PhD defence H. (Hamraz) Mokri

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation: 

Heart failure is a serious and costly chronic condition that places an increasing burden on patients and healthcare systems worldwide. This dissertation investigates the economic impact of heart failure and evaluates the cost-effectiveness of remote patient monitoring (RPM) as an innovative care strategy.
Using a large nationally representative Dutch dataset, it was shown that the lifetime healthcare costs for heart failure are high, mainly due to hospital admissions and long-term care. Costs peak immediately after diagnosis and at the end of life. There are also significant socioeconomic differences: for instance, people with lower incomes incur more long-term care costs.
The societal value of RPM increases as the effectiveness of the intervention improves and lasts longer, especially in aging societies.
Furthermore, this research focused on assessing remote hemodynamic monitoring for heart failure patients, specifically the CardioMEMS-HF system, which uses an implantable pressure sensor and a special pillow. When the patient lies on the pillow, the heart filling pressure is measured and securely transmitted online to the cardiologist. Studies have shown that this system is safe and effective in reducing hospital admissions. This dissertation specifically examined the cost-effectiveness of the CardioMEMS-HF system for the Netherlands. Based on data from the MONITOR-HF study, the system was found to be cost-effective — meaning it provides good value for the money spent.
RPM offers a promising and cost-effective solution to the growing demand for heart failure care by actively monitoring patients remotely and enabling timely intervention (e.g., medication adjustments). It is expected that this will significantly reduce the number of hospital admissions.
However, for successful and sustainable implementation, further studies are needed to assess long-term effectiveness, applicability to diverse patient groups, and integration into existing healthcare structures.