NetwellCASALA at DkIT leads Irish trials for €4.67m EU Horizon2020 Project to Revolutionise Digital Healthcare for Older People

The pioneering health technology project, led by Trinity College will enable older people with multiple chronic illnesses to better manage their illnesses at home.

Dundalk, Ireland, 10 June 2016. Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) has this week announced that its multi-disciplinary research centre, NetwellCASALA will lead trials for a pioneering digital health technology project that will enable older people with multiple chronic diseases to self-manage their conditions and to be cared for in their own homes.

Currently, 50 million patients in Europe suffer from two or more chronic conditions (or multimorbidity) and in Ireland, there are approximately 16,000 people aged 65 and over with more than one chronic illness. The four main types of chronic diseases are cardiovascular disease (e.g. congestive heart failure), cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes.

The new ProACT system will allow older people who have two or more of these chronic illnesses and their network of informal and formal carers including GP’s, pharmacists and hospital based doctors to input and access relevant information about the older person’s conditions in one central location.  It is a unified proactive approach to managing several chronic conditions in older people, which is centred on the older person staying at home instead of constantly having to attend medical appointments.

NetwellCASALA at DkIT, supported by Trinity College Dublin, will lead the 12 month Irish proof of concept trial in conjunction with the HSE in the North East and home care specialists Home Instead.  The trial aims to test the designed technological system with 60 patients in Louth.

Dr. Julie Doyle principle investigator for ProACT at NetwellCASALA said “ProACT is an incredibly exciting project to be part of as it has the potential to really revolutionise healthcare for older people with multiple chronic conditions”.  Speaking at the launch, Tim McCormac head of research at DkIT added “we are delighted to lead the trials for ProACT. NetwellCASALA at DkIT has unrivalled expertise in delivering complex high-profile research projects that aim to harness technology to improve the lives of older people.  ProACT is a hugely important initiative as we seek to deliver much needed care to our older people with chronic health conditions in an environment of diminishing resources and rising costs.  We look forward to working with the HSE in the North East to uncover the benefits that this new system can offer society globally”.

For further information on ProACT, please reference www.proact2020.eu or contact NetwellCASALA.