to be effective, it is nowadays essential to integrate into the transitional care process innovative Information and Communications Technology technologies to ensure that patients with comorbidities experience a smooth and coordinated transition from hospitals or care centers to home, thereby reducing the risk of rehospitalization. In this paper, we present an overview of the integration of Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and digital assistance technologies with traditional care pathways to address the challenges and needs of healthcare systems in Europe. We identify the current gaps in transitional care and define the technology mapping to enhance the care pathways, aiming to improve patient outcomes, safety, and quality of life, avoiding hospital readmissions. Finally, we define the trial setup and evaluation methodology needed to provide clinical evidence that supports the positive impact of technology integration on patient care and discuss the potential effects on the healthcare system.
过渡性护理可能在欧洲未来医疗保健系统的可持续发展中发挥至关重要的作用，为将患者护理从医院转移到家庭提供解决方案，从而应对随着人口老龄化而不断增长的医疗需求。因相同初始病理原因再次住院是患有心力衰竭或慢性阻塞性肺疾病等慢性病的老年人中反复出现的问题。然而，要想有效，如今必须将创新的信息通信技术融入过渡性护理过程，以确保患有合并症的患者从医院或护理中心顺利、协调地过渡到家庭，从而降低再次住院的风险。在本文中，我们概述了物联网、人工智能和数字辅助技术与传统护理途径的整合，以应对欧洲医疗保健系统的挑战和需求。我们确定了过渡性护理当前存在的差距，并定义了技术映射以加强护理途径，旨在改善患者的治疗效果、安全性和生活质量，避免再次住院。最后，我们定义了提供临床证据所需的试验设置和评估方法，以支持技术整合对患者护理的积极影响，并讨论其对医疗保健系统的潜在影响。
