We have awarded over £800,000 to fund five ambitious research projects at centres across the UK. As part of our Healthcare Innovation Awards, leading researchers will explore new and innovative approaches to improve the delivery of vital healthcare for heart patients.
The Healthcare Innovation Fund supports visionary research that aims to explore how existing services and care for people with heart conditions across the UK could be transformed, ensuring those with heart conditions receive the very best care.
Transformative
From artificial intelligence (AI) stethoscopes to offering digital access mental health services to those living in remote areas, the five projects announced today will each receive between £100,000 and £300,000.
Professor Bryan Williams, our Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, said:
“Improving early diagnosis of hard to spot conditions or giving personalised treatment to support patients, our Healthcare Innovation Funding awards are vital in our mission to drive transformative improvements in the care that heart patients receive.
“We are delighted to fund five innovative projects in the first round and we look forward to seeing the progress they make. It is only with donations and the unwavering generosity of our supporters that we can continue to fund lifechanging research, helping people live well with heart disease.”
Blueprint for the next generation
Professor Nicholas Peters at Imperial College London will test how AI-enabled digital stethoscopes could improve diagnosis and treatment of heart conditions that are commonly underdiagnosed, such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation (AF) and valvular heart disease.
Recognising that innovation is only successful if it impacts care, the team are applying their go-to framework responsible for one of the largest deployments of AI in primary and secondary care. This will both help save thousands of lives across the NHS and provide a blueprint for the next generation of technological solutions.
Dr Chris Wilkinson at Hull York Medical School has received funding to explore how ambulance services could help clinicians spot AF, a chronically underdiagnosed heart condition that shows no obvious symptoms, leaving those that are unknowingly living with the condition at risk of stroke. Dr Wilkinson and his team are working on new technology that will link the ambulance ECG record system with GP systems to flag patients with abnormal ECGs that could have undiagnosed AF.
Mrs Louise Clayton at Leicester University Hospital is looking at ways to improve speed of access to treatment for heart failure patients. Currently, the four most common types of medication for Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) are given on a ‘low and slow’ basis, with patients starting at the lowest dose, before the dose is slowly increased.
Mrs Clayton and team aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of treating patients with a higher dose earlier on, alongside four visits from a healthcare professional over four weeks – known as the 4×4 method.
Widen access
Dr John Sharp at Golden Jubilee University National Hospital, near Glasgow, is exploring the delivery of psychological therapies using computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) to provide much-needed mental health support for patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
Up to 40 per cent of people living with an ICD report experiencing psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety. The project will assess how the use of digital solutions can improve access to psychology and allow for remote, cross-border delivery of psychological interventions for patients regardless of their geographical location, and ultimately help widen access to mental health services across the UK.
Overcome barriers
Dr Helen Wallis at the University Hospital of Wales is assessing a new 12-week exercise programme designed for people with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD). Patients will receive individualised support from physiotherapy, psychologists and nurses to help them overcome barriers to exercise and help them to improve and maintain their physical health.
Applications for the next round of Healthcare Innovation Funding Awards are open until June 2024 with a further round opening in September 2024. Find out more about how to apply here.
HOW TO APPLY
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