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Diabetes is on the rise, yet it often remains a ‘silent’ disease, as symptoms can go unnoticed for years. However, the sooner diabetes is treated, the better it can be managed. Thankfully, there are numerous treatment and support options tailored to the patient, the stage, and the type of diabetes. For instance, since the beginning of this year, the Type 2 Diabetes Starter Program has provided enhanced support for patients with early-stage diabetes. Additionally, RIZIV has expanded reimbursement options, covering both early-stage diabetes and more advanced cases. To help healthcare providers and patients navigate these reimbursement possibilities, RIZIV has launched the campaign: ‘We can’t control everything in life… but we CAN control diabetes.’ Find out everything about the reimbursed care programs and costs: 👉 In Dutch: https://lnkd.in/eFyscUJJ 👉 In French: https://lnkd.in/eDJdNN5D At beMedTech, we are grateful that diabetes care is extensively reimbursed for Belgian patients. This is incredibly important given the growing number of people with diabetes and the significant impact the condition can have on someone’s life if not properly managed. #diabetes #diabetescare #chronicdiseases #chroniccare #medtechmatters

🗓️ On December 12, we organise an info session on EU calls for the Belgian #cancer field. This meeting is organised in the framework of the Belgian 'Europe's Beating Cancer Plan' mirror group that Sciensano is coordinating. The meeting will only be held online on Thursday 12th of December from 14h until 15h30. We highly encourage your attendance at this session, as it will provide valuable insights into Belgian participation in the upcoming projects and Joint Actions that can significantly contribute to the advancement of the cancer field in Belgium. In this meeting, we will cover the scope, the Belgian stakeholders involved and Sciensano’s role in the upcoming Joint Actions. 👉 Interested? Register here! https://lnkd.in/exxsMzDU

Zondag 10 november 2024. Tijdens de match KAA Gent tegen Standard Luik zakt Gent-speler Noah Fadiga neer op het veld. Het hele stadion houdt de adem in. De fans weten dat er al eerder een hartkwaal bij Fadiga was vastgesteld. Het zal toch niet? Kort daarna krabbelt de speler gelukkig recht en stapt hij, zichtbaar aangeslagen, van het veld. Op eigen kracht, enkel begeleid door een daverend applaus van de supporters. Drie dagen en verschillende onderzoeken later krijgt Noah Fadiga een implanteerbare cardioverter #defibrillator of #ICD ingeplant. Dat ingenieuze medische hulpmiddel beschermt hem vanaf nu tegen levensbedreigende hartritmestoornissen. En laat hem toe om zijn carrière als profvoetballer verder te zetten. ❓ Een vraag die veel mensen zich stellen: kan iemand écht veilig opnieuw aan topsport doen na zoiets? Het antwoord is "ja". Verschillende topsporters bewezen dat al, onder anderen gewezen topvolleyballer Kristof Hoho. In 2009 kreeg hij een ICD ingeplant nadat hij ineenzakte op training. Vier jaar later redde de medische technologie zijn leven bij een nieuwe hartstoornis tijdens een wedstrijd. Naar aanleiding van het voorval in Gent deed Hoho zijn verhaal deze maand bij Riadh Bahri in "VRT NWS laat" en afgelopen zondag op Sporza Radio. 👇 Een aanrader voor iedereen die beter wil begrijpen wat leven met een ICD inhoudt. 👇 #medtechmatters #medischetechnologie Ligue Cardiologique Belge / Belgische Cardiologische Liga BELGIAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOLOGY https://lnkd.in/edfwtmqi

Without implementation, innovation remains something abstract with little value for patients and healthcare providers. It’s a point we have been emphasising for some time. 😍 That’s why we were delighted when, a year ago, the FOD Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu launched a call for digital innovation projects in Belgian hospitals. The specific goal of this initiative? To accelerate the implementation of digital health in our hospitals, as a lever to enhance patient care and provide better support for healthcare professionals. From all the submissions, 26 projects were selected last summer – worth noting: several of our members are involved in one or more projects 💪 – and last month, the official launch took place, facilitated by our federation together with Agoria. 🚀 Now, let’s make a real impact! P.S. You can check the list of the 26 projects here, including the names of all participating hospitals: 👉 in Dutch: https://lnkd.in/dgXJkEVR 👉 in French:  https://lnkd.in/duVYeuHR #healthinnovation #medtechmatters #digitalhealth #integratedcare 📸 Julie de Bergeyck

📅 Are you a medtech professional interested in learning more about hospital financing in Belgium? Register now for our Masterclass on 18 December! Professor Katrien Kesteloot, an authority in hospital financing in our country, will provide insight into the various funding sources for hospitals in Belgium. She will discuss the latest developments in healthcare financing (e.g., fee-for-service models, recalibration of nomenclature, conventions, etc.) and give an overview of the current state of hospital financing reforms. Perhaps most importantly, she will also apply the theory to medical devices: what does all this mean for the financing of medical devices and investment goods in hospitals? There are still a few spots available. More information and registration details can be found in 👇 the attached document 👇 ! #hospitalfinancing #medicaldevices #beMedTechAcademy

