A smart companion for a higher quality of life

Laurentiu Oancea is just about to get on his bicycle when his smartphone beeps. The “My Companion” app from Fresenius NephroCare has just reminded him to take his medication. With his mountain bike all set for the ride, he feels tempted to ignore his digital aid for a couple of hours, but he goes back into the kitchen and takes his medication. While sitting down, he attaches himself to his blood pressure device and enters his current measurement in the app. He then scrolls to another section, where a tip tells him that “Physical exercise keeps your body fit.” With a smile, Laurentiu Oancea finally gets on his bike.

If you met Laurentiu, who is 40 years old, you’d never guess that he undergoes regular dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant. “I’ve always done a lot of sports, and I still do,” he says. My Companion allows Laurentiu to play a more active role in his treatment, which strengthens his sense of self-reliance. It is important for him to feel in control despite his illness. As a professional soldier, he was sent on many dangerous assignments in war zones in several different countries. He can grit his teeth and prefers to deal with things himself before asking others for help. This strength helps him to get through his therapy.

In terms of his illness, he believes that giving up is not an option. “When I found out about my illness, I initially thought it would just be a temporary problem,” he says. “But I now know that it’s part of my life. That’s why I’ve learned to cope with it as I wait for a kidney transplant. I make the best of it.” Laurentiu’s kidney function gradually deteriorated over several years due to malignant hypertension until his kidneys eventually failed completely.

As a result, he has relied on regular dialysis since 2015.

As well as being good for his fitness, getting out on his bike also helps him to clear his head. “I find it important to think about other things than my dialysis therapy. To avoid get¬ting hung up mentally on this whole situation, I keep myself busy and pursue my hobbies.” The NephroCare “My Companion” app has provided more flexibility and a higher degree of self-determination in both keeping busy and getting through therapy. The app has been specially developed for NephroCare patients.

It is easy to use and enables patients like Laurentiu to make an active contribution to their therapy. “I find the app useful as a daily assistant,” says Laurentiu. “What’s more, I like discovering new things, and I really enjoy playing with it.” The app also motivates patients to apply the necessary self-discipline.

Patients always have a good overview of the state of their health thanks to the therapy data in the app, which is updated on a prompt and regular basis. If any of the parameters hint at an incorrect diet or insufficient physical exercise, patients like Laurentiu can arrange an appointment with their consultant, dialysis nurse or dietician in the interests of working out a long-term solution.

Laurentiu goes to the Fresenius Medical Care dialysis centre in Pitești, Romania three times a week. While he is connected to his dialysis machine, he likes to tune out and watch the TV which is available in the centre. Since Laurentiu started using the NephroCare “My Companion” app, he has taken a more active role in his treatment and meets after the dialysis session with his physician at the dialysis clinic to talk about the next steps. They usually go through the latest test results and discuss how his therapy is progressing, and look at the data that Laurentiu has entered into the self-measurement section of the app.

With the help of Laurentiu’s daily entries about his blood pressure levels and current weight, the physician gains valuable additional information on his patient’s state of health. For Laurentiu, however, the app is also an excellent way of gaining a better insight and more transparency surrounding his own treatment and physical condition. With the relevant information available at the touch of a button, he now can make a better judgment on what the individual data means and ask the staff at the clinic more specific questions.

The days at the dialysis centre are exhausting, even for patients as physically fit as Laurentiu. When he gets home, he sits down at the kitchen table and starts to prepare a fortifying salad with home-grown vegetables. He harvests regularly from the garden he shares with his parents, which is home to several old fruit trees and vegetable patches. After being diagnosed, Laurentiu has made a habit of eating healthily. With the nutritional tips that it offers, the app also comes in handy for maintaining a well-balanced diet. Laurentiu has learnt to cope with his illness. He feels that this is partly due to his therapy at the clinic, but also to the positive feeling he gets from being actively involved. “If I’m going to get to grips with my treatment, it has to be in a purposeful and forward-looking way,” he explains. Laurentiu Oancea is optimistic about the future.