The first eHealth Ireland regional Ecosystem meeting brings leaders from the HSE, technology innovation and community agencies together in Dundalk Institute of Technology.

The pan-European innovation healthcare projects are designed to empower and support older people and their families and community supports as well as healthcare and social support agencies.

NetwellCASALA in conjunction with the European Connected Health Alliance (ECHA)  hosted today’s event which is the first regional eHealth Ireland ecosystem meeting and focused on ‘Innovations in Home and Community Care.’

Experts and leaders in the HSE, in European health technology projects as well as clinicians, researchers, and community support agencies discussed some of the key areas affecting health and wellbeing and specifically how technology can improve the lives of older people who have health issues within their community.

“As a research centre our aim is demonstrate how innovation can be employed to truly make better our ageing experience.  It is fantastic to see just how much progress is being made collaboratively within the healthcare, governmental and not for profit organisations represented here today, to make this a reality,” Mr Bond told them.

Globally people are living into their sixties and beyond.  This is effecting all aspects of society from housing requirements, working practice, social support and of course health. 

Today one in ten Irish people are over 65, in 2040, just 22 years from now this number is set to rocket to one in four.  

The conference heard about HSE technology initiatives being developed to support better home care for older people.  

HSE Chief Clinical Information Officer Yvonne Goff said,

“eHealth Ireland’s Ecosystem is our way to reach the wider group, building on different opinions to form the solutions of the future. By engaging the experts we are able to drive forward to a solution where we work together in partnership. The expert is in all of us who has an idea to better deliver healthcare.”  

“Today has been fantastic; especially to see all the excellent and innovative projects here in the North-East,” she said. 

Among the projects demonstrated today were:

ProACT :

• A ground breaking App with the potential to vastly improve the healthcare delivered to older people who have at least two chronic conditions.  The project puts them at the centre of their own care and aims to empower older people and their carers to take more control of their healthcare by centring support on them in their home.
• NetwellCASALA, is running the Irish trials of ProACT, which is a major EU Horizon2020 project.

ECME:

• The ECME (Eastern Corridor Medical Engineering Centre) is an E8.2 million EU funded cross border research centre for excellence in cardiovascular medicine which will transform cardiac care.  By developing new models of care, smart wearable technologies and improved patient monitoring systems for older people with cardiac conditions, the centre aims to improve both clinical outcomes and patient experience.  

MAESTRO 

• A E3.1 million euro Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) project funded by the European Commission.  It aims to support the AAL market by developing an online portal which provides trust and guidance for older people and their care network, when searching for and accessing Assisted Living products and services.
• The MAESTRO project is also is creating a ‘MAESTRO accreditation process’ which will combine elements of the World Health Organisations International Classification of Functioning, the ISO’s Guide 71 along with other bespoke classification standards to assess products marketed at older people and organisations  which care for them. 

For more information on the event or any of the projects demonstrated, please contact Karen Coan, NetwellCASALA Karen.coan@dkit.ie or +353 (0)876590667.