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Enterprise and Health unite to create jobs and solutions printable version

19 Oct 2012: posted by the editor - Health, Ireland

A Health Innovation Hub Demonstrator Project that will develop products such as a paperless GP referral system and a mattress steriliser was launched in UCC today (Friday) by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD and the Minister for Health Dr James Reilly TD.

The Project, which will bring together the health system, enterprise and academia in an environment where new ideas can be developed and grown, is a key measure under the Government's Action Plan for Jobs 2012. Its implementation is an important example of the cross-Government cooperation that the Action Plan delivers.

The aim of the Project which is based on international models including the North Carolina Research Triangle is twofold: · firstly, to allow healthcare companies to more quickly and more successfully deliver commercial products and services which can create jobs, by giving them access to the health service in order to test products in a real life environment and refine their products to ensure they can ultimately offer the solutions which healthcare needs, · secondly, to allow the health service to find efficiencies and improvements by facilitating the HSE and hospitals to engage and participate with innovative companies creating solutions to problems they face.

Today's announcement marks the official opening of the Demonstrator Project of the Hub, which involves a facility located at the UCC complex at Western Gateway Building, Cork. This phase of the Project brings together six innovative Irish healthcare companies with the health service by providing dedicated contact points, office space and access to the hospital system in Cork.

The six companies taking part in the demonstrator project, selected in part due to the relevance of their work to the needs of the health system, are: · Abtran, which employs over 1000 people in Ireland, is working on an innovative GP referral system in hospitals to reduce costs, improve waiting lists and improve care;

· Arann, which is working with Cork University Hospital to develop a mattress sterilisation product;
· Helix Health, which is creating an electronic prescription service which will allow prescriptions to be sent automatically from GPs to pharmacies;
· Radissens, which is working with a number of hospitals to develop technology which will allow GPs to take and process blood tests in their surgeries;
· Rigney Dolphin, which is developing along with CUH a post discharge patient telephone follow up programme which will help prevent avoidable readmissions and improve continuinty of care;
· Sláinte, which is developing paperless testing data with the Warfarin Clinic at Cork University Hospital.

The Hub will build on the strong pharmaceutical, medical device and software industries currently established in Ireland. Medical devices and pharmaceuticals alone directly employ over 50,000 people and are responsible for over €50billion in annual exports. Driven by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Health, it is a collaborative venture between Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, the Health Service Executive, Cork Institute of Technology and University College Cork.

Minister Bruton said: "This project is a win-win for enterprise and health. Through the Healthcare Innovation Hub, this Government is supporting innovative Irish companies seeking to develop products and services which can create the jobs we need. The Hub will facilitate these companies in gaining access to the health service to trial and test their products and services, and in this way allow them to bring them to market and ultimately create jobs more quickly. This is an excellent example of the Government cooperating across Departments and agencies who have not traditionally had a jobs focus, and stepping in to provide support in new and innovative ways to the companies who will create the jobs of the future. I commend Minister Reilly and all involved for their work in bringing this project to life, and am determined to ensure that we press ahead with better supports for enterprise to help businesses create the jobs we need.

"The Government's plan for jobs and growth is focused on rebuilding an economy based on enterprise, innovation and exports. We must build on the strengths we have in the multinational sector and create a powerful engine of indigenous enterprise, and announcements in recent weeks show that we are making progress towards this goal".

The Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD said: "This is a new way of working for our health service but I firmly believe that enhanced health service and industry collaboration can lead to innovative ideas resulting in efficiencies, savings for the sector, and improved patient care. I agree with Minister Bruton that the creation of jobs is important but as Minister for Health the societal importance of research, including health research should not be lost in any discussion. At the most basic and fundamental level we all desire a happy, fulfilling and healthy life. We desire this for our children, ourselves, and our older kin. While there have been major medical and scientific advances, we still face great challenges in terms of chronic disease management, ageing population, and modern lifestyle risk factors. The pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of patients has driven the advances which the health services, in Ireland and internationally, have made in terms of life expectancy and quality of life. The improved health of our fellow citizens is at the heart of what it is that we hope to achieve through research and innovation."

