Technological-digital systems supporting d-PDT
The value of d-PDT treatments has been proven time and time again, ensuring their ongoing position and popularity in clinical practices for the treatment of skin conditions and other applications. While d-PDT has obvious advantages over traditional therapies involving treatment centres and fixed-location equipment, the flexibility and mobility of d-PDT have ensured the methodology has garnered considerable support from both patients and clinicians.
Another significant advantage of current d-PDT treatment formats is that they can be tied into digital data and management systems, making using this particular treatment form even more straightforward. This makes it especially popular with busy clinicians, who want to ensure their time is utilised as efficiently as possible without impacting the quality of treatment they deliver to their patients.
Treatment at your fingertips
Nearly everyone is now familiar with smartphones and apps. By creating digital interfaces that patients feel comfortable with and are already capable of using intuitively, treatment management and monitoring can be made easier and less stressful. Because d-PDT does not require the regular use of phototherapy preparation rooms, the treatment can be done ‘on the go’ and can fit more easily into the patient’s daily routine.
Patients can move freely outdoors, exposing themselves to natural sunlight. A user-friendly app informs them of the amount of daylight exposure they’ve already received, how much more they need to complete their daily treatment, and their sunburn risk. Because these are laid out in a familiar design to other tracker apps, users can see their daily treatment status at a glance and adjust their exposure accordingly.
A more manageable system for clinicians
Technological digital systems to support d-PDT treatment also has enormous benefits for clinicians. From scheduling and planning multiple patient programs to gathering data in ‘real-time’ to chart the progress of a patient, digital systems eliminate the need for repeated face-to-face consultations but allow clinicians to maintain a closer patient/clinician relationship through technology. Known as SMARTPDT®, it enables professionals to develop, monitors and revises treatments instantly.
Track and Trace
For clinicians, it can be challenging to monitor the progress of a patient’s treatment without constant meetings and consultations. One of the significant advantages of SMARTPDT® technology is that it enables a consultant, dermatologist or clinical support care worker to trace patient behaviour and protocol adherence remotely via the app. The information is uploaded to the Cloud, where the clinician can access it at any time to chart the progress of the treatment program. This allows for instant adjustments if necessary and significantly reduced clinical time, which can be used to support other patients.
Multiple patients on one app
Another critical advantage of SMARTPDT® is that clinicians can monitor and work with multiple patients simultaneously. The web portal provides easy access to multiple records, so clinicians can utilise their time more effectively to deliver the same (if not better) level of service to each patient. Because everything is done digitally, it frees up more time for clinicians as well as providing considerable cost and time saving for dermatology centres and primary care centre facilities.
Optimal treatment conditions for better results
The medical profession is one of the most technologically advanced sectors, embracing all forms of digital methodology to ensure a better service for patients. SMARTPDT® takes an already-proven and highly successful treatment method and ‘fine-tunes’ the delivery system, so patients and practitioners can see significant advantages. Using proven technology and user-friendly apps that employ a format already familiar to the patient makes them intuitive, simple, and highly effective.
For clinicians, streamlining the planning, preparation, treatment and follow-up consultation process has obvious benefits, reducing time and costs and providing a more effective service for a greater number of patients simultaneously.
With the development of wearable technology, in future this kind of digital treatment process will evolve even further. But for the moment, using apps, portals and a simple, non-invasive, and highly effective treatment methodology will continue to deliver exceptional results for thousands of patients and clinicians worldwide.
