Health Innovation East, the innovation arm of the NHS in the East of England and Cogniss, a no-code ecosystem for digital health solutions, have announced a strategic partnership to launch the Health Innovation East Digital Hub.
A no-code ecosystem is an online collection of tools, ways of working and learning resources that help people with no technical expertise build apps, in a point-and-click way, without the need for coding. Cogniss’s digital health ecosystem makes it quick and affordable for entrepreneurs and health and care practitioners to build sophisticated apps for patients or customers without relying on costly agencies. In the hands of health and care experts the ecosystem creates frontline solutions and helps commercialise digital products across health and care. In doing so Cogniss drives the democratisation of digital health.
Health Innovation East, part of the Health Innovation Network, believes that great ideas only make a difference for our health when they are put into practice. It accelerates great health and care ideas and removes barriers to their adoption and scale in the NHS.
The partnership helps the East’s health and care experts overcome obstacles associated with the cost of developing digital solutions, the demands of regulatory compliance and securing the resources required to bring digital technologies to market.
At the heart of the no-code ecosystem is an ‘innovation sandbox’ – a space where users can create, test and experiment with ideas prior to launch – that is open to all users to help refine their health solutions. The sandbox is also accompanied by an ‘innovators forum’ where users can connect with fellow solutionists, and an e-learning platform supporting professional development for no-code. The ecosystem also offers access to a unique feature that automates many of the requirements of regulatory compliance for frameworks such as DTAC (how the NHS assesses digital technologies).
Launching the Health Innovation East Digital Hub
Together the sandbox, forum, academy and compliance functions combine to create the Health Innovation East Digital Hub – a first point of call for healthcare entrepreneurs and SME’s to be able to create and commercialise digital health solutions into the NHS.
Joanna Dempsey – principal advisor, Health Innovation East says: “Our aim is to cultivate a community of digital health innovators, whether SME’s or clinical entrepreneurs, and provide them with comprehensive support to tackle the most pressing health challenges and to deliver solutions to the people and places where they are needed most”.
As the digital hub continues to develop access will be available via a digital health innovation programme. The programme will run two cohorts in 2024, each supporting up to 20 participants to produce a minimum viable product. The first cohort launches in September 2024 and is open nationally. Applications can be made by visiting the programme’s microsite.
On the goals of the Digital Hub
Dr Lloyd Humphreys – Managing Director, Cogniss says: “This is a first-of-type partnership to accelerate innovations into and within the NHS, removing the barriers to and supporting health and care innovators to create the next generation of technology at a fraction of the cost and in a matter of weeks rather than years. The aim is to create a sustainable and supportive digital health ecosystem the leverages the frontline experience of clinicians and health care entrepreneurs”.
Piers Ricketts, Chief Executive, Health Innovation East comments: “We are delighted to have worked with Cogniss to support the further development of their platform in the UK, which will enable SMEs and partners in health and care to develop their digital innovations at a much-reduced time and cost than would previously have been required. This collaboration is an excellent example of our goal of ensuring that that great ideas make a difference to our health when they are put into practice. We look forward to working further with Cogniss over the coming months”.
Potential applications can also find out more about the programme by contacting joanna.dempsey@healthinnovationeast.co.uk – applications close 14 June 2024.
