HIHI Marks 60th Case Study with Etrack Medical Pilot Driving Digital Innovation in Irish Community Healthcare

HIHI Marks 60th Case Study with Etrack Pilot Driving Digital Innovation in Irish Community Healthcare

🚀 Launching Our 60th Case Study: HIHI Driving Innovation in Irish Healthcare

Health Innovation Hub Ireland today reaches a significant milestone with the launch of its 60th case study, highlighting the impact of digital innovation on frontline clinical care across Ireland. The latest study spotlights the Etrack Medical pilot, a project focused on improving how community-based clinicians access prescriptions and diagnostic imaging for patients.

The milestone represents more than a numerical achievement for HIHI, reflecting years of collaboration, shared learning, and measurable progress in advancing healthcare innovation nationwide.

Across Ireland, podiatrists and allied health professionals play a vital role in managing musculoskeletal conditions, chronic disease complications, and preventative foot care. Demand for these services continues to grow due to an ageing population and rising rates of diabetes and complex long-term conditions. However, clinicians often face system barriers when patients require prescriptions or imaging referrals, frequently resulting in additional GP appointments, treatment delays, and increased healthcare costs.

The Etrack Medical pilot explored how clinically governed digital pathways could address these challenges. Coordinated by HIHI, the initiative brought together key stakeholders and gathered feedback from 16 participating podiatrists alongside usage data from the eTrack Medical platform.

The pilot delivered strong results. All participating podiatrists used the prescription service, while 75% accessed diagnostic imaging referral pathways. Clinicians reported improvements in patient care, efficiency, and integration into existing clinical workflows. The initiative also reduced the need for GP appointments solely for prescriptions or referrals, enabling faster access to appropriate treatment for patients. Notably, every participant said they would recommend the service to colleagues.

The findings suggest that innovation designed around real clinical workflows supported by strong governance can enable community healthcare professionals to work closer to the top of their clinical scope, benefiting patients, practitioners, and the wider health system.

This development is particularly significant for podiatry services in Ireland, where community clinicians manage high-risk foot conditions, diabetic complications, mobility challenges, and preventative care that can reduce hospital admissions and improve patient quality of life.

Dr. Nick Flynn, Founder and Medical Director of Etrack Medical, welcomed the findings, stating that the results validated the platform’s clinically governed care pathway and highlighted the professionalism and engagement of participating podiatrists. He added that the insights will help inform ongoing development and future collaboration with other community-based healthcare professionals.

The full case study is now available online, marking another step forward in Ireland’s ongoing journey toward digitally enabled, patient-centred healthcare.

Read here: https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Etrack.pdf