Moorfields and Dem Dx announce exciting new research partnership to trial clinical decision support for front line nurses

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with Dem Dx to support paediatric nursing staff as they take on greater responsibility for initial triage and diagnosis.

The trial, which started on 10th May, will see 13 paediatric nurses at Moorfields trained to use the new platform, which will assist them in triaging conditions such as various types of conjunctivitis, cellulitis and acute onset squints in children.

Dem Dx’s additional support and training focusing on improving the patient pathway to assist with clinical decision making, will allow the nursing team to take on these additional clinical responsibilities with greater autonomy, efficiency and safety. It is hoped that this will lead to earlier and more accurate detection of common eye diseases in children, shorter waiting times for patients and carers, and more efficient use of clinical and laboratory tests.

As part of the research, over 1 million anonymised historical clinical records will be mined to support the development of machine learning that will optimise the accuracy and relevance of the clinical advice provided to the paediatric nurses, based upon real-world clinical evidence.

Dem Dx is a London-based business run by a team of UK-qualified doctors and technology specialists that aims to improve the diagnostic skills of healthcare professionals. Its core product is a decision-support tool that is available on web, tablet and phone, which assists all healthcare staff to accurately piece together diagnostic observations and reach an accurate, timely diagnosis.

This research has been funded by Innovate UK, the UK government’s innovation agency, through the Digital Health Technology Catalyst Round 2 which is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).

David Probert, chief executive of Moorfields Eye Hospital, said:
“At Moorfields we’re constantly seeking the latest technological advancements to help us continue delivering excellent patient care. Our nursing workforce plays a hugely important role in delivering the best care for our patients and opportunities such this allow them to be at the forefront of exciting developments in medical technology.”

Lorin Gresser, founder and chief executive officer for Dem Dx, said:
“We are tremendously excited to partner with Moorfields Eye Hospital. Moorfields has a global reputation for the quality of the patient care that it provides, and we look forward to supporting them as they expand the role of nurse practitioners in triage. Through our machine-learning partnership Dem Dx will also continue to develop and improve the quality of the medical advice that we provide to all our users worldwide.”