The University of Exeter run PROTECT study will be tested in the NHS as part of an £80m government drive to diagnose dementia faster.
Dementia causes more deaths in the UK than any other disease, but diagnosis can often take more than a year.
Early diagnosis can reduce the likelihood of emergency hospital admissions and delay the need for greater care support, reducing the impact of dementia on services within the NHS. It may also allow patients to receive treatment sooner, and make informed decisions about work, care, finances and family life.
The Dementia Challenge is accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies and practices that will diagnose and predict how the disease will progress. The goal is for 92 per cent of people to be diagnosed within 18 weeks of a referral, up from around 60 per cent today.
PROTECT is one of nine projects chosen to move into real-world testing in the NHS. Funded by DBIST via UKRI’s Research & Development Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP) programme, it aims to help people and their families get earlier and more accurate diagnosis of dementia and better understand what a dementia diagnosis means for their lives.
Professor Anne Corbett, of the University of Exeter and PROTECT Study Lead, said: “Over the past 12 years PROTECT has been engaging people in the concept of health monitoring at home and we’ve built a tool which can help detect dementia risk earlier. What’s so exciting is this UKRI funding gives us the opportunity to fast-track PROTECT into the NHS, so the technology we’ve been developing can improve people’s lives.
“Waiting months for a dementia diagnosis delays access to treatment and support and also leads to poor mental health and wellbeing. We want PROTECT to address that gap by triaging the thousands of people waiting for a diagnosis and cutting the length of waiting lists. It will provide people with support and monitoring from home, reducing the burden on health services and making sure the right people come into clinic at the right time.”
PROTECT aims to understand how healthy brains age and why people develop dementia, and as part of this project will be integrating a digital platform into the NHS that enables people with Mild Cognitive Impairment to monitor changes in their cognitive health.
Devon on right track as Government approves SEND reform plan
Budleigh walkabout helps shape review of communal areas
Over 23,000 young people in the South West have had their first MenB dose, but more than 53,000 are still missing out on the life-saving vaccine
Public voting open for Devon Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Celebration and Impact Awards
Community Project Set to Revive East Devon Hedgerows
Economic squeeze hitting fire service’s bid to recruit on-call firefighters
Woodbury Neighbourhood Plan officially adopted following overwhelming public support
A Spooktacular Success: Halloween Costume Swaps Expand Across Devon
MP welcomes cash boost for Exeter city centre
Where’s all the infrastructure funding anyway?
Pub eyes expansion with virtual games and snooker rooms
Calls for ‘fire summit’ amid rampant pressure on service
Devon Partnership NHS Trust Achieves Major Energy Savings Through Solar
Rail industry crackdown as trespassing criminals cause more than six and half days of delays on the South Western network in a year
Communities invited to apply for new Devon library improvement grants
Have Your Say on the Future of the Dawlish Aviary
