Cambridge Healthcare Networks: Empowering the Patient Revolution

Background:
With an ongoing objective to build a world-class health service, the NHS has declared a commitment to innovation and patient empowerment. As Chairman of the East of England Innovation Council of the NHS and Chairman of Health Enterprise East Ltd the Regional Innovation Hub serving all health services, Alan Barrell has been involved in a variety of web-based projects supporting the Government and NHS policy of patient empowerment. After meeting entrepreneur and engineer Dawson King, Barrell enlisted King onto the Innovation Council to create a new service that would meet these objectives. Through this collaboration, Cambridge Healthcare Ltd was born.

Development:
With a thorough understanding of both the objectives of the NHS and patient needs, King was able to create an e-portal which featured the worlds first healthcare application store. howareyou.com was designed to support patients as they take on more responsibility for their personal health and well being. Through sharing information effectively with doctors, nurses, care workers and other patients as well as family and friends, howareyou.com connects patients with each other and all those involved in every aspect of their care, while remaining in control of any decision that is made. Although in partnership with the NHS, the innovation attracted instant commercial attention, raising a total of 200,000 in funding through business angels. The first product was developed in six months and has since continued to evolve into the product that it is today. Three months after the product was made available, howareyou.com underwent a pilot programme within specific regional Trusts in the UK. Soon after, general interest came from a number of different sources including a host of different charities dealing with multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis and arthritis care.

Dawson King In just over a year, the start up has achieved great success through the development of what has been positioned as the new social network for healthcare. www.howareyou.com encapsulated the objectives of involving patients in their care decisions and management. It was recognised for its revolutionary step forward in Information Technology and Communication, by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), at the 2011 Innovation Awards.

It is encouraging to see the portal gaining interest from a variety of groups particularly those campaigning for patient empowerment. There are over 3,000 websites and portals relating to the NHS, however ours aimed to be more focused. While anyone is free to use it, the site is probably more relevant to those patients with long term conditions interested in learning more extensively about their health and how to manage it on a daily basis, says Barrell.

Essential Engineering Intelligence for Information and Communications

Information and Communications Sector Case Study

Results: Results:

While the company has had no technical problems, it did experience problems with finding developers with the While the company has had no technical problems, rightitskills and experience to fulfil the requirements of the did experience problems with finding developers portal. Despite this, howareyou.com was well received in with the right skills and experience to fulfil the the marketplace andthe portal.publicisedthis, requirements of was well Despite regionally, making howareyou.com was the IET Innovation marketplace it a worthy submission forwell received in the Awards. and was well publicised regionally, making it a worthy submission for the IET Innovation success Following Cambridge Healthcare Ltds Awards. at the Following Cambridge approached by success to awards, the company was Healthcare LtdsMicrosoft at the awards, the company was approached by Microsoft discuss creating a repository of apps. to discuss creating a repository of apps. Following the IET Innovation Awards, Cambridge Following the IET Innovation Awards, Cambridge of the Healthcare Ltd has been declared IT Innovator Healthcare Ltd at the Health Investor Innovator of the Year Year 2012 has been declared IT Awards and has 2012 at the Health Investor Awards and has since raised since raised an additional 1m. an additional 1m.

howareyou.com screen shot of patient care profile

TheThe Future: Future:

Cambridge Healthcare Ltds ability to meet the objectives Cambridge Healthcare Ltds ability to meet the originally laid out by the Innovation Council and the objectives originally laid out by the Innovation Council Government has led to thehas led toof a strong publicand the Government creation the creation of a strong private partnershippartnershipbring enormous benefits public-private which will which will bring enormous to NHS patientsNHS practitioners; practitioners; an benefits to and patients and an improvement in efficiency and productivity; and the generation of the improvement in efficiency and productivity; and generation of significant cost savings without sacrificing significant cost savings without sacrificing on the standards on It will continue to explore the opportunities and of care. the standards of care. It will continue to explore the opportunities and trusted available through the IETs trusted engineering resources engineering resources available through the IETs Information the Information and Communications Sector, as and company Communications sector, as the company looks to raise looks to raise the number of users from thousands to the number of users from thousands to millions. By millions. By using itsestablished position in the IETthe IET using its newly newly established position in community, Cambridge Healthcare Ltd will benefit from from community, Cambridge Healthcare Ltd will benefit the wide the wide network of contacts and intelligencefacilitate network of contacts and intelligence to help to help the companys steps towards steps towardssuccess. facilitate the companys international international success.

The gained at the IET Innovation IET The recognitionrecognition gained at the Awards Innovation Awards provided us with us to interact provided us with significant leverage and allowed significant leverage and allowed us to with newinteract with new contacts institution. The kudos contacts associated with the associated and prestige that comes with this award, allows you to be with the institution. The kudos and prestige that comes with and by those overseas, which noticed by large companies this award, allows you to has be noticed by large companies and by been invaluable,

says Barrell. invaluable.

those overseas, which has been says Barrell.

We are keen to make the most of the IETs impressive network to tap into its engineering professionalsof the IETs We are keen to make the most and its engineering intelligence resources to into its engineering impressive network to tap help our company develop professionals great ambitions to catapult this start-up to the next stage. With and its engineering intelligence to evenresources to help our will be invaluable in providing greater heights, the IET company develop to the next stage. With great ambitions to catapult us with the start-upof services, contacts and support IET this network to even greater heights, the to help develop ourbe invaluable in providing us with the will product to empower even more patients,
network of concludes Barrell. services, contacts and support to help develop our product to empower even more patients concludes Barrell.

howareyou.com screen shot of activity feed

www.theiet.org/info-comms
www.theiet.org/info-comms

The IET is a world leading professional organisation sharing and advancing knowledge to promote science, engineering and technology across the world. The professional home for life for engineers and technicians, and a trusted source of essential engineering intelligence.
The IET is a world leading professional organisation sharing and advancing knowledge to promote science, engineering and technology across the world. The professional home for life for engineers and technicians, and a trusted source of essential engineering intelligence.The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England and Wales

The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered 211014) and Scotland (No. and Wales (No. 211014) and Scotland (No. SC038698). Herts, SG1 2AY. House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2AY. (No. as a Charity in England SC038698). Michael Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Michael Faraday