Insulin passports trialled in Diabetes Hothouse project

Electronic insulin passports will be trialled in hospitals across the Wessex region as part of an initiative seeking to improve diabetes care through digital innovation.

Dr Partha Kar, Associate National Clinical Director for Diabetes, NHS England, announced the trial of digital insulin passports to enhance hospital safety yesterday to mark Insulin Safety Week 2019.

They are being rolled out in the area thanks to Diabetes Hothouse, a new programme connecting digital health innovators with pharmaceutical companies to explore new innovations that could help people living with diabetes.

NHS England, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the AHSN Network are behind the programme launched Diabetes Hothouse in October. It is the first initiative arising from the NHS England and ABPI Priority Delivery Agreement launched earlier last year, which seeks to facilitate faster access of  new, evidenced based technology for patients.

Simon Blood, who is behind the Diabetes e-Passport project, said: “Following our presentation of the Diabetes e-Passport at the Diabetes Hothouse event held in November 2018, we are pleased to be given the opportunity to pilot the e-passport within the NHS. We developed the technology in response to a large number of insulin-related errors in hospital settings. We feel that the diabetes e-passport can help healthcare professionals, allowing them the ability to gain critical information about a patient with diabetes. We are looking forward to working with staff and patients across the Wessex region during the pilot of the e-passport.”

The Diabetes Hothouse celled for innovators with market-ready, digital or digitally-enabled innovations to take part in the programme. Successful innovations, with evidence of strong impact of improving outcomes for people with diabetes will receive support in either funding or clinical expertise so they can spread their solutions across the country.

The digital innovations might be either novel uses of existing technologies or new innovations, and could include software, apps, hybrid technology-service and device-software that support pathway improvement, better diagnosis, or improved management in line with the tailored needs of the patient.

Five pharmaceutical companies are participating in the Diabetes Hothouse and will progress the selected collaboration projects in partnership with NHS England.

Dr Kar said: “Technology is really improving our daily lives and the NHS wants to use its power to improve the lives of patients living with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and women with diabetes. This is a call out for the very best innovations in healthcare which will help NHS patients manage their conditions and, as we look to the future of the NHS, the long term plan will continue to champion world leading technology to improve patient care.”

Colette Goldrick, Director of NHS Engagement at the ABPI said: “I’m sure that the Diabetes Hothouse process will surface some valuable digital innovations that ABPI members can support to create a triple win – better outcomes for people with diabetes, better use of resources for the NHS, and a positive signal of rapid uptake and spread for the life sciences industry.”