A team which came up with the idea of an app to help patients with pancreatic cancer has praised De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) for helping to win funding.
The My Pancreas App is the brainchild of consultant surgeon Guiseppe Garcea, a hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, plus app designer Andrew Foxwell and nurse specialist Cris Pillard.
Despite initial interest in their idea, however, funders were reluctant to back the project because of the team’s lack of expertise in software design and development.
Then they approached DMU's annual hackathon for help and in just 48 hours, a working model was designed and the first coding underway. It was the breakthrough which has now led to them being awarded £23,000 to develop the software by the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK plus backing from University Hospitals Charity and Leicester City Council.
The hackathon is run by Dr Samad Ahmadi, Reader in Optimisation and Computer Intelligence in the Faculty of Technology. It brings together researchers, students, designers and developers with charities and people looking to create technical solutions to social problems. Among those taking part are students and staff from DMU, University of Leicester, Loughborough University, Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire County Council, IBM and Microsoft.
Mr Garcea said: “The hackathon offered a unique opportunity to develop a working model of the app as proof of concept and invaluable feedback, support and advice was obtained.
Giuseppe Garcia
“The experience gained from the hackathon enabled to HPB unit to approach charitable organisations with a working model of the pancreatic cancer app and a much clearer design and framing plan.”
People can use the app to find out more information on symptoms, how best to manage treatment, support and a place to record questions before appointments.
Mr Garcea said: “Being referred to a pancreatic specialist team can be very daunting. Many people will have only limited knowledge about the pancreas and what to expect at appointments for investigations and treatments.
“My team has recognised modern technology provides lots of options for patients and carers to access information, and we hope ultimately this resource could be rolled out across the UK.”
The £23,000 funding came from Pancreatic Cancer UK’s new Clinical Pioneer Awards Scheme, which aims to improve patient care.
Alex Ford, chief executive of the charity, said: “We are excited to be funding this research in Leicester which we hope will ultimately help people affected by pancreatic cancer know more about the disease.
“All too often we are told by our supporters that when they or their loved one was diagnosed, they did not know where to turn. This app could be a convenient and simple way for patients and carers to easily access the information they need.
“We are also delighted that Guiseppe, as a surgeon, will be leading this project. We believe it is vital to harness the expertise of everyone who supports people with the disease and this scheme is an innovative way of doing that.”
The team now plan to work on a second app for patients with liver cancer.
Posted on Tuesday 5 January 2016