Clinicians and IT specialists in Somerset are launching an exciting new project to find people who have no symptoms but could be at risk of developing liver disease.
Predictive Health Intelligence is a partnership of Somerset Foundation Trust, local liver specialist Dr Tim Jobson, and health Information and IT expert Neil Stevens. Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, they have developed a new way of reviewing existing blood tests and finding people who may be at a higher risk of becoming ill.
Dr Jobson explains: “Liver disease places a huge burden on the health of the nation. One in nine of the UK population suffers from the condition. It accounts for 26,000 premature deaths and 100,000 years of lost life each year. In recent years the cost to the NHS was £6bn annually, fully 5% of its budget. The trouble is, liver disease is often symptom-free. Many of those who die from it don’t see a doctor until it’s too late for treatment. One-off blood tests don’t help because clinicians need to look at blood test results over time. And existing healthcare IT systems weren’t built to help doctors identify those suffering from conditions like liver disease in this way.”
PHI has created a new search engine that allows GPs and clinicians to identify people who may be at risk, quickly and straightforwardly. The team has created it to be simple to use, requiring no manuals and no training. It’s designed to be as intuitive and easy-to-use as Rightmove or AirBnB.
The new approach to liver disease is being tested next month when the PHI and SFT team will use the search engine for the first time to identify 10 people who have blood test results going back over a few years that indicate they might benefit from further investigation. As Dr Jobson explains: “This does not necessarily mean that they are ill, but that by looking at their historic blood tests they fall into a category where they are more likely to develop an illness in the years ahead. It is similar to the screening programmes we see for breast or bowel cancer: the trick is to find people before they are ill.”
Dr Mike Walburn, Musgrove Park Hospital site Medical Director said: “I am impressed by and immensely proud of the SLIP project. It demonstrates an innovative approach to improving patient care, quality of life and adding years to life. In addition it has potential to massively reduce the cost of healthcare delivery by diagnosing and treating liver disease far earlier than previously possible.”
To hear Dr Tim Jobson’s Interview about the project on BBC Somerset on 6th May 2022 click here.