During the first 30 months of the ELECTOR project, the device and assay partners have made remarkable progress in terms of finalizing the development of a CPR assay for home use and achieving a CE mark for the PoC device and biochemistry cartridge. These achievements now open the path towards a first generation cost-down production line that will enable a market introduction.
The ELECTOR software partner has finalized the ELECTOR ICT platform and app and is in the process of certifying the ELECTOR ICT solution. The ELECTOR software has been developed in close cooperation with clinical sites and end users in several European countries using a novel participatory design two-way process. This user feedback model has improved and safeguarded a better, more user-friendly interface, precise patient information and the incorporation of important user needs. The ELECTOR software is now in use in several national health care systems throughout the world.
The clinical partners carried out the first ELECTOR clinical trial during the second project period and are preparing a scientific paper presenting the interesting findings of the trial. The participating patients from several European countries willingly and easily adapted the ELECTOR eHealth solution and the novel clinical organizational set-up. The result of the patients’ self-monitoring aligned with the results of the same tests performed by professional HCPs. This result confirms the overall assumption of the ELECTOR ICT concept that patient involvement and empowerment are a natural element of future health care services within rheumatology and other chronic diseases.
Thus, user involvement and participatory design have continued to be in focus during the second project period. All partners have been involved in activities related to this and learnings from these participatory interactions, workshops and stakeholder interviews have been of huge importance to the project partners. Based on these motivations, aspirations, needs, expectations and societal aspects relating to relevant stakeholder groups in each of the participating countries have been mapped. This work will continue and is expected to impact the remaining part of the project.
The project has participated in popular and influential outreach events, such as the Oxford Science Festival and the People’s Political Festival in Denmark. These outreach events allowed the consortium to present the ELECTOR project and invite festival guests, professional people and political stakeholders to test the ELECTOR eHealth solution via hands-on workshops during the festivals. The above-mentioned outreach activities resulted in a well-received ELECTOR video (available online), which was part of the project’s non-scientific communication strategy and delivery. The activities and video also helped fulfilling the obligation of the consortium to further create awareness of the project and its partners on national and international media platforms in a non-scientific manner.
The management team has co-developed and finalized a series of pilot clinical trials concepts with the clinical partners and finalized a business plan for the whole ELECTOR consortium. This business plan is a ready-made strategy to be picked up and pursued after the end of the project. The management team has been occupied with the overall management and progress of the project and resources have been used to further ensure advancements of all the activities related to WP 1 to 6. In line with the first project period, the management team has continued to be engaged in analyses of existing and possible challenges that may impact the project, and with the identification and handling of activities related to dissemination and exploitation.
