News
i-DEAL project gains £1.5m investment for assisted living R&D
6 November 2008
The brains behind the UK’s first i-House [1,2] have accessed more
than £1.5 million of government investment and industry backing to
create a fast track for assisted living products, in a bid to improve
the lives of more than 17.5 million people living with long-term
conditions in the UK today.
The Intelligent Design Engine for Assisted Living Technology (i-DEAL)
project, funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and Department
for Health, will be headed up by healthcare industry specialist
MedilinkWM, in partnership with i-Cue Care, GIGA Systems, Safe Patient
Systems, Health Exchange CIC and the Health Design and Technology
Institute (HDTI) at Coventry University.
Building on the success of the i-House in West Bromwich [1,2], which
incorporates the i-Cue Dynamic Support Environment — the ‘brain’ within
the intelligent house — this pioneering team of academics and industry
entrepreneurs will develop a clear path for manufacturers to develop,
test, refine and market new life-enhancing products that meet the needs
and design standards of a discerning public.
The TSB’s chief executive, Iain Gray, commented: “The impact of
living longer and the quality and potentially increasing cost of care
for those with chronic long term conditions are major societal and
economic challenges. However, such challenges also give us the incentive
to develop innovative solutions.
“Through our investment in these exciting projects, the Technology
Strategy Board is helping to bring together the UK’s world class
expertise to research and develop innovative technologies that will
bring social and economic benefits to the UK and will have global
potential.”
MedilinkWM’s project manager for i-Health, Alison Mlot said: “This
government backing will make a huge difference to the speed and ease
with which manufacturers, innovators and industry can rise to the
challenge of the UK’s ageing population and use the latest technology to
create imaginative, user friendly and easy-to-install healthcare
products for the home.”
This investment is part of an £11 million package of research and
development by the TSB’s Assisted Living Innovation Platform, which
brings the government, business and the research community together.
Turning traditional research and development on its head, the i-DEAL
project will start by creating an outline of customer needs, ranging
from reliability to design, and matching this to the possibilities
created by advancing technology.
Other UK manufacturers, to ensure their new products are fit for
purpose, will then be able to use this best practice framework,
streamlining the process. The team’s remit includes environmental
control and home-monitoring as well as telemedicine and
health-monitoring and the project is split into six key areas.
Health Exchange CIC will study market models to analyse the future
need and uptake for assistive technology. By looking at different models
for funding and the growth of technologies, a comprehensive plan can be
developed to ensure the right technology reaches the right people in the
future.
CEO Graham Beaumont, Health Exchange CIC, remarked: “This the start
of a new way to support people, enabling them to live an improved, more
independent lifestyle. The models we will be developing will form the
heart of businesses and we’re committed to making it a core part of our
own service.”
Coventry University’s HDTI will be looking at people’s experiences of
technology, establishing user groups that represent people with
physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities, drawing upon its existing
links with patient, disabled user and ageing support groups. Health
Exchange, Hereward College and Ergonova will be working with HDTI to
establish a robust methodology that will capture the physical, cognitive
and aspirational needs of end users.
HDTI Director, Simon Fielden added: “The i-DEAL project will put
service users at the heart of the design process for assisted living
products, which is why it is an important project for HDTI. I’m looking
forward to being part of a partnership project that delivers first class
products to this important market. A key benefit of this project is to
show that user involvement has real benefits for manufacturers and
designers and HDTI will be looking to use i-DEAL success to promote this
approach across the whole assisted living market sector.”
Award-winning Safe Patient Systems will head the group tackling
interoperability and performance standards for telemedicine and
diagnostic technology. In partnership with Giga Systems and i-Cue Care,
Safe Patient Systems will develop a performance specification for its
Care in the Chair product, create new software and hardware for the
processing of collected data for early warning systems, and ensure
independent operation and interoperability with the central intelligence
hub by i-Cue. MedilinkWM will also provide the opportunity for
demonstration, evaluation and development in the i-Health demonstrators.
David Morgan, managing director of Safe Patient Systems, said: “This
collaboration has offered our company the opportunity to work closely
with end users, allowing us to better understand the needs of our
customers. We will be given a valuable insight into the market place by
working closely with the other partners and look set to gain a wealth of
information which will serve Safe Patient Systems well.”
i-Cue Care will explore this further in the third part of the
project, with expertise from Halliday James and Technik2, by defining a
specification for home-based assisted living technology. As well as
developing several new products, and creating an i-Cue enabled flat at
Hereward College. The key will be ensuring that all future technologies
are compatible, making life as easy as possible for users.
Bernard Wignall, a director of Halliday James Ltd, part of the i-Cue
Care consortium, added: “The i-DEAL project provides an exciting
opportunity to work with a diverse and knowledgeable group of
organisations to develop the functionality of our i-Cue Dynamic Support
Environment and support more people by extending its use into different
areas of physical and cognitive impairment.”
After the success of the i-House in West Bromwich, which has
attracted government ministers, public sector officials, healthcare
professionals and the public, MedilinkWM will be establishing even more
demonstrators across the UK, to spark interest and give industry the
opportunity to test the market more thoroughly. It will also be
overseeing the project and ensuring that targets are achieved and
promises are kept.
Christina Keey-Andersen, Medical Technologies Cluster Manager,
Advantage West Midlands, commented: “Intelligent Health is an area of
huge potential for our regional industry to develop new products for a
rapidly emerging market. The government’s support for one of AWM’s
showcase initiatives shows that our investment is making a difference
and now our industry will be showing the rest of the world the way
forward.”
MedilinkWM’s CEO Tony Davis concludes: “Recent estimates published by
the Department of Health state that by 2030, incidences of chronic
disease in the over 65’s will more than double. That’s one of the
reasons we commissioned a YouGov survey last year, which revealed that
87% of people said they wanted to remain in their own home after
retirement, with less than 1% wanting to live in a care home.
“It showed a clear public backing for assisted living and that’s why
it’s so important that we turn this funding into real results, growing
industry, improving understanding and enhancing quality of life in the
future.”
Further information
bjhc&im news on the i-House:
1. Intelligent house for care at home launched in West Brom
www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n804028.htm
2. House pioneering assisted and sustainable living technology
unveiled
www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n805028.htm
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