La Fe study supports remote monitoring for patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

The study findings have been published in the international journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, one of the highest-impact journals in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology. The paper, entitled The TECCU-based Telemonitoring Platform for Inflammatory Bowel Disease is Cost-Effective: A Multicenter GETECCU Trial, presents the final cost-effectiveness analysis of a clinical trial promoted within GETECCU, the Spanish Working Group on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

The study included adult patients with active inflammatory bowel disease who were starting immunosuppressive or biological therapy. A total of 24 Spanish hospitals participated, and 159 patients were randomly assigned either to follow-up through the TECCU platform or to standard care. Over a 52-week period, researchers evaluated clinical outcomes, quality of life, and the healthcare and societal costs associated with patient follow-up.

The results show that telemonitoring through TECCU provides clinical disease control comparable to conventional follow-up while significantly reducing the number of face-to-face visits. In addition, use of the platform was associated with lower healthcare costs and reduced expenses for patients, owing to fewer journeys to hospital, less time away from work and lower costs related to in-person appointments.

Dr Mariam Aguas, consultant in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit at Hospital La Fe and researcher at IIS La Fe, explained that TECCU demonstrates that telemonitoring "should not be regarded as a replacement for face-to-face consultations, but rather as a complementary tool that enables more flexible and efficient follow-up of patients requiring closer monitoring."

She also noted that, in chronic conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, "the challenge is to detect flare-ups early, monitor biomarkers, manage adverse effects and tailor follow-up to each patient's clinical course. TECCU makes it possible to do this in a structured, safe and patient-centred way."

Clinical innovation supported by long-term evidence

TECCU, an acronym for Telemonitoring of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, was developed within La Fe's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit and has undergone more than a decade of development, evaluation and scientific validation. The platform enables the collection of clinical and laboratory data, generates alerts, helps specialised nurses and physicians prioritise patient care, and adapts the intensity of follow-up according to each patient's clinical status and treatment.

Dr Javier del Hoyo, co-author of the study, highlighted that one of its most significant findings is that "the benefits are not limited to the healthcare system. They also translate into fewer journeys, less time lost for patients and a better organisation of care."

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit at Hospital La Fe provides specialised medical and nursing care to more than 2,700 patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It is a multidisciplinary unit with extensive experience in patient care, clinical research, clinical trials and the development of innovative models of follow-up.

This work consolidates a research programme launched in 2012, which previously resulted in pilot studies, preliminary cost-effectiveness analyses, patient usability studies and several publications on telemedicine in inflammatory bowel disease. The accumulated evidence positions TECCU as a clinically validated digital health platform with strong potential for integration into routine clinical practice.

Towards integration into clinical practice

The project is currently supported by IIS La Fe through innovation management, technology transfer activities and the search for technological partners. In addition, through the Information Systems Department of Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, the TECCU app has been incorporated into the hospital's VPN infrastructure, and work is under way to integrate it with the Orion Clinic electronic health record system. This will enable information generated during remote consultations to be automatically incorporated into each patient's electronic medical record.

Dr Pilar Nos, Scientific Director of IIS La Fe, Head of the Digestive Medicine Department at Hospital La Fe and co-author of the study, stated that TECCU "is an example of how clinical innovation, when driven by real patient needs and evaluated using rigorous scientific methodology, can become a valuable tool for transforming healthcare."

The study was funded by the Carlos III Health Institute (Instituto de Salud Carlos III), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and supported by an international Investigator Initiated Study grant from Johnson & Johnson.

TECCU therefore represents a digital health model developed within the public healthcare system, supported by both clinical and economic evidence, with the aim of improving the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease while contributing to the sustainability of the healthcare system.

Aguas, M., Del Hoyo, J., Vicente, R., Barreiro-de Acosta, M., Melcarne, L., Hernandez-Camba, A., Madero, L., Arroyo, M. T., Sicilia, B., Chaparro, M., Martín-Arranz, M. D., Pajares, R., Mesonero, F., Mañosa, M., Martinez, P., Chacón, S., Tosca, J., Marín, S., Sanroman, L., ... GETECCU. (2026). The Telemonitorización de la Enfermedad de Crohn y Colitis Ulcerosa (Telemonitoring of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)-based telemonitoring platform for inflammatory bowel disease is cost-effective: A multicenter Grupo Español de Trabajo en Enfermedad de Crohn y Colitis Ulcerosa trial. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2026.05.004