CLOSE enhances the use of an artificial pancreas (AP), an innovation that assists severely ill people with type 2 diabetes. By providing strong digital connections to medical professionals, new analytical tools and training, CLOSE supports chronic patients in living at home, and promises patients and their families a better quality of life.

Origins

The artificial pancreas (AP) approaches a “technical cure” of diabetes as it measures glucose levels and uses an algorithm to determine the right amount of insulin to infuse in the patient. CLOSE seeks to improve the chronic care made possible by the AP. Conceived during the set-up of EIT Health, CLOSE employs decades of expertise in global diabetes markets and closed-loop technology, combined with a patient-centered attitude, to inform the co-creative process.

Team

CLOSE Partners include the best-in-class in a variety of fields: homecare service provision, clinical contract research, technical development and education. Integrating the experience of key opinion leaders – with capabilities in healthcare research, performance measurement and business creation – CLOSE can achieve a holistic, stakeholder-centered and impactful approach to innovation in diabetes care.

The project

CLOSE seeks to improve care and quality of life for patients with type 2 diabetes by enhancing the AP with related product and service packages to create AP+. By adding training (train-the-trainer), telemedical consultation and tools for outcome prediction and performance measurement to the AP, CLOSE will increase effectiveness of the AP, as well as eligibility for reimbursement.

During the EIT Health-funded phase of its development, CLOSE starts by establishing an AP+ paradigm to improve the efficacy of a French AP homecare ecosystem. CLOSE will build on lessons learned during this process to scale up the AP+ system, increasing the geographical reach, audiences, functionalities and interconnectedness.

Following the EIT Health-funded project phase, an AP+ business and development partnership emerging from CLOSE will grow a portfolio of highly adaptable AP+ solutions, which recognise the diversity of diabetes, people and care environments. The ambition is to improve care for patients, alleviate strain on their families, prevent further health complications, and reduce treatment costs.

Impact

CLOSE will impact:

• Patients, families, caregivers, with better health and healthcare experience.
• Healthcare systems, with cost effectiveness and sustainability.
• Industry, by opening new markets and businesses, new collaboration and education paradigms.
• EIT Health, by continuing the knowledge triangle and sustainability after EIT Health funding.

Why this is an EIT Health project

Along with its core activity, CLOSE has spawned related projects, including a consortium of active partners, a two-part EIT Health Education Summer School, a thematic study by Education students and an EIT Health design-thinking workshop. CLOSE aligns with EIT Health Focus areas of “Care Pathways” and “Bringing Care Home”.

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