The TRAIL (Technologies for Rurality, Ageing and Independent Living) laboratory at the University of Ulster joined the European Network of Living Labs (ENOLL) in 2007, helping the University of Ulster realise its vision to be a model of an outstanding regional university with a strong, international and socially inclusive research agenda.
Soon after joining the network, TRAIL was asked to comment on a feasibility plan being developed by Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to establish a European Centre for Connected Health in Northern Ireland.
TRAIL responded with key recommendations to the feasibility plan including support for the integration of viable and open innovation models that is in line with European and US emerging business innovation best practice. We recommended that embedding innovation in healthcare provision can help to drive modernisation of the National Health Service provision in Northern Ireland, and provide best practice exemplars to build confidence within healthcare staff teams.
We also encouraged the initiative to focus on engaging with all the stakeholders when designing connected health services, indicating that the key issue is to engage with the people, carers, and healthcare professionals with strong participative design methods, in order to minimise the risk of later abandonment of whatever emerges from the design process, but also in order to maximise the potential for the innovation to be well-tested and fit for purpose in the market.
We are happy to report that the government is proceeding with the initiative, and have reproduced some key comments from two key government ministers in the text below.
The Northern Ireland Health Minister Michael McGimpsey and Economy Minister Nigel Dodds announced the establishment of a ‘European Centre for Connected Health’ in Northern Ireland at the Connected Health Conference in the Waterfront in Belfast. The new Centre will take forward the introduction of new technologies to offer a better quality of life to people with long-term conditions such as diabetes or respiratory diseases.
Mr McGimpsey said: “Improving the quality of our health and social care services is essential as we strive to meet the challenges ahead. Our population is changing, we have a growing number of older people, many with chronic conditions such as respiratory and heart disease and diabetes who rely heavily on our health service. We need to be more innovative in the way we provide health and social care services to the population, Through partnership working with colleagues throughout Europe there is real potential for Northern Ireland to become a model health and social care economy for others to follow. The European Centre for Connected Health, based here in Northern Ireland, will focus on developing the region as a connected health economy, introducing new technologies and working closely with the Health and social care system to deliver this. By embracing the concept of Connected Health and applying the technology of today to improve our services, we will also sow the seeds for the different kinds of services our communities will require to meet their needs tomorrow.”
Economy Minister Nigel Dodds said, “Northern Ireland is a prime location for life science businesses, thanks to our unique combination of fresh talent and world-class research capabilities. We in Government recognise that we can achieve critical mass and a strong leadership position by combining our health and economic resources, to win new business opportunities for Northern Ireland, whilst delivering improvements to the management of chronic diseases. The European Centre for Connected Health provides a focal point for this convergence of health and economic activity. We expect that the centre will enhance Northern Ireland’s international profile and drive real economic and health benefits.”
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