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Enterprise Ireland HSE SBIR Challenge Launch

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Enterprise Ireland is delighted to announce their Small Business Innovation Research challenge launch with the HSE. The topic of this challenge is Diabetes. Please click here for the full press release. We would really appreciate if you could share this information with any relevant companies, researchers or entrepreneurs that may be interested.

Diabetes is a serious global public health issue which has been described as the most challenging health problem in the 21st century. Between 1998 and 2015, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of doctor diagnosed diabetes among adults in Ireland (increasing from 2.2 % in 1998 to 5.2 % in 2015). The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes in Ireland ranges from 0.9 – 2.8% of the population.   People with diabetes are at serious risk of developing microvascular complications which can result in damage to feet, resulting in loss of sensation, damage to the back of the eye which can lead to blindness and damage to kidneys which can result in kidney failure.

This new SBIR competition specifically targets two key unmet needs:

  1. Reducing the risk of women developing diabetes following gestational diabetes
  2. Screening for diabetic foot disease in all patients with diabetes

Development contracts are 100% funded across a two phased process and focused on specific identified needs, increasing the chance of exploitation.  Suppliers will be selected by an open competition process and retain the intellectual property generated from the project, with certain rights of use retained by HSE. This is an excellent opportunity to establish an early customer for a new technology and to fund its development. The competition will be run by HSE, supported by EI following the SBIR model.

Please see link to eTenders to apply to the challenge. If you have specific queries on this challenge please post them on the e-tenders link.

Please note we will be holding a briefing event on Tuesday 5th of February 2019 in Galway City. (Details and link for registration to follow)

Click here for more information

 

 

Health Innovation Hub Ireland Coordinates the development and delivery of a new online Asthma Management Programme.

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October 8th 2018: Health innovation Hub Ireland, UCC School of Pharmacy, and  the Department of Physiotherapy (University College Cork) launch  http://asthmamangement.ucc.iea new online course aimed at Pharmacists and Physiotherapists for the management of Asthma.

About Asthma Programme

This course was developed by a collaboration between the School of Pharmacy, Department of Physiotherapy (University College Cork), GSK, the Physiotherapy Department of University Hospital Kerry, the Asthma Society of Ireland and Health Innovation Hub Ireland. The course incorporates novel flexible learning software to provide physiotherapists, pharmacists and all healthcare professionals with up-to-date knowledge on the causes and treatment strategies of asthma, and strategies that physiotherapists and pharmacists can use to optimise patient welfare. The course also provides these professionals with tools to empower patients to manage their own conditions.

Professor Stephen Byrne, Chair in Clinical Pharmacy Practice, and Head of the School of Pharmacy in University today commented;
that the Asthma programme will be successful due to the combined interprofessional efforts taken in the design and development of materials which are patient-centric in nature.  The importance of having collaborated with the Asthma Society will further enhance the adaption of this material across all healthcare professionals.  I am delighted to have been part of this project and to see such a wonderful educational package produced at the end.”

GSK Funded

This online continuing professional development (CPD) course was possible because of the very generous funding from GlaxoSmithKline through their Independent Medical Education grant. This funding allowed for the closure of a gap in the care of patients with asthma in Ireland. GSK spokesperson today commented;

‘’ GSK is proud to support this innovative Asthma Management Programme and the UCC School of Pharmacy’s mission to educate pharmacists to the highest professional standards. This free online CPD accredited module will enable community pharmacists all over the country to remotely access up to date information on the diagnosis, treatment and management of asthma. Optimal asthma management is essential to prevent attacks and GSK is committed to helping those with the condition do more, feel better and live longer.”

 CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland, Sarah O’Connor also commented;

“We in the Asthma Society of Ireland are delighted to have been involved with UCC and GSK in creating the new CPD training for pharmacists and physiotherapists on asthma. There are 470,000 people with asthma in Ireland – we have the fourth highest prevalence of asthma in the world, where one in five children and one in ten adults have asthma. We aim to help people with asthma to live a full life, symptom free and this course will assist pharmacists and other healthcare professionals in their work to support people with asthma. Pharmacists and healthcare professionals are key gatekeepers in asthma care, patients rely on them and they can hugely help patients to manage their condition. We want to eliminate asthma deaths and we believe that pharmacists can play a key role in achieving that. This CPD course is only one step in the journey of working with pharmacists and healthcare professionals, but it is a very important one.”

About Course 

Both physiotherapists and pharmacists can be intimately involved in the treatment of patients with this long-term respiratory condition. However, there are infrequent opportunities for both groups of professionals to develop a shared understanding of patient’s experience of the condition, and of the important work that both professions play in improving to the fullest the quality of life of patients suffering from asthma.  Whilst this programme is aimed primarily at pharmacists and physiotherapists, it is of relevance to all healthcare professionals in both primary and secondary care settings.

Asthma Programme

Link to Asthma Management programme overview and content http://asthmamanagement.ucc.ie

Free pic no repro fee 02 November 2018
Helen O’Dwyer , External Relations Manager, GSK,Sarah O’Connor, CEO, The Asthma Society of Ireland, Prof. Stephen Byrne, Head of School of Pharmacy UCC and Dr Tanya Mulcahy, National Manager, Health Innovation Hub Ireland at The launch in UCC, School of Pharmacy for the new Novel flexible learning interprofessional programme on asthma management , The course was developed by a collaboration between the School of Pharmacy, Department of Physiotherapy UCC, GSK, the Physiotherapy Department of University Hospital Kerry, the Asthma Society of Ireland and Health Innovation Hub Ireland.
Photography Gerard McCarthy 087 8537228
more info contact Tara O’Leary, Communications, College of Medicine and Health
(CoMH) UCC 0858077849 email tara.oleary@ucc.ie

 

Free pic no repro fee 02 November 2018
at The launch in UCC, School of Pharmacy for the new Novel flexible learning interprofessional programme on asthma management , The course was developed by a collaboration between the School of Pharmacy, Department of Physiotherapy UCC, GSK, the Physiotherapy Department of University Hospital Kerry, the Asthma Society of Ireland and Health Innovation Hub Ireland.
Photography Gerard McCarthy 087 8537228
more info contact Tara O’Leary, Communications, College of Medicine and Health
(CoMH) UCC 0858077849 email tara.oleary@ucc.ie

 

IPPOSI Patient Education Programme 2019 – now open for applications

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The call for applications to the 2019 IPPOSI Patient Education Programme in Health Innovation is now open. This 10-month blended-learning education programme, the first of its kind in Ireland, runs from January to November 2019 on a number of IPPOSI-relevant topics. 

