As well as providing the technical platform for the entire application process, the Birmingham-based company will offer professional advice and mentoring to the prize winner, and the use of its dedicated Innovation Centre.
The NHS Innovation Challenge Prizes, which opened for applications on 15th September 2014, exist to recognise and reward ideas from frontline staff that see patients, day in, day out, and encourage the adoption of these ideas across the NHS. Digital patient and clinician engagement is one of several areas the NHS England competition is looking to support.
Data and digital transformation is heralded as a key driver in ensuring the future of the NHS. According to NHS England at least £8bn savings a year are possible if the service can make better use of technology.(1)
To support this, the 2014/15 Innovation Challenge Prizes offers the winner of its digital patient and clinician engagement category £100,000, as well as Health Fabric's support to help them drive the spread and adoption of their innovation across the NHS.
"We know from our work the benefits that technology can bring for patients, carers and frontline staff," said Satnam Bains, Chief Executive Officer of Health Fabric.
"Patients best understand how a condition affects them. Clinicians know how to treat the illness, and help patients manage their condition. Engaging both patients and clinicians in treatment saves lives and saves money. It is no wonder the US healthcare commentators hail such engagement as ‘the blockbuster drug of the century".(2)
"The challenge to would-be winners is to make a difference with digital adoption and help both patients and clinicians work together to achieve the best health outcomes."
The NHS England prize is now in its fifth year, and is heralded as the most ambitious to date with up to £650,000 in prize money to support NHS-led innovations in the areas of diabetes, infection control, use of technology, rehabilitation, and digital patient and clinician engagement. Previous winners have offered innovations for falls, dementia, diagnostics and care coordination.
The programme has been designed with input from hundreds of frontline NHS staff and key stakeholders, and is aligned closely to NHS England’s five delivery domains which reflect the main challenges faced by the NHS today.
Innovations are sought that can deliver the following:
- Improved outcomes for patients.
- Better value for money.
- New models delivering care that are flexible and responsive to the needs of local communities.
- Innovative ways of harnessing recent and upcoming innovations in modern medicine.
- Personalised services that reflect the needs and expectations of patients and their families.
"We believe that everyone should be given the ability to improve their health and wellbeing. We know how digital technology can help," continued Bains. "Now we want to help others make their virtual ideas a reality."
Health Fabric joins other high profile supporters - including 3M, Accenture and Janssen - to help NHS England make positive ideas flourish.
The deadline for entry submissions for the NHS Innovation Challenge Prizes is 17:30 on the 7thNovember 2014. For more information about the prizes visit the NHS Innovation Challenge Prizes site www.england.nhs.uk/challengeprizes/
About Health Fabric
Health Fabric is a Birmingham-based company that provides an integrated software solution that enables primary, secondary, social care and patients to be actively involved in understanding, planning and decision making to improve or maintain health and well being. Featured on the BBC One Show, the app will feature wellbeing packages with goals, actions and supportive information to help individuals manage their diabetes, COPD, dementia, or lose weight and stop smoking.
1. Punish EPR laggers, http://ehi.co.uk/news/EHI/9650/punish-epr-laggers---kelsey
2. Patient Engagement is the Blockbuster Drug of the Century. 9 September 2012, Forbes, Dave Chase, http://www.forbes.com/sites/davechase/2012/09/09/patient-engagement-is-the-blockbuster-drug-of-the-century/