Eurodiabeta, a European research project combining expertise from medics, academics and industry aimed at providing cost-effective and improved health care for chronic diseases which should improve the quality of life for six million diabetics across Europe, was launched last week by Roger Freeman, Under Secretary of State for Health, at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. One of the aims of the project, at present in its pilot stage, is to produce a Europe-wide standard computer architecture for a health care decision support system. The goal in the UK is to integrate health information systems so that all general practitioners, hospitals and the ministry of health can use it. Another part of the project uses diabetes as an example, chosen because 1% to 2% of the European population suffers from the chronic disease. Through the use of computerised Knowledge Based Systems a non-diabetologist, such as a nurse or general practitioner, could quickly and cost-effectively give a patient the quality care that would be avaliable from an expert. A specialist would be used only if the problems were too complex. Being researched at present are the areas of dietary managment and insulin therapy where diets and insulin dosage can be tailored to an individual’s needs using their medical history. In the future information from home glucose tests is expected to be stored on Smart cards and then be down-loaded to the doctor’s computer. In addition a simulation of a patient’s metabolism will predict the short-term behaviour of blood-glucose levels. The European Commission for Advanced Informatics in Medicine and industry each funded half of the UKP1m-plusproject, and collaborators include Siemens AG, IBM and City University, London. The cost of implementing the system in all district hospitals within the UK National Health Service is estimated at UKP50m. When properly treated, a diabetic can lead a normal healthy life, so that total savings from treatment and loss of patients’ earnings due to diabetes-related days off work are expected to belarge, with an estimated net saving of UKP200m a year. A product resulting from the development project is expected to be available for installation in the mid to late 1990s after formal clinical trials, and is hoped it will be used in all European Community countries.
