Henley Business School welcomes grant for RMD detection project
A project, which represents a major potential step forward in the early detection and referral of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD), has received a £1.2 million grant.
A team led by Henley Business School, University of Reading, announced the grant for the three-year project, which will develop the machine learning (AI) system ready for regulatory approval and commercialisation.
READ MORE: Henley Business School awarded £600k for Inflammatory Arthritis AI study
It will be piloted in the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (RBFT) and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) with funding, in part, from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Professor Weizi (Vicky) Li, project lead and Professor of Informatics and Digital Health at Henley, said: "With an estimated annual cost of £1.8 billion in sick leave and work-related disability for rheumatoid arthritis alone, the current RMD referral system faces huge challenges.
"Our machine-learning system presents a new approach to RMD referrals.
"Unlike existing solutions, which often rely on the advice and guidance from already stretched rheumatology specialists, we’re introducing a machine learning-based decision support system enabling doctors to refer patients more accurately and promptly, ultimately leading to quicker and more effective treatment."
Up to one-third of the UK population is affected by RMD and these diseases, which includes inflammatory arthritis (IA), are a leading cause of disability and one of the biggest contributors to sick days and unemployment.
Dr Antoni Chan, project co-lead and consultant rheumatologist and physician at RBFT, added: "Developed using available patient referral data, the tool has so far demonstrated significantly higher accuracy during experiments at RBFT than existing clinical criteria and clinicians’ assessments.
"With this grant, we fully expect to be on track for regulatory approval at the end of three years."
The project is led by Henley Business School, part of the University of Reading, in partnership with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, RBFT Health Data Institute (HDI), Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated care board and patient leaders.
Funding support comes from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Health Innovation Partnership (UoR&RBFT), and Henley Business School.
