at-home-carehealthcare-deliverysenior-health
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.
EIT Health miniQ

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
Professor Kristina Johnell
| Professor | Karolinska Institutet
Contact
Professor Johan Fastbom
| Professor | Karolinska Institutet
Contact