KULT-SH Wins National Telemedicine Prize
The KULT-SH treatment model was awarded the National Telemedicine Prize 2024 from the German Society for Telemedicine, recognizing its significant contribution to healthcare. Professor Martin Schrappe, Project Leader, Director of the Department of Pediatrics I at the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Kiel, and CATCH ALL member acknowledged especially the engaged team behind this achievement.
KULT-SH, funded from the Innovation Fund of the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss) was initiated in 2021 by Prof. Dr. Björn Bergh, Evaluation Leader Prof. Dr. Dr. Fabian-Simon Frielitz, and then-Study Leader and CATCH ALL member Prof. Dr. Denis Schewe.
Developed at the UKSH and implemented together with various partner such as the Techniker Krankenkasse and the DAK Gesundheit, KULT-SH aims to ease the daily life of children with cancer and their families, particularly those from rural areas. A mobile Device-app collects vital data at home via sensors and questionnaires, which then can be discussed with the doctors via telemedicine consultations. This approach improves quality of life, reduces infection risks, enhances the out-patient treatment, and cuts travel costs as well as CO₂ emissions.
The recruitment phase for the randomized KULT-SH study, involving 55 participants from the Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, is now complete. With the results and the new IT-infrastructure, the KULT-SH team aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of telemedicine for children with cancer, as well as for other vulnerable patient groups.
Professor Claudia Baldus, spokesperson for the CATCH ALL clinical research group and executive board member of the University Cancer Center Schleswig-Holstein (UCCSH) recognizes the impact of the KULT-SH study: “This award not only highlights the excellence of our collaborative efforts at the UKSH but also highlights the transformative potential of telemedicine in enhancing patient care. Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia will also benefit from these innovative telemedicine approaches, improving their treatment experiences.”
A German press release from the UKSH Kiel can be found here.
