This project is funded by the UK Research and Innovation’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).

 

 

This new digital innovation project builds on the existing heart failure and device service at Manchester Heart Centre, at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Around 1,000 patients with heart failure in Greater Manchester already have an implantable device such as a pacemaker or defibrillator which captures information about their health. As part of the project, the clinical team will work closely with Medtronic, the company which provides the devices, to use the data to try and detect signs of deterioration earlier and to transform care for the patient.

The challenge

Heart failure means that the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly, usually because it has become too weak or stiff, and requires intervention such as medication, a medical device or surgery. In one year alone, 4,330 admissions to hospitals in Greater Manchester were related to heart failure, with treatment costing more than £17 million. However, by better understanding and supporting the patient to manage their condition this could be much less.

The solution

The project will explore the use of remote monitoring technology in improving health outcomes for patients living with heart failure. TRIAGE HF and the Medtronic CareLink System have a high diagnostic accuracy to identify patients with worsening heart failure.

By identifying patients at an earlier time-point it creates a window of opportunity in which to optimise heart failure therapies, and there is a strong signal that it could prevent a problem, such as worsening heart failure, from turning into a crisis resulting in an unplanned heart failure admission.

Impact and outcomes

We have been evaluating the use of this novel device-based pathway to identify patients with worsening heart failure for nearly three years. This latest project looks at how we can potentially align the technology that sits within implanted devices to benefit the patient by identifying potential problems at an earlier timepoint. To date, 7/10 patients were found to have issues that required treatment. By making better use of the patient data available we hope to radically improve the effectiveness and accuracy of patient care, ultimately improving care pathways.

Greater Manchester’s devolved healthcare system creates a unique opportunity to scale up digital health opportunities at pace to the benefit of the wider population. As our systems move towards a more sustainable, value based healthcare approach, it’s crucial that healthcare providers are reimbursed on outcomes that matter to patients and thus improve their quality of life.

Partners

Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Medtronic, University of Manchester, North West EHealth

Contact

Health Innovation Manchester – info@healthinnovationmanchester.com