Health data from implantable devices has been collated from 1,000 heart failure patients in an effort to detect the signs of heart problems earlier and improve patient outcomes.
Greater Manchester has been allocated £338,000 from Health Data Research UK to use technology to detect signs of heart failure earlier, this is part of £3 million of Government funding for innovative data solutions awarded to ten innovative data solutions.
Health Innovation Manchester will be working with Manchester University NHS Trust, the University of Manchester and medical device company Medtronic to collect the data. The new project builds on the existing heart failure and device service at the Manchester Heart Centre, at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Heart failure means that the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly, usually because it has become too weak or stiff, and requires intervention such as medication, a medical device or surgery. In one year alone, 4,330 admissions to hospitals in Greater Manchester were related to heart failure, with treatment costing more than £17 million. However, by better understanding and supporting the patient to manage their condition this could be much less.
Around 1,000 Greater Manchester patients already have an implantable device such as a pacemaker or defibrillator which captures information about their health. As part of the project, the clinical team will work closely with Medtronic, the company which provides the devices, to use the data to try and detect signs of deterioration earlier and to transform care for the patient.
“We are maximising the benefits of digital technology to deliver 21st century healthcare to the 21st century patient”– Prof Ben Bridgewater, Chief Executive of Health Innovation Manchester
The project is set to go live February 2019. You can find out more here.