Dave Shanahan, Head of Abbott Strategic Health Initiatives and National Project Team Chairman, said: "Ireland is now recognising the critical role of the national healthcare system in supporting domestic innovation and commercialisation. The global healthcare market of $2.5trillion, requires ongoing product and service innovation. Ireland with its unique concentration of Pharmaceutical, medical device and ICT industries is uniquely placed to exploit this market, provided we join up all elements of the value chain. Direct Life Science exports, excluding information technology and services in healthcare, already exceed €50billion annually. The health innovation hub demonstrator project aims to join-up our indigenous and global value chain to drive product and company creation, and aims to stimulate new product development from Ireland to the world".

Head of the College of Medicine and Health at UCC and leader of the local steering group, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology John Higgins said: "It is fitting that the Health Innovation Hub Demonstrator Project should be located in this very large Western Gateway building which is an example of the type of capital investment that needs to be made if Ireland is to be committed to the development of the knowledge economy. For healthcare reform to be sustainable, we need the energy of research and business with their focus on international competitiveness, on hard outcomes, on innovative solutions to old problems. In Cork, we are planning a health summit in the coming months to look at practical ways of making the healthcare spectrum the main driver of our strategic development in the College of Medicine and Health".

The Health Innovation Hub Demonstrator Project is located in the Western Gateway Building in UCC which is a flagship facility that houses research and teaching functions for several academic units across the University, particularly in the area of ICT and biomedical sciences as well as UCC's IGNITE, Graduate Business Innovation Centre. The building also provides incubation space for new companies in gatewayUCC.

The linking of these diverse organisations will provide a forum whereby companies can work in partnership with practitioners on their products at an early stage, test their products in a real life environment and refine their products to ensure they can ultimately offer the solutions which healthcare needs. The benefits are twofold: improved patient care and possible commercial development of products/Intellectual property.

Healthcare Innovation Hub: companies selected for demonstrator project:
1. Arran Healthcare Project Title: "Evaluation of an innovative, safe and effective way to decontaminate healthcare equipment" The goal of this project is to demonstrate cost savings and the reduction in patient-infection rates associated with the introduction of a new disinfection system to the healthcare market developed by Arann Healthcare called RADICA.

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAIs) are those infections that are acquired when in contact with the healthcare sector. Between 5 and 10% of all patients who pass through the healthcare system will contract a HCAI, resulting in more serious illness (in some cases death), prolonged hospital stay, reduced bed capacity and higher patient treatment costs. Two common HCAIs are the hospital "Superbugs" MRSA and E-coli.

The recognised role of the patient environment (and the mattress) in the spread of infection is growing given that bacteria can survive or persist on surfaces for months, thereby acting as a continuous source of re-transmission Hospital.

Arann Healthcare's RADICA system has been specially designed to disinfect a wide range of objects found in the patient bay with primary focus on hospital mattresses. It uses plasma-gas discharge technology to generate a disinfectant gas from normal room air without the need for added gases, chemicals or water. RADICA is an efficient, consistent and safe disinfection method for disinfecting objects and allows healthcare facilities to better utilise their limited resources, significantly reduce HCAI treatment costs, and increase bed capacity.

The proposal is broken down into 3 parts. Part 1 will collect clinical data to identify and quantify pathogens that are most commonly found on objects in the patient bay (including mattresses). Part 2 will carry out a cost analysis of current decontamination techniques under a number of different headings will provide a benchmark for comparing current methodologies against those associated with RADICA. And finally, Part 3 will trial RADICA on a number of hospital wards. Patient infection rates will be monitored over an extended period to time between wards using current cleaning practices and those wards using RADICA to determine the reduction in infection levels obtained.

The use of plasma technology for decontamination is a natural progression that is in line with the government's focus on the promotion of greener, cleaner technologies. Taking part in the HIH will enable Arann Healthcare to further validate and evaluate RADICA in a real working hospital environment, and represents a key element in our route-to-market strategy. This study provides a conduit to determine the ancillary cost benefits of using the system in addition to the expected decrease in the infection level of patients, thereby providing a showcase for our system to a wider market.

About Arann Healthcare:
Arann Healthcare is an Irish firm with extensive knowledge and experience in plasma gas discharge technology. We have used this expertise to develop systems for disinfecting hard-to-clean objects, aiding the prevention and control of Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) such as MRSA, VRE and E-coli.

