Facilitating health and wellbeing by developing systems for early recognition of urinary tract infections - Feather

Lead Research Organisation: University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Informatics

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common types of infection, impacting more than 92 million people worldwide. When diagnosed early, UTI's can readily be resolved with antibiotics. However, left untreated, it can lead to urosepsis (>1.6 million deaths), kidney damage and ultimately death.

Identifying the early symptoms of a UTI can be challenging, symptoms are different in younger and older people and people with underlying health conditions. In addition, there is no one symptom but a collection of symptoms that indicate a person has a UTI. These include changes to urine: colour, smell, frequency; incontinence, pain, confusion, agitation delirium, temperature, shaking and changes in sleep. This concoction of symptoms is what makes identifying the signs of a UTI difficult for the person concerned and/or their carers.

This project will gather data about the activities of an individual in their home on a continuous basis. By having data on activities of daily living, it is possible to identify changes. The Feather platform will combine these data points to recognise the emergence of a UTI. This is in fact quite difficult for an individual themselves or a carer to see. Thus, the Feather project will be able to raise an alert for investigation of a UTI, before a person could do it themselves, enabling early intervention, to get appropriate treatment quickly. For example, the following can all be indicators of behaviours that are impacted by the symptoms of UTI's, patterns for activities of daily behaviour, e.g. kettle use, change in walking pace, cognitive function through interaction with an intelligent agent, e.g. an embodied robot.

The Feather project could enable a GP to have the time to wait for lab results to urine tests to ensure appropriate prescription of antibiotics, reducing the cost to the NHS of prescriptions and improving outcomes for the patient. Early diagnosis should reduce the number of patients presenting at A&E and reduce the number of cases developing to urosepsis, kidney failure and ultimately death.

Working with stakeholders, we will co-design, co-implement and co-evaluate the Feature project.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description Protecting Minority Ethnic Communities Online (PRIME)
Amount £1,466,412 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/W032333/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 03/2025
 
Description Leuchie House Charity Technology Showcase and Fund Raiser 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The Leuchie House Charity Technology Showcase and Fundraiser event was to raise awareness of the charitys technology use and how they enganged with technology research, such as this project, that would benefit their patients and carers. They were wishing to raise that awareness with their Patron HRH Princess Anne and their donors. The FEATHER team demoed some early scenarios of use on a robot and answered questions about the research teams engagement with Leuchie House.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023