Optimising drug use in older people through patient-centered decision support
The miniQ innovation is a web-based clinical decision support system to help older patients and their doctors optimise prescriptions and to avoid potential complications caused by drug treatments. The EIT Health miniQ Innovation Project adapts the system for expansion in the European market.
Origins
Medications can be of more harm than benefit for older people. The growing proportion of older persons and their increasing drug utilisation call for more vigilance against drug conflicts, side-effects and other drug problems. A decision support system can prevent such problems. Developed in Sweden and used to optimise drug treatment for older adults in the clinical setting since 2003, miniQ is one of the most powerful decision support systems in Europe.
Team
The EIT Health project miniQ is a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Servicio Madrileño de Salud, Keele University West Midlands Academic Health Science Network and GENESIS Biomed. The Swedish company Quality Pharma Medtech International AB, which develops the miniQ system, is an external partner.
The project
Older adults in Europe are using an increasing number of drugs, often in complex combinations, creating potential problems. The miniQ project brings a clinical decision support system, proven to help prevent these problems, to the European market, starting with Spain and the UK.
The work started with adapting miniQ to the local language and national drug formularies, which identify preferred prescription drugs, in Spain and the UK. The second part of the project pilot-tests miniQ in clinical settings in primary and hospital care. The third part is devoted to preparing the launch of miniQ on the European market, including creation of a business plan, market access actions, regulatory support and business development.
In parallel, a massive open online course educates health professionals about “drugs and ageing”, teaching good geriatric pharmacology practices while promoting the miniQ system.
EIT Health’s involvement in the project made it possible to form a strong creative team and prepare for implementation of the miniQ system outside of Sweden, with the potential to reach more countries in Europe, and possibly beyond the continent.
Impact
The miniQ system will provide valuable support for prescribers caring for older patients with complex drug regimes. More widespread use of miniQ may reduce the number of adverse drug events in Europe, leading to better health and quality of life for European citizens and cost-savings for the health care systems. By providing the free-of-charge patient module, SeniorminiQ, we can contribute to patient empowerment and increased knowledge.
Why this is an EIT Health project
With its focus on older patients, the miniQ project follows the EIT Health goal to “deliver solutions to enable European citizens to live longer, healthier lives”. It specifically coincides with the EIT Health Focus Areas of “Creating the Enabling Environment for Healthcare Transformation” by providing an innovative system for healthcare management.
External Partners:
- Quality Pharma Medtech International AB
Partners
CLC/InnoStars: Spain
Partner classification: Business
Partner type: Associate
GENESIS Biomed is a consultancy firm in the biomedical healthcare sector specialized in providing consulting services to spin-off and start-up companies, entrepreneurs and research centers. Based in our expertise we help entrepreneurs and researchers to shape their business plan and we support them in the private fundraising process. We have worked on 253 projects of 15 different types and we have raised more than 67.5 M€ in the last 6 years. Our expertise domains are biopharmaceutical, biotechnological, medical devices, in vitro diagnostic, digital health nutraceutical and cosmetic. With more than 20 years of expertise in the healthcare sector, we are born in May 2017 and we are located in the Barcelona Science Park and in the center of Madrid.
GENESIS Biomed
GENESIS Biomed, Carrer de Baldiri Reixac, 4-12-15, 08028 Barcelona, España
CLC/InnoStars: Scandinavia
Partner classification: Education, Research
Partner type: Core Partner
Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical Universities. Our mission is to contribute to the improvement of human health through research and education. Our research covers the entire medical field, from basic molecular biological research, to clinical epidemiology and nursing science. Since 1901 the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has selected the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine. With our close relationship to the clinical world, a well-established infrastructure, a unique innovation system and financial stability, Karolinska Institutet has excellent prerequisites for sustaining high-quality research and education.
Key Activities in Corporate Innovation
Pharma, Med Tech, Diagnostics, Imaging, Nutrition
Key Activities in Social Innovation
Healthcare provision
Key Activities in Business Creation
Incubation, Technology Transfer, Business coaching, Testing & Validation
Key Activities in Education
Entrepreneurship training, Medical faculties, Healthcare professional education/training
CLC/InnoStars: Spain
Partner classification: Municipality / City, Hospital / University Hospital
Partner type: Core Partner
Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS) is the public health provider of the region of Madrid. SERMAS belongs to the Spanish National Health System and provides services to more than 6 million citizens through 38 hospitals and 424 primary care centres. SERMAS is an international reference for high-specialized medicine; it is equipped with state-of-the art stage technologies and characterized by high-qualified health professionals distributed in three domains: primary care, hospital care and emergency care through SUMMA 112. SERMAS has one of the best public primary care systems in good coordination with hospital care and social services in order to provide integrated care and achieve real impact on patients and families. In order to improve health research management and coordination, SERMAS works with 13 Research Foundations that support from the economic and administrative point of view research and innovation that originates at university hospitals, primary care, the emergency medical service and public health covering all areas of specialties and including communication and information technologic departments. These public research foundations focus on innovation and translational research, seeking for real outcomes in healthcare. SERMAS is committed to ensure the continuous improvement of quality.
Key Activities in Social Innovation
Healthcare provision, Payers
Key Activities in Business Creation
Technology Transfer, Testing & Validation
Key Activities in Education
Medical faculties, Healthcare professional education/training
CLC/InnoStars: Spain
Partner classification: Education, Research
Partner type: Core Partner
UPM is a leader in healthcare technologies, with an outstanding participation in international research and innovation projects, alliances with leading institutions in medical research and a close relationship with hospitals R&D centers. The UPM Health Tech community is the flagship initiative of UPM, bringing together all Education, Research and Innovation capabilities in Health Care Technologies (Medical Device, Biotech and Digital Health). UPM HealthTech provides a stable interdisciplinary environment grouping UPM research groups/centers with high expertise and qualified infrastructure to address major challenges in Health Care, and to promote the start-up of new ventures issued by UPM community and regional/national/European Health Technology ecosystem, and to offer high quality and experienced educational programmes
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - UPM
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Technical University of Madrid) - UPM, Calle Ramiro de Maeztu, 7, 28040 Madrid, España
Key Activities in Business Creation
Incubation, Technology Transfer, Business coaching, Testing & Validation
Key Activities in Education
Entrepreneurship training, Technical faculties, Healthcare professional education/training