Meet our partner Mage-tarmskolen
Mage-tarmskolen is located at Haukeland University Hospital and was the first in all of Norway to establish a digital treatment offer in somatics for patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
They are in the process of a study where 2000 patients will go through a 12-24 week training and treatment program where the patients are supervised through five inrdteisciplinary digital modules. The aim of the study is to demonstrate beneficial effects in the form of improved quality of life, reduction of abdominal symptoms, provide new knowledge about the interdisciplinary patient approach, and form the basis for a future national project.
Data from this study will also be used in Forhelse to look at predictors of good outcome, which will be important knowledge during implementation.
We talked to the people behind the project and their thoughts on the center.
What was your motivation for joining the center?
Mage-tarmskolen is the first digital health service in somatics. The treatment involves both the physical and the mental aspects of living with chronic stomach ailments.
For us, this is demand-driven innovation and research with patients in focus. Although this patient group has a great need for health care, this disease is not dangerous or life-threatening. Thus, they are at the bottom of the priority list for the specialist service, and it is challenging for both patients and healthcare professionals.
We want to increase capacity, be able to offer our quality-assured information and health services equally, to everyone in need in Norway, regardless of the patient’s place of residence or their local hospital. We also want to be able to contribute to research on and development of digital health services but also be part of a professional environment.
What is your role/contribution in the work package you participate in?
We are part of work package 4, Implementation with Mage-tarmskolen. This is the only contribution from the somatics in the center.
In work package 4, the Mage-tarmskolen will research how they/the center can carry out the implementation in a good way, map inhibitors and promoters, and research sustainable implementation.
Read more about work package 4 here.
Read more about work package 4 here.
As there is no other digital solution in somatics, we have not had anything to lean on and much is therefore new.
It is important to put in place good financing schemes to ensure hospital financial sustainability. New procedure codes were granted in 2021. These are important for providing earnings that are sustainable for hospital operations. This will also be able to contribute to more resources for the project so that the patient receives good follow-up.
A challenge for the project is to identify who our digital health service is best suited for, and especially who gets the best benefit from the treatment. This is a heterogeneous group that will require different and personalized treatment and follow-up. Funds have been set aside for a PhD project to map this.
In addition, this PhD project will research effective ways to increase the spread of the digital treatment, map barriers and facilitate implementation of the program so that the treatment becomes available to as many people as possible.
Why is digitization important in the health sector?
As the rest of the world digitizes, it will be important for the health sector to also be involved in the development.
Digitization means that we can offer the same treatment regardless of place of residence. It will also be able to be cost-effective/resource-saving for both the health services and the patients.
What do you want to achieve during the 8 years the center shall exist?
We also want to implement and national broaden Mage-tarmskolen. Out 2023, this is mainly an offer for patients in Helse-Vest.
Read more about Mage-tarmskolen here.