During a pilot, a patient from Lentis Groningen measured her lithium level with the Medimate. Recently, based on this pilot and a test at the outpatient clinic, a number of practitioners and members of the FACT team of mental health care institution Lentis Groningen (Herenweg location) were trained to apply the Medimate in the clinic and in outpatient care.
Because of this patient's good experiences with testing her lithium level at home, one of her practitioners also became enthusiastic. Regularly measuring the lithium level gave this patient a lot of peace, security and confidence in her medication. Shortly before she started with the Medimate home measurements, she even considered completely stopping her lithium medication.
By regularly taking measurements with the Medimate, she learned how her body reacts to the medication and how she feels under certain circumstances. These experiences have meant that she can now take more control over her medication and quality of life. Her experience is also shared in an article in PlusMinus, the magazine for patients with bipolar disorder (link to PDF).
The obtained experience is reason for the Lentis practitioners to use the Medimate on a larger scale during consultations in the outpatient clinic and in outpatient care. Measurements with the Medimate from a finger prick of blood give the results within ten minutes, practitioners then discuss these results directly with the patient.
This gives patients more and better insight into the value of their lithium medication for their well-being. Faster and better insight into the lithium level leads to more rest in patients and to a high degree of therapy compliance. And a patient who knows better how to handle lithium medication has many advantages for the person himself as well as for the immediate environment, practitioners and also from a social point of view.
The Lentis team can now - trained and well - contribute to better patient care with the Medimate measurements. Of course our congratulations to Sanne Edema, Petra Ronde, Marloes Medema Judith Wolting, Lydie Roestenburg and Casandra Koelewijn for obtaining their certificate for the use and correctly measurement of lithium and creatinine values with the Medimate.
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