Projects - SafeCaring

Project Reference: CENTRO2030-FEDER-01184900

SafeCaring

Improving the safety and quality of healthcare by reducing administrative burdens

The Problem

Demographic ageing is one of the most significant trends of the 21st century:

1 in 9 people in the world is aged 60 or over, with an estimated increase to 1 in 5 by 2050 (UN).
Portugal is the 2nd oldest country in Europe, with an average ageing of 4.4 years, compared to the European Union average of 2.3 years (EUROSTAT).
Elderly dependency ratio (> 65y) is around 34%, with Portugal above this average (close to 40%) (EUROSTAT).
40% of people over 65 has difficulties in carrying out their activities of daily living (ADLs) independently.

The ageing process brings complex healthcare needs and an increased likelihood of adverse outcomes during hospitalisation:

the incidence of falls is around 40% (on the morning shift alone), and 79% of these falls are unattended;
around 49% of patients have at least 1 pressure injury;
61.9% of patients were dehydrated on admission and 38.1% developed this problem during hospitalisation.

In addition to this pressure, many countries are currently facing a serious shortage of health professionals (doctors, nurses or health assistants):

WHO projects a shortfall of 13 million professionals in the health system by 2035.

The Challenge

Nurses spend around 33.5% of their overall care time (an 8-hour shift) recording and consulting patients’ clinical information in the eletronic health record systems.

An additional 8% of the time was spent on duplicate records (paper-first)

Healthcare professionals are faced with responsibilities that take a lot of time out of a shift, often resulting in dissatisfaction. The administrative overload contributes to stress and burnout, often leading to medication errors or forgetfulness in the provision of some important care.

It is in this context of increased pressure caused by an ageing population, an insufficient number of professionals, and the need for computerised recording of data and interventions, that the implementation of technological solutions based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play a fundamental role in decentralising tasks allocated to indirect care and the consequent allocation of this time to direct care for users.

The solution

The SafeCaring project takes advantage of the latest technological innovations in the field of computer vision and Artificial Intelligence to help professionals monitor dependent users to:

avoid potential incidents such as falls or pressure ulcers;
alerting (by reminders) the professionals to carry out any interventions (e.g. positioning);
and automate the recording of interventions.

The project is based on a multidisciplinary approach.

The Objectives

General Objective:

Development of an integrated system to support clinical interventions

Specific Objectives:

1) Research and development of AI algorithms for the detection of clinical interventions;
2) Research and development of AI algorithms to issue alerts and reminders;
3) Ensure compliance with ethical, privacy, AI and Medical Device regulations;
4) Assess the impact of implementing the solution;
5) Promote visibility.

The Consortium

Cometa Privilegiado, Lda (SC)

GPH – Laboratory Services, Lda

Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Mealhada

Instituto Pedro Nunes
https://www.ipn.pt/laboratorio/LIS/projecto/244

University of Coimbra
https://www.uc.pt/spgi/dpa/projetos-cof-ue/safecaring-enhancing-care-safety-and-quality-through-reduced-administrative-burden/”

Other informations

Intervention Region: Portugal – Centro

Total Investment: 919 640,00€

SC Investment: 274 340,80€

Total Eligible: 919 640,00€

SC Eligible: 274 340,80€