Healthcare Wearables for Independent Living

Lead Research Organisation: University of Oxford
Department Name: Engineering Science

Abstract

Around 1 in 4 people have multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) rising to up to two-thirds in people over the age of 65 years. Treatment for this group is estimated to take up 70% of health care expenditure. Such people have poorer health, poorer quality of life, and a higher risk of dying. Key challenges for this group of people include maintaining their independence in their homes, avoiding developing further conditions that can threaten their health, and which would further impair their quality of life and minimising the high burden of healthcare for this group potentially made worse by uncoordinated health and social care. Our challenge is to improve outcomes through informed self-care and maintaining independence, while reducing healthcare costs. The current model for many MLTCs is for people to present to urgent care services when they can no longer cope at home. This reactive approach leads to frequent use of emergency hospital services when a severe episode occurs, shifting the focus of care to hospitals. Management then follows generic pathways within acute healthcare, in an attempt to stabilise the condition of the patient. Information-driven technologies will enable people to perform their own health management, which will change the model of care. Individuals will be able to manage their condition proactively. The integration of knowledge concerning individuals' co-morbidities (which are common in MLTCs) will allow personalised therapy, further maintaining independence, improving patient outcomes, and optimising the use of resources.

The proposed programme "Healthcare Wearables for Independent Living" (HW-IL) aims to develop, for the first time, a suite of predictive tools, based on regular wearable devices, to allow a step-change in the self-care of patients with MLTCs, and in the maintenance of their independence by avoiding deterioration. Patients and their carers will be guided, using such tools, to preventative management. For the first time, such tools will incorporate an integrated approach, exploiting patient-worn devices (at or near the patient), and healthcare data (from GPs and hospital information systems), working in real-time. All work will be ethically approved, and accord to the highest standards of patient confidentiality.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description NIHR Biomedical Research Centres
Amount £4,700,000 (GBP)
Funding ID NIHR203311 
Organisation Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2022 
End 11/2027
 
Description Research Chair
Amount £1,586,000 (GBP)
Organisation Royal Academy of Engineering 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2023 
End 04/2028
 
Description Research Professorship
Amount £1,823,387 (GBP)
Funding ID NIHR302440 
Organisation National Institute for Health Research 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2022 
End 11/2027
 
Description Chinese University of Hong Kong 
Organisation Chinese University of Hong Kong
Country Hong Kong 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This partnership involved the founding of the Centre for Cardiovascular Engineering, funded by £31m from the Innovation & Technology Commission of Hong Kong.
Collaborator Contribution Wearable sensing, AI for wearable sensor data, healthcare technologies.
Impact Patents, publications.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Research collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline 
Organisation GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Country Global 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Jointly working on AI methods for improving healthcare and the development of medicines.
Collaborator Contribution Data, domain expertise, problem setting.
Impact Open-access publications, support for national awards. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between AI scientists, clinicians, medical statisticians, and medical scientists.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Prestige Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Over 150 people attended the prestige lecture by Professor David Clifton on "AI for Global Health" at Hong Kong University, with invitees coming from around the south-east Asian region.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023