Posts by: Eimear Galvin

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, TD: “we want to see proposals that involve collaboration between industry, research bodies and the public sector.”

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Calling all innovators in  AI, robotics, smart food production, and health and wellbeing – opportunity now open to compete for a share of a new €500m Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF).

The Department presented an overview of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) including eligibility criteria, application process and key considerations for applicants at the DTIF information event in Enterprise Ireland on 27 July 2018.

Type of Projects Eligible for Funding

€500 million is available for co-funded projects involving enterprises and research partners over the period to 2027. The first Call relates to projects that will be funded from 2019. Projects can be funded for up to 3 years. It is envisaged that the first tranche of successful projects will be confirmed by November 2018.

The type of projects that will receive funding will be:

  • Collaborative enterprise-driven partnerships that will develop, deploy and commercialise disruptive technologies to transform business
  • Impactful projects seeking at least €1 million in funding over 3 years and involving enterprises and research partners
  • SME participation is an essential requirement in every consortium
  • Focussed on “industrial research”.

The National Development Plan (NDP) under Project Ireland 2040 confirms the establishment of a €500 million Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) that will:

  • Be implemented through the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) and its agencies, working with other Government Departments and agencies;
  • Have a resource allocation of €0.5bn over the period 2018-2027 consisting of an initial Exchequer allocation of €180 million to 2022;
  • Be competitive and see investment in the research, development and deployment of disruptive technologies and applications on a commercial basis;Drive collaboration between Ireland’s world-class research base and industry as well as facilitating enterprises to compete directly for funding in support of the development and adoption of these technologies.

How to Apply

Potential applicants should read the Reference Document for Applicants carefully to ascertain whether or not they are eligible to apply and whether or not their proposed projects fit the criteria set out.

All applicants must complete and submit the Expression of Interest Form by email only to dtif@dbei.gov.ie by 15.00 on 17 August 2018.

Failure to submit an expression of interest on the DTIF EOI Template, will render that EOI ineligible.

 

EIT Health opportunity | Train the trainer: emerging competencies for senior healthcare managers

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The “Train the Healthcare Manager Trainer” is a three-day programme for developing teacher capabilities on emerging competencies for senior healthcare managers from Karolinska Institute, IESE Business School, University of Grenoble-Alpes, University of Gent and Medical University of Lodz.

Target participants: This programme is addressed to programme directors and trainers of healthcare senior managers, and executives. Trainers may be professors, educators, lecturers, or even healthcare professionals and managers that teach in management, innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship to healthcare managers and executives (maybe as a part-time / secondary activity).

The programme will be divided into two editions, each of which will include:

  • Presentations and debates on the healthcare management scenario in Europe (new leadership, dealing with complexity, the role of the manager)
  • Presentations and debates on case methods and innovative learning methods for healthcare executives.
  • Presenting and teaching new free materials for teaching emerging competencies to healthcare senior managers and executives in Europe.

Edition 1 –  24-26 October 2018, in Stockholm, Sweden. (register by 31 July)

Edition 2 – 28-30 November 2018, in Barcelona, Spain.

Attendance is free, though travel will be at the participants’ expense. More details here

HIHI in Galway feature in Saolta newsletter

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HSE, the Saolta University Health Care Group and NUI Galway are happy to announce that Health Innovation Hub Ireland are now based in the West. Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) works across the health sector and with Irish businesses to solve challenges in healthcare.
Commenting, Aisling Dolan, Manager of the new office said

‘We are delighted our new office will open here in September 2018 on the ground floor of the Lambe Translational Institute for Research and beside the Clinical Research Facility (CRF). We have a team in place and will be running IGNITE Innovation 2018 aimed at HSE staff here and Innovation Into Healthcare focused and open calls for start-ups and SMEs. We have an open door policy to anyone with an idea to improve patient care – so drop by and meet our team’.

I am working in the HSE here in Galway and I have a great idea, what do I do next?

IGNITE 2018 is a competition where individuals or teams can submit innovative ideas and have an opportunity to engage with experts in innovation. The best applicants will be brought together for a dragon’s den style pitch on 6th December, winners and 5 runners-up will receive a bursary to develop their idea in collaboration with Health Innovation Hub Ireland. A follow-on from the success of Neurotransmitter 2017, IGNITE 2018 will launch in September, this is open to people working in Healthcare in the West of Ireland.

