The Scottish Health Industry Partnership (SHIP), part of the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is funding a Diabetes – Remote HbA1c Open Innovation Challenge.
The challenge is now open for applications until 11 am UK time on Monday, 5 June 2023.
The aim of the competition is to develop disruptive innovative solutions that deliver sustainable, accessible and equitable remote HbA1c self-testing. This will include the development, distribution and return of self-collection blood sample kits with instructions on self-phlebotomy for patients and integration of the results within the current NHS infrastructure.
Projects must respond to the challenge requirements:
- Data driven approach to risk stratification and prioritisation: Identification of a clinically meaningful patient population at risk of Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) or with existing diabetes in whom at home HbA1c may help support a virtual/hybrid care model
- Demonstrate an effective user friendly self-collection blood test kit, validation of the sample volume, quality and analytical performance. This includes the ability to distribute to identified patients ensuring linkage within the request of sample to patient, return for analysis and instructions for use of test and return of samples by the patient
- Demonstrate viable service for distribution of self-collection kit to patients and return to a UK accredited body (UKAS) accredited laboratory or by anaccredited point of care testing facility (POCT) (ISO15189) method for analysis. Either the sample or the result to return to NHS infrastructure for integration within the patient record.
Applicants can apply for a share of a total challenge fund of £250,000, split across two phases. The challenge ambition is to support pre-commercial experimental development, feasibility testing and evidence gathering to enable commercial procurement across NHS Scotland.
Further information on the competition is available here.