Incorporated following the successful sale of a previous venture to a leading US firm, Arann Healthcare has used its core competency of plasma gas discharge to produce the RADICA system, a breakthrough in infection control with applications across a range of healthcare environments.

Arann Healthcare is supported by AIB Seed Capital Fund, Enterprise Ireland and private investors.

Further information about Arann Healthcare and our RADICA disinfection system can be found at: www.arannhealthcare.ie, or by e-mailinginfo@arannhealthcare.ie.

2. Abtran Abtran is the leading Irish Business Process and Managed Services provider offering centralised service solutions across the public and private sectors. The company has a research driven and commercially orientated approach to the delivery of consumer services. Abtran has developed an innovative service solution which standardises and centralises the co-ordination of outpatient referrals in the healthcare system. The benefits include an overall better and safer service for patients, a real and positive impact on waiting lists, exponentially reduced costs and the delivery of more for less within the healthcare system, with a relatively short payback period.

The Healthcare Innovation Hub will enable Abtran to further develop its services to the healthcare sector both nationally and internationally.

"We focus on delivering better service for our clients' customers, for less. We have identified the healthcare sector as a key market where we can leverage our service expertise for patients. We see the opportunity to provide a more customer focused service to patients in the same way we do for our clients across the public and private sectors. We have an unrivalled track record in delivering innovative solutions and we believe we can continue to transfer this expertise into the healthcare sector." Michael Fitzgerald, CEO Abtran.

Abtran employs over 1,000 people in Ireland.

3. Radisens Based in the Rubicon Centre, Cork
Radisens Diagnostics is breaking new ground in the decentralisation of routine blood testing from central reference laboratories into GP surgeries, outpatient clinics, hospital bedsides and other point-of-care settings. With a finger-prick of blood, this diagnostic device returns laboratory-grade results within minutes during a patients GP visit. Radisens' applications concentrate on chronic disease management—the monitoring of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney and thyroid function, cell counting, amongst others; all with a single portable analyser. With instant readout, this patent pending technology will remove the many anxious days or even weeks of waiting for routine blood test results, thus providing better patient care, significantly reducing healthcare costs and introducing much needed efficiencies into healthcare systems worldwide.

As part of the Healthcare Innovation Hub, Radisens is planning a clinical reference testing site in partnership with the HSE and local hospitals. This will be of huge benefit to the company, testing and validating the point-of-care technology in a controlled and regulated environment ahead of commercial launch. Studies show that instant blood test results of chronic conditions, with GP consultation, can improve patient compliance with their medication and better manage such conditions. With Ireland spending up to €1.45 billion annually on managing chronic diabetes alone, this clinical reference site is crucial in designing the efficient integration of this disruptive technology, which promises huge savings for chronic disease management.

4. Rigney Dolphin Post Discharge Call Programs
With the rising cost of healthcare and the advent of chronic conditions health systems and healthcare providers are under severe pressure throughout the world to look at innovative but cost effective ways to improve patient care.

Post Discharge Call Programs are standardized patient calling programs aimed at increasing the continuity of care and preventing avoidable readmissions after patients leave the hospital setting. Programs can be aimed at generic patient populations or targeted to specific diagnoses. Rigney Dolphin has been providing a post discharge follow up program on behalf of the Cleveland Clinic since February 2011. Areas included in this program include:

· Heart & Vascular
· General Surgery
· Colorectal Surgery
· Gastroenterology
· Hepatology
· Otolaryngology & Communicative Disorders
· Plastic Surgery
· Pulmonary
· Urology · Nephrology and Hypertension
· Endocrine Surgery,
· Obstetrics & Gynaecology
· Breast Centre
· Orthopaedic Surgery

Registered nurses or Discharge Advocates call the patients within a 48 hour window post discharge to discuss the patient's progress and recovery. Patient concerns can be proactively addressed on the call. Scripted calling allows for data collection and analysis for population health management.

Key lines of questioning include; understanding and adhering to discharge instructions, follow-up appointment setting, medication adherence or problems, new or worsening symptoms since discharge and key readmission indicators for their condition. Re-education on clinical and non-clinical elements of recovery is a major part of the program.

