Posts by: Caroline McGarry

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HIHI launches new pilot case study on a digital health app “I Know Me” which is set to empower CF patients to become the “CEO” of their own bodies with more control over personal health data

 

Cork, 15th May, 2024. May marks Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Awareness Month and this year’s focused theme is Resilient. CF is a genetic disease which affects the lungs and the digestive system and is caused by mutations in the CFFTR gene which leads to the production of a thick sticky mucus in the lungs and it can also affect other organs. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year. More than 75 percent of people with CF are diagnosed by age 2. More than half of the CF population is age 18 or older.

Resilience certainly applies to Dr. Michael Twomey a Cork native who is living with CF. Michael as well as being the founder of the I Know Me app also works as a Senior Clinical Research Manager at Health Innovation Hub Ireland which connects innovators with healthcare. (pictured) Michael’s own research and innovation journey is a very personal one, motivated by the death of his sister from CF in 1997. Based on his own life and patient journey he strove to address the problem faced by fellow CF patients and carers, the challenge of recalling medical history at medical appointments. He was concerned about providing accurate information to his own clinicians and he decided to do something about it, as poor quality information imparted by patients or their carers is known to affect patient outcomes.

For patients with CF, there are a number of medical appointments necessary to manage the disease and improve or maintain the CF’s patient’s condition. The aim of the appointment is to arrive at correct diagnosis and make decisions regarding appropriate treatment plans. One of the key data facets required by the clinician in the diagnostic process is accurate medical history supplied by the patient or carer.  This information is a complex tapestry of illnesses, medications, symptoms and procedures peppered with medical appointments. which can be difficult to recall accurately. Memory recall requires the patient to pull data from their long-term declarative memory, a process that is made more difficult by the nature of the medical encounter itself, which can be stressful and require a medical literacy that many struggle with.

With this in mind, Michael came up a number of solutions to this problem, first a paper-based checklist booklet which was sent out to every CF patient in Ireland, and then following the learning from same he designed and developed the I Know Me app. This was again done with the help of fellow CF patients and caregivers which basically means it’s designed by CF patients or carers for CF patients or carers. The app was specifically built and evaluated to address the above problem of poor CF patient/carer memory recall. The I Know Me design is based on current CF medical appointment workflows, CF patient / carer experiences, and helps the patient/carer record, track and report on key aspects of their medical history. These reports can then be shared with a patient’s clinical team if and when required. Additionally, the app allows for the capture of multiple health profiles on one device, where switching between profiles is easy. This component of the app is vital for families with more than one CF patient.

Some of the app features are the ability to provide the CF patient with a valuable health management tool, tracking symptoms, key metrics, vaccines, nutrition, physiotherapy, medications and other treatments and procedures (including the results of same). Furthermore, it allows patient and carers to bring their or their child’s health autobiography with them to the medical appointment, reducing the stress of having to recall and providing the clinician with better quality data. Not only that it also allows for the capture of data regarding what happened within the medical appointment itself, this is vital later when the patient or carer need to remember therapies, procedures etc. Not surprising then that this information will aid adherence to therapies. But possibly the most interesting feature of the app is that it generates reports based on metrics which allows the CF patient to track changes and development in health status over time. The portability and accessibility of the solution not only aids memory recall it also empowers patients and carers giving them peace of mind when they travel (as they now have their medical histories with them) and go about their busy lives.

Today, Health Innovation Hub Ireland launched the results of the pilot study of this digital health app which is set to be a gamechanger for people living with CF as it now enables patients to manage their medical history more effectively. HIHI conducted a pilot of the I Know Me app with 15 CF patients/carers within Ireland, including the facilitation of a number of design workshops which helped offer a dynamic and inclusive approach to problem solving, enabling participants to create a solution that is not only functional, but also deeply resonant with CF patients/carers. HIHI analysed the pilot results (end-user feedback) and prepared a final project report to disseminate the outcome of the pilot. The project was granted ethical approval by the SREC in University College Cork.

When tested with patients and carers during the pilot it was agreed that the app is an essential tool for CF patients with 93% of users saying that it improved memory recall. Additionally, it was found that:

93% Agreed or Strongly Agreed that the app was easy to navigate

87% Agreed or Strongly Agreed that using the app requires a change in behaviour

86% Agreed or Strongly Agreed that the app was easy to use

67% stating that it was Very or Extremely useful for memory recall of medical history.

67% Agreed or Strongly Agreed that using the app gave them a real sense of empowerment

67% of participants use the app on a weekly or monthly basis

60% Agreed or Strongly Agreed that using the app helped reduce their stress levels within the medical appointment.

