Engineering news
People with epilepsy could soon be able to predict when they will have a seizure following a project that uses wearables, machine learning, clinical records and data analysis to share information with patients and medical professionals in real-time.
It is hoped MyCareCentric Epilepsy – which has been developed by Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Kent, Shearwater Systems and Graphnet Health – will lead to better care and reduce the cost to the public sector.
The MyCareCentric Epilepsy programme, which was co-funded by Innovate UK and is being piloted by Poole Hospital and the Dorset Epilepsy Service, will see patients wear a Microsoft Band to record data such as sleep patterns, exercise, heart rate and temperature.
Clinicians can access the findings, which could potentially also include video and audio recordings if a patient gives their consent, 24 hours a day online or via an app.
Over time, Microsoft Azure – the company’s cloud computing service – could potentially “learn” when someone is about to have a seizure and warn them before it happens.
It is hoped the system will be developed further to alert medial staff, family and friends when a patient has a seizure, and allow professionals to use the app to provide advice to the person affected.
Dr Christos Efstratiou, head of the University of Kent research team, said: “Wearable technologies have massive potential to transform the way healthcare is delivered. Coupled with advanced activity tracking algorithms, we are able to now monitor patients on a day to day basis. This will allow clinicians to better assess the effectiveness of medications, and enhance personalised care.”
An estimated 600,000 people in the UK – almost one in 100 – are believed to suffer from epilepsy, and about 87 new diagnoses are made every day. The neurological condition costs the National Health Service £2 billion annually to treat, with epilepsy leading to 3% of Accident and Emergency visits and 1.3 million days in hospital a year.