Grants to charities, Medical research
Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Cystic Fibrosis Trust received a grant of £500,000 to fund a pioneering project that had the potential to revolutionise the management and treatment of cystic fibrosis.
Over the next three years, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust would create and test SmartCareCF – a new healthcare model that allows people to monitor their condition from home and liaise with their specialist health teams remotely.
By allowing patients to manage their condition from home, researchers intended that the creation of SmartCareCF would reduce hospital-based cross infections, lessen the daily burden of living with the condition and give patients more knowledge and control.
Not only did this grant support the development of the SmartCareCF kit – based around a smartphone based app – it also funded the crucial next stage, a period of testing on cystic fibrosis patients across the country.
The initial results of this study are extremely promising, with the majority of people finding home-monitoring a better way to manage their condition.
If rolled out more widely, it could transform the lives of people with cystic fibrosis, allowing them more time and freedom to spend with their families and friends.
In the words of one participant:
It was a great trial with lots of potential to improve people’s lives. I’ll continue monitoring some of the readings for my own benefit in the future and I hope the clinic eventually get to integrate it with their own service.