The pilot results will come as welcome news to CF patients as in Ireland, there are almost 1,700 Irish people living with the disease and 70,000 CF patients worldwide.

Speaking on the release of HIHI’s I Know Me pilot study today, Dr. Michael Twomey the founder of app said: “I Know Me is an app for us (CF patients / carers) designed by us, that’s why it works! It allows us to track our medications, our symptoms etc more effectively, our own unique health journeys, with the data captured available to us as required. We are empowered in the management of our own health and need to be. After-all, we need to be the CEOs of our own bodies! I’m delighted that we are making such progress, the insights gained from the pilot have been invaluable and will really aid our advancement of the I Know Me app. Still more work to be done, I hope my sister (who passed away with CF in 1997) would be proud of what we have done so far.”

Praise from one of the CF patients on the pilot “I really like the way the app gives you visuals on key metrics and allows one to generate reports that can be sent / given to the clinical team. It’s wonderful to be able to refer to the app with confidence re my medical history”

Read the full case study here I Know Me (hih.ie)

The I Know Me app is free and is available on Google Play and can also be downloaded from the Apple App store.

Details of the app can be found on this link https://iknowme.info/

 

 

Health Innovation Hub Ireland commences new AI pilot study which is set to improve the accuracy of bladder scans with Cardiogenics and the Urology Department at University Hospital Galway

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Great to kick off another Health Innovation Hub Ireland pilot study!

HIHI’s Galway office are currently working on an AI tool with Cardiogenics and the Urology Department of University Hospital Galway. (UHG). The pilot study using the Vitacon Bladder Scanner involves the collection of anonymous scan images supplied by the company which will serve as training data for an AI model. The aim is to improve it’s ability to accurately detect the edges of the bladder wall, achieved through a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a type of deep-learning model which proves effective at tasks such as image classification and medical image analysis.

The pilot marks a step forward in the use of AI in healthcare and has the potential to improve the accuracy of bladder scans and ultimately enhance patient care.

Pictured at the pilot launch are Brian Turvey (Cardiogenics), Geraldine Rooney Urology ANP UHG, Therese Kelly Urology ANP UHG and Michael Duane MPCE/HIHI

Read coverage in EchoLive.ie on AVeta Medical with their VITA AV device set to help women suffering from vaginal atrophy

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Great article by Deirdre McArdle for the EchoLive.ie as she continues her FemTech innovation series.

This week AVeta Medical is featured along with founder Paula Newell. The device repairs vaginal tissue and is set to change how vaginal atrophy is treated. The company is one of the winners of Health Innovation Hub Ireland’s Innovation call competition.

Women don’t have to suffer in silence with vaginal atrophy

Photo – Evening Echo 16/4/2024

https://www.echolive.ie/wow/arid-41375188.html

On World Parkinson’s Day HIHI and Telea release results of new pilot study which offers hope to people living with Parkinsons disease

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Irish pilot study sparks new hope for people with Parkinson’s disease, prolonging their ability to communicate by slowing down the progression of the disease on vocal function.

A HIHI pilot study of the Telea platform and app recorded a 10% increase in the voice of patients with Parkinsons

Pictured Telea founders Left to right Dave Calnan Co-founder and CTO Telea and Clare Meskill Telea CEO and CORU registered Speech & Language Therapist

Read the full case study here https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Telea.pdf

On World Parkinson’s Day, Telea, a Cork based start-up in University College Cork (UCC) and supported by Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) offers new hope to Parkinson’s patients with their innovative digital speech therapy technology. This will come as welcome news as in Ireland, there are almost 12,000 people living with Parkinsons.

Telea’s innovative at home therapy platform and app provides a vital connection between Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and patients with Parkinson’s disease allowing the SLT to monitor patient progress and treat them remotely. This platform is a gamechanger for people with Parkinson’s disease as it assists people to maintain their voice and slow down progression of the disease. The platform empowers people with Parkinson’s Disease to proactively drive intervention by increasing the quality, quantity and consistency of treatment with high dose, timely, prescribed intervention which they can do at home.

The benefits to the health system and to patients in Ireland are immeasurable. Clinically, it frees up appointments, enhances efficiency and provides remote performance analysis and biofeedback.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. The disease gradually progresses over time and is characterised by a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms, such as tremors, changes in walking patterns, stiffness, as well as difficulties with balance and speech. At present, there is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease worldwide with one in every 100 people over the age of 60 diagnosed. The journey of patients with Parkinson’s has been well documented by Michael J. Fox actor, author and Parkinson’s advocate who disclosed his diagnosis at the age of 29.

