Impact case study database

The impact claimed in this case study is as follows:

• Creation of a new spin-out company, significant economic investment (over GBP500,000) and job creation supporting rural economic development

• Launch of new product ‘Aiber’, enabling digital health innovation in various industry sectors, including aviation and maritime.

• Work with NHS partners in North east Scotland and East of England to pilot a low-cost digital solution to facilitate healthcare provision for melanoma screening in the UK

• Development of the ASICA app and support materials, through which at least one at-risk patient has been diagnosed

Providing innovation in healthcare to the aviation sector

In 2016, Mort and colleagues created the spin-out company, ‘MIME Technologies’ (https://mimetechnologies.com\) in order to commercialise the research [P1, 2]. MIME Technologies is a highly innovative product concept developed over years of end-user testing and focuses on addressing a key gap in healthcare provision in the aviation market (short-haul flights) and maritime market (commercial maritime and superyachts). Long-haul flights usually have a video link service to emergency medical service providers such as MedAire, but this provision is seldom available for short- haul flights. MIME Technologies has filled this gap in the market by offering a solution that enables cabin crew to assess and manage an in-flight medical emergency with remote clinical access to continuous on-scene data, low bandwidth chat functionality and training, which can be adapted to the capabilities and experience of the crew.

In 2016, MIME Technologies undertook a Human Factors trial at the opening weekend of the Six Nations rugby match at BT Murrayfield, in cooperation with the British Red Cross [S1]. The Head of Event Aid and Ambulance Operations outlines the experience, “ British Red Cross looks to incorporate new advances in technology wherever this can support our services. We have a wealth of experience in first aid provision and development, and were delighted to work with MIME Technologies to trial this new innovation in the field.” [S1]

In 2020, MIME Technologies launched their first CE-marked product, ‘Aiber’ [S2], developed with input from the world’s leading airlines. Backed by a diverse team including an advisor who had a previous role as Head of Health Services for Virgin Atlantic, MIME has raised GBP255,000 in capital to scale its technology [S3], leading to the creation of 6 high-skilled jobs in a rural part of the UK (Highlands), thereby promoting regional economic development with global reach. Aiber is capable of sharing diagnostic-grade cardiac information using state-of-the-art 12-lead electrocardiography with disposable patch technology and has completed field trials with a global aviation company. MIME Technologies was named one of The Business Insider’s ten Scottish digital and science start-ups to watch in 2019, identified for their growth potential. Aiber, as a concept, has received considerable attention from both national and international sources, including BBC News and Low-Fare and Regional Airline News [S4]. In October 2020, MIME Technologies received a highly publicised GBP248,000 in funding from the Scottish Government’s Early Stage Growth Challenge Fund to help alleviate strain on growth companies during recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic [S5].

More recently, MIME Technologies successfully applied to the ATI Boeing Accelerator programme – this is a highly competitive programme and MIME Technologies was selected in 2020 from nearly 200 companies from more than 40 countries – with only 10 places available. The start-ups benefit from a possible GBP100,000 equity investment from Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures and access to ATI, Boeing, GKN Aerospace and Rolls-Royce strategists and technical experts. As part of the programme, mentoring is available from a global network of experienced entrepreneurs, mentors and investors, and introductions will be made to the programme’s network of angel investors, venture capital firms and the wider aerospace industry [S6].

Improving the wellbeing of app users

The ASICA app, developed by Murchie between 2014-2015 for hand-held tablet computers, shows patients how to check their skin, and lets them send photographs to a specialist nurse for assessment [4]. As part of the project, 20 volunteers, 6 GPs and a specialist nurse were involving in testing the app. The volunteers found the app easy to use and, as a result of the checks, two of them were advised to have skin surgery – one of these volunteers discovered they had recurrent melanoma – the app enabled the patient to be diagnosed in good time by an appropriate healthcare provider [S7i, ii]. Based upon the findings of the Experience Laboratory [3], Murchie commissioned two new sets of new videos, which provided instructions on how to perform a skin check. A set of videos were provided for each gender, one for each area of the body (head, neck and face; arms and hands; chest and back; pelvic region; and legs and feet). These videos contained a blend of a live action person describing how to perform the check, with an animated person (with a gender matching the patient’s) showing the procedure [3].

Working with NHS services to provide digital healthcare innovation

In 2016, CRUK awarded Murchie and colleagues funding to undertake a clinical trial using the ASICA app, after finding the project to be, ‘an original and important study for the following up potential recurrence of skin cancer’, which is still ongoing [P3]. The CRUK awarding commended the innovative design and use of patient reported outcome measures, and the plans to move onto a definitive Phase 3 trial [S8i]. Murchie and colleagues are working with NHS Scotland to integrate the app into routine screening for melanoma cancer. A Clinical Nurse specialist in Dermatology, involved in the initial trial stated, “ our collaboration with dot.rural shows that it could be possible to help the NHS relieve pressure from medical consultants and saving valuable specialists’ time by empowering patients through an easy to use, innovative and low cost solution. Currently we are actively engaged in seeking to integrate our application within NHS Scotland.” [S7]

ASICA: informing patient care in Australia

Following a license agreement in 2015 for the ASICA software, the University of Sydney have undertaken a pilot clinical trial in collaboration with Aberdeen titled, ‘Patient-led Surveillance Compared to Clinician-led Surveillance in People Treated for Localised Melanoma’ (MEL-SELF) with 100 patients with history of early stage melanoma, sponsored by the National health and Medical Research Council of Australia (GBP13,301; 07/2016-06/2018). ASICA has been delivered as a web-based application (accessible via a browser). Patients received web-based ASICA skin checker log-in [S8ii].

The web-based ASICA skin checker combines instructional videos, guided total skin self-examination and electronic reporting. The team, led by Bell are in the final stages of preparing to open up for a larger RCT with 600 patients. ASICA (in web-based form) will be part of the active run in for that trial, to ensure appropriate participants are randomised into the trial. Intervention participants will also have continued access to the ASICA instructional videos throughout the one year they are in the trial [S8iii].