Health Innovation Hub will join with partners HSE NDTP (National Doctors Training & Planning), the Spark Innovation Programme and Dr Dara Byrne, Intern Co-Ordinator NUI Galway/West Northwest (WNW) Intern Training Network and Director of Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation (ICAPPS) NUI Galway and to deliver this programme to healthcare providers in the West.

Dr Dara Byrne highlighted ‘We are excited to work with our partners in the Hub and the HSE to build on the success of Neurotransmitter with IGNITE 2018. This is a chance to submit your own idea or to work with a team, to build your innovation skills and to compete in a pitch event’ and Aisling emphasized ‘We will be promoting this programme over the next few months and with such a high interest in this programme – Health Innovation Hub Ireland and the HSE are hoping to expand this further to Cork and Dublin in 2019’.
How do I get in touch?

Come talk to our team and follow us on Twitter to find out about our upcoming events @hihireland.
Aisling Dolan, Manager, Galway, Health Innovation Hub Ireland, aisling.dolan@nuigalway.ie
Dr Diana Hogan-Murphy, Senior Antimicrobial Pharmacist, HSE & HIHI Clinical Co-ordinator diana.hogan.murphy@hihi.ie
Dr Jimmy Eaton-Evans, Technology Evaluator, Health Innovation Hub Ireland jeaton-evans@nuigalway.ie

If we can’t change how we work in the system, the system simply won’t change.

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In Ireland today we have nine of the global top ten pharma companies and 18 of the top 25 medical device companies. Lesser known, is that we have 300 indigenous health tech companies, about 15 for each of the global.  So for every one of the big players, we have around 15 innovative indigenous enterprises. Critical Healthcare has developed a product, MediQuilt, the first-ever re-usable trolley Quilt and disposable cover a risk free cost effective solution. TickerFit, allows healthcare professionals to effectively prescribe and monitor lifestyle intervention using a web based application and passive monitoring using smartphone or wearable devices.

The exciting thing for us here working in the healthcare sector, is that Ireland is ideally placed to be a world leader in the provision of total connected health solutions. We have a highly networked ecosystem and the industry expertise required to embrace the convergence between health and the Internet of Things (IoT), which is the future of healthcare globally.

Conversely, the difficulty for us here in the Irish healthcare system is harnessing this innovation. It takes time to embrace the future and most of the medical community in this country is trying to maintain balance in our present system. No easy feat. The total spend on healthcare here is among the highest in the OECD. While our health outcomes – what we get for spending money – tends to be comparatively poor. Money, it seems is not the only answer, so in a system under immense pressure what can we do differently?

Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) was established by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Health, supported by Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to drive collaboration between the health service and enterprise. It offers companies the opportunity for pilot and clinical validation studies and the health service access to innovative products, services and devices that they may not otherwise be exposed to.

HIHI is built on the recognition that collaboration with enterprise can benefit patient care, patient pathways and outcomes. A simple example is that of ViClarity. Originally designed for the financial services industry, ViClarity has a tool that monitors compliance with regulatory standards. In late 2016, ViClarity engaged with HIHI to define a pilot study in Killarney Community Hospital. The study was driven by the desire to improve on the manual auditing and compliance measurements, within the hospital.

The HIHI study ran for a period of three months. Following onsite training by ViClarity the study was implemented across four units within the Killarney Community Hospital. The traditional paper based audits were built into system workflow and automated. The workflow was then delegated to the relevant staff members within the hospital. Staff used the ViClarity tool to complete audits, gather audit data and input this directly into the system.

Through the HIHI study, Killarney Community Hospital used ViClarity to transform from a time consuming paper based system to computer based auditing. This means instant results, immediate compliance status visibility and ownership of audit responsibilities.

There were at least 124 hours saved in admin time for the hospital through using the computer based system. Time that can potentially be spent on patient care.

For ViClarity, HIHI secured their first clinical pilot in a public hospital. The company continues to leverage the overwhelmingly positive results of the HIHI study both in the domestic and international markets, when making the ViClarity pitch. It has secured a high profile client base with healthcare companies such as Mowlam, MHA and most recently the NHS began using its technology solution.

One of the most reassuring services offered to hospitals by HIHI is the management process we deliver, through which companies’ engage with the health system. Once we have matched a suitable clinical team with an industry partner and both wish to pursue a study or pilot, we draw up a project scope. This project initiation document, which both parties agree, covers objectives, requirements, responsibilities and timeframe, which we oversee and manage throughout the study or pilot.

