Call for innovative solutions for chronic disease

A national call by Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) for businesses to provide innovative solutions for healthcare as well as a specific call for the prevention, early diagnosis, and self-management of chronic illness will run until the end of January.

Applications may be submitted to either the ‘open call’, for innovations that address any healthcare need or the ‘focused call’ for innovations that address a HSE identified priority theme. For this submission period, the focused call centres on supporting self-management of chronic disease including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and diabetes.

Speaking to the Medical Independent (MI), Lead Principal Investigator HIHI Prof John Higgins described innovations in the area of chronic disease as the “holy grail” in healthcare.

“Chronic disease creates a massive burden on the health service,” according to Prof Higgins.

“This makes identifying risk factors, and also self-management incredibly important. And for this we need innovative solutions.”

Prof Higgins said HIHI is now an important part of the healthcare landscape in harnessing innovation to improve patient care.

Since it was launched in September 2016, HIHI has managed 265 company engagements, 166 of these have resulted in follow-up support activities and 60 of these have developed into active projects within the Irish healthcare system.

Companies must submit an application form, available for download on hih.ie.  Short-listed applicants are invited to pitch to an expert HIHI panel. The panel is comprised of subject matter experts along with representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Health Research Board and the HSE. For each successful application HIHI oversees a study of each product in an Irish clinical setting and then authors a report upon completion of the study. The completed report can offer leverage for products in international markets, enhance distribution opportunities and inform further development.