Imagine a world where you receive a welfare message from your grandma’s TV remote control, take her on a virtual tour of the hospital so she knows what to expect during her appointment, and then enter a ward that’s just been cleaned by a busy robot.
It might sound futuristic, but it’s not as far-fetched as you think; all these life-changing eHealth initiatives are currently being developed right here in Cornwall.
Many of the county’s eHealth businesses have one common source of support – the University of Plymouth’s eHealth Productivity and Innovation in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (EPIC) project. Since 2017, EPIC has helped more than 150 organisations throughout the South West with academic support from subject matter experts at the university, professional development events, and grant funding through the Challenge Fund.
The project recently supported the attendance of several small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) at the Slush start-up event in Helsinki, Finland, where they made valuable connections with potential investors.
Mike Trebilcock, CTO of digital health software solutions provider Tango3, was one of the attendees. The company is currently in the pilot stage of prototyping a small GPS device that can be attached to defibrillators in order to track their location, minimising the length of time the devices are out of action.
“Tango3 is an amazing business,” said EPIC researcher Samantha Prime. “They’re truly embedded in the community and really passionate about what they do – very worthy of EPIC’s support.”
EPIC, a collaborative project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the South West Academic Health Science Network, might be drawing to a close this spring, but the legacy of innovation will continue.
Project manager, Jay Amies said: “We have seen some truly incredible eHealth developments in the South West over the past few years and the organisations that EPIC has supported will no doubt continue to strengthen the digital health ecosystem by providing real world solutions for their local communities. We’re extremely proud of what EPIC – together with all our partners – have accomplished.”
For more information about the EPIC project, visit: www.epicehealth.co.uk