Launch of Smart Health telehealth programme targeting IBD patients
發佈日期: 2026-05-07 20:14
TVB News
Princess Margaret Hospital has launched a "Smart Health" telehealth programme that aims to treat patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease.
Such patients can also fill in a special survey on the HA Go app which allows healthcare personnel to determine whether the patients require an earlier follow-up visit at the hospital.
Inflammatory bowel disease, otherwise known as IBD, is a chronic and recurring disease with no known cure.
The inflammatory condition currently affects around 7,000 Hongkongers who require regular follow-up visits at the hospital.
Some patients often suffer from symptoms including diarrhea and fever, which post major obstacles to their daily lives.
Princess Margaret Hospital had earlier rolled out its Smart Health telehealth programme to assist IBD patients.
Patients can fill in an HA Go survey that allows healthcare personnel to determine their present condition and decide whether they require an earlier follow-up visit at the hospital.
We designed this programme for IBD patients because it is a chronic disease which requires ongoing monitoring and medication treatment.
I don't think telehealth is going to replace the traditional clinic-type of follow-up, but I think they supplement each other.
For more stable patients or younger patients who are familiar with information technology, I think they will benefit from this programme.
It allows more flexibility for the follow-up.
Health authorities said they expect the telehealth programme could help reduce patient follow-up visits by around 34 percent, as well as detect early recurring symptoms for 14 percent of them.
The Hospital Authority said the Electronic Patient Reported Outcome Measures, or e-PROMs, allow health authorities to collect direct feedback from patients.
They can be expanded to cover other chronic diseases as part of the HA's goal to enhance the healthcare system.