Measurements and results from health device such as blood pressure cuffs can also be tracked with problems mitigated and their use advocated through communication. Protocols are put in place for escalations and clinical escalation can include escalation to primary and secondary care teams.

Results of published successful programs in the US from the Healthway's Center for Research (2011) and the Beryl Institute (2011) include 23% reduction in readmissions and a 12% increase in patient satisfaction.

Since commencement of the Cleveland Clinic program, Rigney Dolphin has also helped Cleveland Clinic achieve higher HCAHP (Patient Satisfaction linked to penalties) scores across the board and is positively helping all areas tackle readmission rates and enhance patient outcomes. In total in 2012 over 50,000 US based discharged patients will be contacted by Rigney Dolphin's healthcare team through the program.

Rigney Dolphin sees the Healthcare Innovation Hub as an ideal opportunity to introduce similar programs in Ireland with decreased avoidable readmissions, reduced lengths of hospital stay, improved patient outcomes and high patient satisfaction key indicators of success.

5. Slainte Healthcare Company Overview
Sláinte Healthcare is a rapidly expanding provider of technology and services to the acute healthcare sector. 'Sláinte'—pronounced 'Slawn-tcha'—is the Irish language (Gaelic) word for 'Good Health'.

Privately owned and part funded by the Enterprise Ireland, Sláinte was founded by CEO, Andrew Murphy, in 2006 and is now one of the fastest growing, profitable, healthcare technology companies in the UK and Ireland. Employing over 70 staff, the company has on average doubled in size annually since foundation. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and with a presence in UK, Middle East, Australia and Asia, Sláinte enables hospitals to maximize clinical and operational performance through the use of the technology platforms.

Vitro: Intelligent Paper on Glass
Vitro enables clients to rapidly move to a paperless environment without the change management issues or operational risk involved in the deployment of traditional EPR solutions. IT has also been applied to automating the revenue cycle for hospitals with spectacular results.

Our "paper on glass" approach is built to mould itself to each hospital's unique clinical and operational characteristics. We then enable the benefit of accessing internationally leading best-practice action sets and decision support data. Our clients, as a result, typically benefit from:

· Rapid deployment and adoption by stakeholders within the hospital;
· Minimal training or operational disturbance during rollout;
· Rapid elimination of administrative costs;
· Rapid identification of opportunities for improvement in clinical and operational processes;
· Ability to leverage all existing systems within the hospital into the Vitro framework; and
· Enable a platform for continuous improvement on an iterative basis with staff buy-in. Claimsure

Claimsure® is a web-based, robust and proven Revenue Management Solution which enables the electronic processing of Private Health Insurance claims. Claimsure® electronically manages all aspects of a hospital's claim from patient admission to discharge, including e-submissions to participating health insurance providers. It replaces the existing paper processing of insurance claims and integrates with the Hospital's admissions, clinical, and patient administration system. This minimises the cost and time involved in collating, validating, submitting and reconciling health insurance claims.

Billsure
Billsure enables automated invoice generation for hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers. Billsure manages the entire billing process, changing a paper-based process to a traceable electronic process. Billsure also fully integrates with Sláinte Healthcare's Claimsure application, automatically associating any invoice for insurers to the relevant electronic claim.

System Integration
Sláinte Healthcare's integration expertise stems from the fact that all our products are predicated on seamless integration to disparate internal hospital systems. As a result, we have developed tremendous expertise in healthcare systems integration addressing a wide range of issues.

6. Helix Health
Helix Health is a leading provider of innovative healthcare software and IT solutions. With over 25 years' experience in designing healthcare software systems, the organisation's range of cutting-edge technology helps more than 11,000 healthcare professionals across Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Middle East deliver efficient, safe and cost-effective patient services.

Helix Health's unique position across the Irish healthcare sector allows the company to work towards its vision to create Ireland's very first fully joined-up healthcare system by electronically connecting healthcare providers through the deployment of the Irish Electronic Prescription Service (IEPS).

The Irish Electronic Prescription Service will allow a patient's prescription to be sent electronically from their GP to a pharmacy. Once fully operational, a patient may nominate a preferred pharmacy to which their prescriptions can be sent automatically.

The ultimate aim of the IEPS is to enhance the patient's journey through the primary healthcare system by changing from the paper-based prescription system to an electronic one which is more efficient and consistently accurate.

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