The programme is being led by IPPOSI, in partnership with a number of education partners, and will cover the following topics:

1. Understanding Clinical Trials – delivered by the University College Dublin Clinical Research Centre

2. Regulatory Affairs, Medicinal Product / Medical Device Safety, and Pharmacovigilance – delivered by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)

3. Health Technology Assessment principles and practices – delivered by the Dept. of Medicine & Therapeutics, Trinity College Dublin, in association with the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE)

All of the information you need to complete the application – including a Guide for Applicants, a link to the online application form – and last year’s instructional webinar are available on the IPPOSI website at the link below.

The closing date for applications is midnight, Sunday 18th November 2019. Apply here

PLEASE NOTE:

Applications will be accepted from:

Employees/volunteers of patient organisations in the Republic of Ireland

Patients with a chronic and/or lifelong illness/condition who is not affiliated with a patient organisation and who participates or intends to participate in projects / activities / committees etc. to represent his/her personal experience as a patient and/or the perspective of an informal group of patients

Family member / carer (not affiliated with a patient organisation) of a patient with a chronic and/or lifelong illness/condition who participates or intends to participate in projects / activities / committees/etc. to represent patients.

Please examine all of the supporting documents on the IPPOSI website before making your application to ensure eligibility, and a thorough understanding of the commitments involved.

IMSTA 2018 recognises the best innovations in medical technology in use in Ireland!

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Great excitement as IMSTA Recognises the best innovations in medical technology in use in Ireland

Every year the IMSTA Awards gather more and more momentum, and this year the much coveted MedTech Award trophies vied for space in Croke Park with the mighty (if battered) Sam Maguire Cup!

Our seasoned and excellent MC, Anton Savage of The Communications Clinic, managed the many excited winners who took to the podium to collect their Awards.  This year’s winners of theEnterprise Ireland Most Innovative Awardwere Johnson & Johnson for their Embotrap, a mechanical thrombectomy device, in the Multi National section, and Hospital Services Limited for their NisoBiomet – Endofaster, Real Time Gastric Juice Analysis, in the SME section.

A full list of winners is below, and again this year eHealth/Digital Health featured in the Awards, with the Royal Belfast Hospital Trust winning the Healthcare Innovation Award for their Virtual Reality MRI App. , Synrcophi Systems for their KEWS 300, and VideoDoc for their online doctor platform.  In fact again this year we had a double winner as Syncrophi and VideoDoc were also winners in the Most Cost Effective Product or Service Award sponsored by Health Innovation Hub Ireland.  Two very worthy winners focused on improving patient care in Ireland and keeping people out of hospitals.

Our special guest on the evening was Dr. Eve Bruce a specialist burns surgeon from Dingle who is currently medical coordinator of the Al Mowasa Hospital for Reconstructive Surgery in Amman, Jordan.  She is an experienced Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders field worker having completed assignments in some of the most challenging contexts in which MSF works, including Afghanistan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Her story and experiences on the front line were an inspiration to everyone working in patient care.

IMSTA as the representative body for the Medical Technology supply industry in Ireland provides a forum for the development and advocacy of policies that support innovation in medical technology to address patients’ healthcare needs. Their members provide safe, effective and innovative medical technologies that save and enhance lives, benefiting people and society.

The MedTech sector employs over 30,000 highly skilled people and exports over €12.5 billion worth of medical devices annually.

See full list of Award Winners here:  https://www.imsta.ie/imsta-awards/

Bank of Ireland: Investing for Business Growth

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Join Bank of Ireland, HRM & Island Bridge Brand Development as we explore some of the key challenges facing  Manufacturers today and review potential solutions.

Bank of Ireland: Investing for Business Growth event takes place on Wednesday, 10th October at Workbench, Bank of Ireland, 70 Patrick Street, Cork.  Doors open at 7.40am

Please click on below link for registration and information

https://events.bizzabo.com/210730/home

 

 

Over 40 per cent increase in HIHI double national call applications

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In June we launched a national call – both focussed and open – to Irish industry. The open call was aimed at companies, start-ups, SMEs, who have innovative products or services that are at pre-commercial, demonstration or late development phase and have the potential to significantly impact healthcare. Our partner, the HSE, highlighted a strategic need for the health service in the focussed call – ‘Enabling positive ageing’.

The call closed at the end of August and we can now share that we have seen a 40 per cent increase in HIHI national call applications.

  • Total applications were up to 66, from 45 in 2016.
  • Focused call applicants more than doubled this year when compared to 2016, from 28 to 12.
  •   Open call also increased, from 33 applications in 2016 to 38 this year.

Next is stage two, where successful applicants are invited to a rigorous competitive pitch process, with representatives from Enterprise Ireland, HSE, Science Foundation Ireland, Health Research Board and other influencers that they would not ordinarily have direct access to.

At stage three, we acts as a broker, matching companies with relevant clinical teams, overseeing a study of each product in a real life Irish clinical setting.

Watch this space!