HIHI works directly with three hospital groups (South/South West, Dublin Midlands and Saolta in the West/North West), but the HIHI network can access all acute and community hospitals, pharmacies, primary care centres and healthcare centres.

HIHI and its partners, not least among them the HSE, want to look at solutions for the long-term, not just to get by in the short-term. Through HIHI we can all be allies to innovation. If we can’t change how we work in the system, the system simply won’t change.

Dr Colman Casey, HIHI National Director.

Originally published by Health Manager’s Journal: https://www.healthmanager.ie/2018/06/ireland-ideally-placed-to-be-a-world-leader-in-total-connected-health-solutions/

 

The Irish healthcare system is in desperate need of new ideas and new solutions

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THE IRISH HEALTHCARE system is in desperate need of new ideas and new solutions to deeply embedded problems.

Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) works across the health sector with Irish businesses to creatively solve problems and improve patient care. Harnessing this innovation, through development of new healthcare technologies, products and services, will help to establish Ireland as a leading location for start-ups and will help to create Irish jobs.

The opportunity to innovate is something that we provide at HIHI. For companies, we connect products with people qualified to test them. For healthcare professionals we provide the support structures to develop ideas that will improve patient care.

HIHI will further support this innovation out with dedicated education programmes available to all HSE staff.

This week HIHI launched a double national call for businesses with new healthcare products. There is a focused call for innovations that address a specific HSE priority theme  – Enabling Positive Aging – and an open call for innovations that address any healthcare need.

The best applicants will be brought together for a Dragon’s Den style pitch in September, with the winning products fast tracked into Ireland’s health service for study. HIHI offers a powerful quid pro quo. For companies it is the opportunity for pilot and clinical validation studies and for the health service it is early access to innovative products and devices.

The total spend on healthcare in Ireland is among the highest in the OECD. Our healthcare outcomes don’t seem to reflect this level of investment. Something has to change.

Of course extra investment would help, but it’s not a panacea. The move worldwide is towards personalised healthcare that empowers the patient. For instance, TickerFit, a previous HIHI company, with a product used in cardiac rehab enables clinical teams to prescribe, educate and monitor a patient’s recovery from a distance through a wearable device.

Broadly speaking, treatments such as this could mean there are less patients attending hospital and more care takes place in the community. This is the direction that we should be taking our health service in and HIHI can help with that.

The HSE faces many pressures including a rapidly ageing population, rising incidence of long-term conditions, increased costs and budget limitations. The HSE recognises that collaboration with enterprise through HIHI can benefit patient care, patient pathways and outcomes. This is why the HSE is directly involved.

The national call is only one of several ways in which HIHI can help reform and improve the Irish healthcare system. HIHI provides an open door for staff from all parts of the health service that have ideas and solutions to problems they encounter in their work.

Anybody can contact us; our door is open in Cork, Galway and Dublin. We assess ideas and concepts for healthcare innovation from all staff – clinical and non-clinical. We act as mentors, and advise on taking an idea and developing it into a service or product.

The most worthwhile innovation in healthcare will come from the frontline. These busy people just need the opportunity and the encouragement to tap into their own expertise.

For many years now Ireland has been losing some of its most creative healthcare entrepreneurs. Places like the Mayo Clinic in the US can offer integrated clinical practice, education and research and embrace new ideas easily. They recognise the value of Irish creativity.

HIHI will do everything possible to keep these innovators and their innovations here in Ireland. We want to drive the HIHI process across the length and breadth of this country. Irish companies should be able to develop successfully within a system that nurtures and grows indigenous enterprise.

HIHI will ensure that the Irish healthcare system will test their products and services and then leverage these new products and services to the benefit of our patients. HIHI has already made significant progress. We have worked with inspiring Irish entrepreneurs in companies such as ViClarity, TickerFit, Critical Care, FastForm, Complete GP – the list goes on.

When you consider the HIHI national call, just take a moment to reflect on the possibilities that an initiative like HIHI brings. Here is an Irish grown, government backed, good news story in health with potential for change that is boundless.

Prof John R Higgins is Principal Investigator Health Innovation Hub Ireland, UCC Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Clinical Director Maternity Directorate South/Southwest Hospital Group.

Originally appeared in journal.ie: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/the-irish-healthcare-system-is-in-desperate-need-of-new-ideas-and-new-solutions-4076716-Jun2018/?utm_source=twitter_short