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A Strategy for the EuroPhysiome (STEP)

Abstract: STEP is a Coordination Action that is seeking to coordinate European activity relating to the physiome a description of human physiology that will span multiple levels from the whole body down through the organs to the cells and beneath in an integrated manner.

Keywords: Biomedical Informatics, Physiology, Medical Technology, Physiome, In-silico Human, Multiscale Modelling

Description

Objectives of the project: Addressing the high economic burden of the healthcare sector, prevention, early diagnosis and informed therapeutics are indispensable. Tests must be highly accurate and well integrated into medical management to avoid unnecessary treatment and tress to users.
SmartHEALTH will address these complex issues by developing highly intelligent diagnostic technologies
that are fully integrated into healthcare systems, optimising their impact in management and work practice.
Driven by key targeted applications in cancer diagnostics (breast, cervical and colorectal), the project will deliver prototype systems with the aim of moving instrumentation from the laboratory, through to portable devices localised at the “point of care.”

Project description: Driven by clinical applications and MNT & IST technology,SmartHEALTH will develop an open integrated architecture for new biodiagnostic systems to support European companies exploiting bioassays or new application concepts.The initial system has a disposable fluidic cartridge with a desktop base-station linking to the ambient e-Health environment - health cards, patient data, online services.This concept will be miniaturised and cost engineered into a portable and more available product.It will perform multi-analyte sensing and interpretation,for nucleic acids and proteins and will handle multiple biological sample types.
Results will be interpreted and presented using bioinformation analysis. Systems will be healthcare user identity and ambient environment aware, respecting confidentiality and information access rights.The IP will enable enhanced medical diagnosis, leading to earlier and more precise results contributing to an increased quality of life as well as increasing the competitiveness of the European IVD sector.
Clinical areas for SmartHEALTH application are in Cancer Diagnostics - breast cancer recurrence monitoring, cervical cancer case finding, and colorectal cancer – diagnostic, theranostic, prognostics. Each application includes clinical validation and commercial exploitation partners.

Expected Results & Impacts: The European Community has made health and well-being one of its top priorities, not least in view of EU enlargement. Even though Europeans are now enjoying long and healthy lives,one person in every five will die prematurely before the age of 65. Cancer will account for some 40% of these deaths,cardiovascular diseases for another 30%,accidents and suicides for some 10%. Three lines of action have been suggested: 1) Improving information for the development of public health;2) Creating
an EU surveillance,early warning and rapid reaction capability;3) Health promotion and disease prevention,screening and testing of target populations. SmartHEALTH impacts all these areas.
The economic impact of the results of SmartHEALTH are potentially very considerable with proposed technologies that will facilitate improved healthcare provision, from improved centralised screening systems, through to fast and flexible point of care systems. Expenditure for diagnosis generally represents less than 1% of total healthcare expenditure, thus increased testing cannot significantly increase healthcare costs but can significantly contribute to the quality of health care as it:
• Allows earlier and more appropriate and therefore less costly treatment.
• Helps to rule out expensive treatments.
• Reduces costs of treatment of complications.
• Potentially shortens the length of hospital stay by making therapies more effective and therefore more cost-effective.

Knowledge ID: #PRJ-200701-039

Record created 2007-05-29, last modified 2007-07-04

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