Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) supports companies with innovative healthcare products by facilitating and managing the trialling and evaluation of those products in clinical settings — primary care, hospitals, pharmacies and community health centres — engaging clinical teams, patients and management, and, where required, research expertise.
HIHI issues an annual call for innovation. In 2016 ADA put forward applications for three projects.
RFID tagging for drugs
Real-time stock checks: instant locating of expensive drugs, and monitoring of stock levels, use-by dates and reorder points. This saves a great deal of time and ensures proper stock rotation with minimal wastage.
Asset management for healthcare — the smart ambulance
Instantly check that all the relevant drugs and equipment are on board, and monitor and alert on service dates for equipment and use-by dates for drugs. Saving time, wastage and possibly lives.
HomeSafe — helping older people stay at home for longer
A system of sensors to monitor movement and location both in and outside the home, with the facility to monitor health readings — blood pressure, glucose — against critical limits, and a scheduled friendly call each day to add a human element.
ADA were delighted when all three projects were accepted, with pilots, trials and evaluation due to begin on all of them. The management and staff at ADA are very pleased that their focus on new technologies, and new applications for those technologies, is recognised.