The CleverHealth Network ecosystem led by HUS Helsinki University Hospital has been a hub of groundbreaking projects aimed at transforming healthcare through innovation and collaboration. Spinverse has been facilitating this ecosystem every step of the way from its preparation and establishment in 2017. Three projects were recently completed, demonstrating significant outcomes: E3 Excellence in Pandemic Response and Enterprise Solutions (E3), eCare for Me, and the EU project AICCELERATE. The CleverHealth Network ecosystem work is funded by Business Finland and participating organisations.
E3 project: new tools for tackling airborne infections
The E3 Excellence in Pandemic Response and Enterprise Solutions project has addressed pressing questions on creating health-secure spaces and understanding the spread of viruses and pathogens, especially in indoor air. Culminating in a final seminar titled "Tackling Pandemics" on October 30, 2024, in Helsinki, this highly multi-disciplinary project shared their findings and practical solutions for virus diagnostics, transmission routes, and the design of health-secure spaces.
A significant finding of the E3 project is the impact of air purification on reducing illness rates. A pilot study made within E3 at selected daycare centers in Helsinki showed an 18% decrease in children's illness rates with the introduction of clean air through air purifiers. This finding demonstrates the importance of ventilation systems and indoor air cleanliness in preventing airborne diseases. The project also developed a model for assessing infection risks, providing tailored air purification solutions for various spaces and conditions. In addition to daycare, specific use case pilots were made regarding hospital environment and office spaces.
eCare for Me project: transforming patient pathways
Led by HUS Helsinki University Hospital and funded by Business Finland, the eCare for Me project has made significant strides in patient care. Spanning five years, the project focused on three areas: early detection of rare diseases, personalised treatment for acute leukemia patients, and improved home care for dialysis patients through remote tools.
A notable achievement of the project is the development of algorithms for rare disease diagnostics, significantly reducing the time to diagnosis from up to 10 years to a much shorter period. The project also worked on data harmonisation, which led to the OMOP data model being adopted across academic hospitals in Finland and globally. This model enabled multi-centre research and led to the development of the Tumor Board application, which improves the quality of cancer care quality and reduces drug expenses.
The Home Dialysis project has progressed already to practical implementation, with a comprehensive remote care solution reaching commercialisation. Partnering with Fujitsu, HUS will receive royalties from the sale of the jointly developed home dialysis product, marking a significant step forward for the CleverHealth Network ecosystem.
AICCELERATE project: scaling AI in hospital care
The AICCELERATE project, coordinated by HUS, brought together a consortium of European university hospitals, a university and technology companies to develop AI-driven solutions for hospital care processes. Funded by the EU's Horizon2020 programme, the project aimed to enhance healthcare efficiency and patient care quality. Spinverse supported the AICCELERATE consortium in their project proposal process and practical project management. The work was led by Dr. Jayden Khakurel, who is heading the Digital Health team at Spinverse.
The Smart Hospital Care Pathway Engine (SHCP) tool developed during the project integrates AI models and robotics to optimise healthcare processes. Three pilots tested the technology, including remote monitoring for Parkinson's disease, AI-assisted surgery planning at Oulu University Hospital, and AI-driven solutions for pediatric care in Barcelona and Rome.
Dr. Jayden Khakurel, says: “The project highlighted the importance of understanding the opportunities brought by AI and challenges from technical, ethical and legal perspectives. By bringing together experts from various fields, AICCELERATE boosted a comprehensive approach to the integration of AI in healthcare."
Power of collaboration and innovation in advancing healthcare solutions
These projects within the CleverHealth Network exemplify the power of collaboration and innovation in advancing healthcare. By addressing key challenges and using cutting-edge technologies, the ecosystem members from healthcare, technology and pharma companies are set to improve patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency. As these projects evolve, they continue to contribute valuable insights and solutions to the healthcare landscape in Finland and beyond.
“Coordinating the ecosystem together with HUS core team already for several years, it has been rewarding for us to see the great outcomes of the joint development projects. Answering real clinical needs these new solutions improve patients’ care and reduce the burden of healthcare personnel significantly. Utilizing data widely and smartly we can not only save resources but improve the quality of patient care as well as open new ways for preventive healthcare – for the benefit of people,” concludes Dr. Markku Heino, Ecosystem Leader at Spinverse.
MD, Nephrologist, EMBA, Ph.D. Virpi Rauta from HUS acts as the lead of CleverHealth Network. She comments: "The new funding granted by Business Finland for years 2025-2027 enables us to continue the successful work we have done so far and gives us an opportunity to launch new projects and even introduce new areas. It is a pleasure to pull up the sleeves together with Spinverse and plan for a successful future for CleverHealth Network also for the upcoming years."
CleverHealth Network ecosystem opened this year with an active Annual event – Health care innovations towards 2030. The event held on January 16th brought together about 100 experts from different fields to discuss about the critical needs in healthcare and ways we could solve those through R&D&I, new technologies and collaboration.
More information: CleverHealth Network website
CleverHealth Network coordination team at Spinverse: Markku Heino, Juho Vuononvirta, Virpi Martikainen and Maarit Liimatta (comms).