Current treatments focus primarily on managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying cause of the disease. Speech and communication difficulties are common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Approximately, 90% of people with PD experience communication changes. Patients may develop weakened voice quality, can demonstrate impaired pitch variation and less clarity when pronouncing speech sounds.

When Parkinson’s disease affects a person’s ability to speak, the impact on their lives can be significant. Difficulties in communication can lead to social withdrawal and isolation. Speech therapy plays a crucial role in managing symptoms and improving communication abilities in people with Parkinson’s Disease and enhancing vocal strength.

Therefore, the marked communication improvement emerging from the results of this newly launched HIHI pilot study of the Telea platform and app now provides fresh hope for patients with the disease.

The pilot of the Telea platform was conducted with the HSE Community Health Organisation (CHO) 8 in the Midlands of Ireland working with 7 Speech and Language Therapists and 37 of their patients with Parkinson’s Disease. HIHI analysed pilot results (end-user feedback, client assessments and usage data) and prepared a final project report to disseminate outcomes with stakeholders in the Midlands and other Community Health Organisations.

Key findings were:

  • the average improvement of voice was 10% across a mix of clinician-rated and patient-reported outcome measures.
  •  there was an 80% reduction in waiting times for SLT assessment and intervention for clients with PD. Over 80% said Telea had a positive impact on their voice.
  •  over 80% reported that their adherence with speech therapy exercises improved, with clients completing an average of 62 exercises per week.
  •  100% of SLTs would recommend Telea to other SLTs and their clients with PD and found it easy to use. Over 85% of SLTs want to continue to use Telea.
  •  It was found that 60% less time was required for a typical treatment plan and 60% fewer home visits were needed.

The success of the platform and app is based on the fact that it allows SLTs prescribe exercises such as warm up, prompt to drink water, sustained vowel phonation, low-pitch and high-pitch drills, functional phrases, verbal problem solving, naming and reading aloud which can then be completed by clients through an app on their phone or tablet.

Increased efficiencies in care is a clear benefit of the product as it is designed to save time for SLTs, improve therapy for clients and reduce times for those on waiting lists for assessment and intervention. Exercises on the Telea platform focus on increasing the client’s loudness at vowel phonation of varying pitches, through personalised functional phrases and a range of cognitive tasks. SLTs can access an overview of all their clients utilising the Telea app.

Dr. Tanya Mulcahy, Director HIHI Ireland commented on the results of the pilot

‘The results of this study were very impressive, we showed that when healthcare staff (SLTs) and people with Parkinson’s used the Telea technology, waiting times were reduced, patients engaged with their exercises more than ever and there was a notable improvement in their speech. Everyone involved in this study is passionate about improving outcomes for people with Parkinson’s. Technology has the ability to enable that and we were delighted to be part of this work supporting an Irish product, Irish patients and their healthcare teams’

Claire Meskill, CEO and founder of Telea highlighted the importance of the pilot. “The value of the HIHI pilot for Telea was immeasurable as it provided an opportunity to gather invaluable feedback directly from SLTs, fostering a collaborative environment where we were able to make real-time changes and improvements based on their insights. This not only enhanced the Telea platform but also ensured it was finely tuned to meet the specific needs of management, therapists and clients in their setting.”

“The service level outcomes far exceeded our expectations and speak for themselves in terms of cost and time savings, promoting an efficient, high quality service. We are delighted to say we have secured HSE funding to continue and scale up our work with the Telea platform and to expand usage across the CHO8 region.” Ms. Aoife Carolan, Clinical Specialist SLT, Older Persons Services, CHO8

Praise from one of the Parkinson’s patients on the pilot “From day one, I loved it. I can feel the strength in my voice since I started the app. It is fantastic.”

 

 

 

 

Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Innovation now taking applications. Join the informational webinar to find out more

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Do you want to be at the forefront of healthcare innovation leadership and become an innovation champion of the future? Apply today to the Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Innovation. This one year course is run by Trinity College Dublin in association with Health Innovation Hub Ireland. Accelerate your career and lead the delivery of innovation impact across Irish healthcare.
Applications are now open. For full details visit  Healthcare Innovation (P.Grad.Dip) – Courses | Trinity College Dublin (tcd.ie)

For a further information on course content there will be an information webinar Wednesday May 8th, 2024 at 5.30pm. See full details below. Advance registration required.