Neu Health Revolutionises Parkinson’s Care: A Health Innovation East Impact Story
Neu Health are delighted to be featured in this Health Innovation East Impact Story: https://healthinnovationeast.co.uk/impact-story/innovating-parkinsons-care-with-neu-health/
Transforming Care for Neurological Conditions
Parkinson’s and dementia place a staggering financial burden on the UK, costing the healthcare system an estimated £30 billion annually. Long waiting times for clinical decisions contribute to poor quality of life for patients and increased healthcare costs. Neurological conditions are often undermanaged, leading to an expanding waiting list, subjective data collection, sparse care, and poor patient outcomes.
Thanks to support from Health Innovation East, East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) has adopted Neu Health’s pioneering digital platform to transform care for Parkinson’s patients. This cutting-edge intervention is helping to bridge critical gaps in neurology services, bringing efficiency and improved patient experiences to the forefront of care.
Innovative Digital Intervention
Neu Health, a University of Oxford spinout, builds on a decade of research and clinical validation to deliver a state-of-the-art solution for Parkinson’s care. By integrating a smartphone app with a clinician dashboard powered by advanced machine learning analytics, Neu Health empowers both patients and healthcare providers.
This prescribed app harnesses smartphone sensors to remotely and objectively measure symptoms such as voice, balance, walking, finger dexterity, reaction time, tremor, and cognition. Non-motor symptoms, including sleep patterns and medication adherence, are also monitored. Clinicians receive real-time data through an online dashboard, offering a comprehensive, longitudinal view of a patient’s condition outside traditional clinic visits.
The solution aligns with the UK government’s strategy to transition care from hospitals to community settings and digitise healthcare services. Already implemented in six acute hospitals, Neu Health has now expanded to dementia patients in mental health trusts.
Scaling Impact with Health Innovation East
Health Innovation East has played a pivotal role in the adoption and expansion of Neu Health, offering vital support in several key areas:
Facilitating connections with Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) and involvement in an ICB innovation panel.
Co-funding and independent economic analysis.
Service evaluation and programme extension from Ipswich Hospital to Colchester and West Suffolk Hospital.
Promoting the innovation at key regional and national events, including the 2024 Autumn Innovation Showcase.
Conducting independent service evaluations and reports to assess the impact of Neu Health.
Measurable Impact on Patient Care and NHS Efficiency
Since its adoption at ESNEFT, Neu Health has demonstrated remarkable clinical improvements, with 90% of clinicians reporting enhanced care and patient outcomes. Over half (53%) of patients experienced adjustments in their care plans, including optimised medication and more tailored treatment regimens.
Currently, more than 750 Parkinson’s patients are benefiting from this technology. A 2024 independent economic analysis by CorEvitas identified a net saving of £2,000 per patient per year, with the potential to scale to a national cohort of 113,000 patients. Estimated benefits include:
70,000 savings in outpatient face-to-face appointments
44,000 fewer A&E attendances
35,000 fewer non-elective inpatient admissions
34,000 hours saved in neurology clinics
With the successful implementation for Parkinson’s patients, Neu Health expanded its impact in November 2024 with a dementia-focused iteration of its platform. This marks another significant step towards enhancing digital-first, patient-centric care in neurology.
As Neu Health continues to scale, it represents a transformative force in neurology care, improving outcomes, reducing costs, and optimising NHS efficiency. With continued support from networks like Health Innovation East, this ground breaking innovation is set to redefine neurological care across the UK.
https://healthinnovationeast.co.uk/impact-story/innovating-parkinsons-care-with-neu-health/