IUPUI School of Informatics researchers garner $1.9 million research grant
July 1, 2008
How can geriatric care providers ensure that their patients and clients are benefitting from the latest medical procedures and cutting-edge treatment and rehabilitation techniques? By drilling down into the virtual mountain of best practices data generated every day by hospitals, doctors, nurses, geriatric care facilities, pharmaceutical companies, and other health care providers. Thanks to a $1.9 million grant from Indiana’s 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, a new software tool is being developed at IUPUI to help aggregate these valuable data.
The team is a model of collaboration including researchers from the Indiana University School of Informatics; the Department of Computer and Information Science in the Purdue School of Science; IU’s Center for Aging Research at the Regenstrief Institute; and My Health Care Manager, an Indianapolis-based health care advisory firm.
Together, they are developing the Knowledge Management and Decision Support System. Branded by My Health Care Manager as its Senior Care Navigation System, or SCANS, the proprietary software will enable care providers to access and input geriatric care field experience, research data and patient outcome information in a simple, easy-to-use computer-based system.
"Our team is focused on gathering information about best practices in geriatric care from disparate sources, harvesting knowledge from such information and developing and utilizing this knowledge to enhance geriatric care," said Mathew Palakal, PhD, associate dean, graduate studies, research director for the Informatics Research Institute at IUPUI, and principle investigator on the SCANS project. "These ingredients combine to place this initiative at the forefront of translational research in health and life sciences."
The IUPUI researchers will assist My Health Care Manager in developing the product for commercialization.
“The SCANS project will truly impact the decision-making process involved in patient care. We are creating a dynamic interaction between the care recipient, the nurse case-manager and information technology.” said Yuni Xia, assistant professor of computer and information science and SCANS research collaborator.
My Health Care Manager is one of 54 businesses awarded a 21st Century Fund grant since January 2006, providing critical seed capital to emerging high-growth companies like My Health Care Manager.
“The SCANS project has the potential to transform the future of geriatric care,” said Eric Tinsley, vice president of process, technology and training at My Health Care Manager. “Imagine a future where nurses could have their geriatric care management skills increased ten-fold. That’s what the SCANS can do.”