Can point-of-care tests (POCTs), also known as rapid diagnostic tests, play a role in the fight against antimicrobial resistance in primary care? This question formed the basis of a study commissioned by the FOD Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu, as part of the national action plan against antimicrobial resistance 2021-2024. What was the underlying reasoning of this study request? 💡 Using POCTs, GPs can quickly and accurately determine whether the patient in front of them is suffering from a severe or less severe infection. This “on the spot” form of diagnostics could therefore be a valuable support in deciding whether or not to prescribe antibiotics. In this way, POCTs could serve as an additional weapon in the fight against antibiotic resistance. The study results are expected to be available very soon, as outgoing Minister Vandenbroucke recently answered in Parliament in response to a question from Irina De Knop. The added value of tests like C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care tests for primary care was also highlighted in the scientific recommendations for a Belgian Sepsis National Action Plan (Be-SNAP). The report emphasized its use to support clinical decision-making and reduce unnecessary antibiotics prescription, and enabling patient-friendly reimbursement criteria. Read the recommendations: 👉 in Dutch: https://lnkd.in/eXasKxtg  👉 in French: https://lnkd.in/egi-_iVC To be continued! #diagnostics #medtechmatters #antibiotics #AMR #WAAW2024 #antimicrobialresistance #sepsis Sepsibel

📢 Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs): a growing concern 📢 The latest point prevalence survey by Sciensano (*) on HAIs and the use of antimicrobial agents in Belgian hospitals revealed some alarming trends and figures. 👉 In 2022, 9.2% of hospital patients acquired an HAI. This marks a significant increase compared to previous surveys: 7.3% in 2017 and 7.1% in 2011. (The European average was 5.9%, based on data from 2016-2017.) This rise is even more concerning when considering that nearly a third of the organisms causing HAIs are resistant to first-line antibiotics. 👉 Additionally, in 2022, 28.1% of patients in the hospitals surveyed were on at least one antimicrobial agent, which is a very high prevalence. These findings highlight the persistent challenges posed by HAIs and antimicrobial use in Belgian hospitals. It is essential to continue investing in robust infection prevention and control measures, along with AMR stewardship programs, to reverse this troubling trend and safeguard patient safety. 🙏 Thank you to Lucy Catteau, Boudewijn Catry, Katrien Latour, and Morgan Pearcy for the careful monitoring and analysis. #AMR #InfectionControl #PatientSafety #WorldAMRWeek European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Yesterday, we held our general assembly in the beautiful Gateway building of Deloitte Belgium at Brussels Airport. A large number of members joined us, and for the first time, we also welcomed our beMedTech Connect partners. “With beMedTech, we’re building something extraordinary together”, said managing director Sabrina Suetens. Ben Desmet from Deloitte shared insights into the opportunities and challenges for the European medtech sector. Our managing director Sabrina set the scene for the Belgian landscape. In the panel discussion moderated by Olivia Claes, Alexander Alonso (BD Benelux and chair of beMedTech), Niels van Druten (Cochlear Benelux), and Olivier Houben (Vesalius Biocapital IV) explored these challenges further. One takeaway: innovation risks being stifled by complex financing and reimbursement systems, combined with siloed thinking. This is despite Belgium's significant top talent, strategic location and outstanding healthcare institutions, all within a small radius. The afternoon ended on a high note with a dreamer—one who turns dreams into reality. Aisling D'Hooghe, former goalkeeper for the Belgian women’s hockey team, the Red Panthers, joined us. She’s also an alderwoman in Waterloo, a qualified physiotherapist, a mother, a wife, and an MS patient since the age of six. “Dream big,” she urged. “And never give up on your dreams. Yes, it can get tough. But nothing is impossible with the right support around you.” A thought-provoking conclusion that sparked plenty of conversations during the networking event afterward. Our dream is to make life-changing medical technology accessible to all, improving patient outcomes while ensuring healthcare is affordable and sustainable for future generations. Thank you to all our members, Connect partners, speakers, and the entire team! As chair Alexander Alonso put it: “beMedTech is more future-proof than ever.” #medtechmatters #collaboration #teamwork #beMedTechConnect

"Antimicrobial resistance is invisible. I am not." This powerful slogan from the World Health Organization marks the beginning of this year's World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week. ⚠ AMR is directly responsible for 1.3 million deaths each year and indirectly contributes to 3.7 million more (*). This makes it a threat we should all be aware of and fight together. Due to AMR, many bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics, which have protected us for decades. In other words, current generations are now facing severe health risks that their parents and grandparents were spared from. 🤝 We can only stop and reverse this troubling trend if we unite. Across sectors, with stakeholders working in human, animal, and environmental health. As the medtech sector, we continue to invest in tools that support healthcare in various ways in the fight against AMR, from infection prevention and surveillance to early detection and treatment. For example, diagnostic tests, catheters, antibacterial sutures, clinical decision support systems, medication monitoring tools, and more. AMR may be invisible to many, but we see it. (*) The figures are from The Lancet, "Global burden of antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis." The Lancet, Volume 399, Issue 10325, 629-655. https://lnkd.in/e6W5QX8b #AntimicrobialResistance #AMR #AMRsurvivors #WAAW2024

📣 Last week was dedicated to #malnutrition, an underestimated issue in our healthcare system. Did you know, for example, that up to a quarter of hospital patients are at risk of malnutrition? And that nearly 10% of patients who were well-nourished upon admission get malnourished during their hospital stay? The problem is not confined to hospitals. In care facilities for the elderly, for example, malnutrition is an even greater issue, with prevalence rates as high as 60%. And in primary care, it’s also common, for example among people with chronic conditions or those facing socio-economic challenges. ⚡ Although malnutrition may not seem an immediate threat, the consequences are severe. It worsens patients' prognoses in several ways: increasing the risk of complications, making patients more prone to infections, reducing the effectiveness of therapies, prolonging treatments, raising the risk of mortality, and more. Recognising the signs in time is a crucial step in the fight against malnutrition. Therefore, at the end of Malnutrition Awareness Week in Belgium, we call for greater awareness of this underestimated issue. #MAW2024 #medicalnutrition #malnutritionawarenessweek #BAONCA Sylvie Farine Andre Van Gossum Optimal Nutritional Care for All