Trinity joins consortium to empower person-centred healthcare
Posted on: 19 November 2020
Trinity College has joined a new research consortium with a mission to bring innovative digital health information tools to patients and empower person-centred healthcare. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) launches a 5-year (€18.5M) worldwide research project that aims for improved access and understanding of health information, for safe use of medicines, risk minimisation and improved quality of life.
Trinity is one of 40 leading partners from civil society, academia and industry in 15 countries to join forces to develop novel, patient-focused healthcare information tools.
The project – Gravitate Health – aims to improve citizens timely access to trustworthy, relevant information about medicines and ensure a better understanding of health information, for safe use of medicines, risk minimization and improved quality of life.
Safe use of medication and adherence to treatment are significant public health challenges where understanding, access to accurate information, capabilities to comprehend, and trust play major roles. OECD estimates that around 200,000 premature deaths annually in Europe relate to poor medication adherence, which may cost as much as €125 billion each year in avoidable hospitalisation, emergency care and adult outpatient visits.
Empirical studies of information flows in health care show lack of interoperability and broken chains of activity which complicate information sharing. Medication information can be fragmented, unavailable or not used, so introducing risks of which the user may be unaware, for example risk of errors in use that can lead to adverse events, disability, and even death.
Professor Catherine McCabe of the School of Nursing & Midwifery is the Trinity lead in the Gravitate Health project. This unique public – private strategic partnership is co-led by the University of Oslo (public partner coordinator) and Pfizer (industry lead).
Professor McCabe will lead Evaluation of the G-lens (feasibility, usefulness, usability, understandability and adherence) and Professor Maria Brenner will lead the selection of KPIs for the project with support from team members, Mary Hughes, Carmel Doyle and Margaret McCann.
Professor McCabe said:
“The team from Trinity will play a significant role in this project. Gravitate health has the potential to save lives and reduce avoidable hospitalisation, emergency care and adult outpatient visits.
The Gravitate Lens (G-lens) is a set of digital, personalized services for timely and efficient dissemination of information on medicines to support the day-to-day health care activities and health system navigation throughout a person’s life journey. The engagement of patients in their own health relies on actionable, understandable, relevant, reliable and evidence-based information that meets their specific needs, health context, and literacy level.”
About IMI
The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is Europe’s largest public-private initiative aiming to improve health by speeding up the development of, and patient access to, innovative medicines, particularly in areas where there is an unmet medical or social need.