SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, March 15. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Ministry of Health begins work on the Cuídat-e project, an initiative based on artificial intelligence and for which 7,200 people are sought to use and interact over a period of five months with a computer application on health. People of any age and health status residing in the Archipelago can participate in this initiative.
Cuidat-e is the first phase of the innovation project called MedP-Big Data Personalized Medicine, which is led by the Canary Health Service and developed jointly with the Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health of the Generalitat Valenciana, within the framework of the FID Health Program of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The project seeks to improve personalized care (diagnosis, treatment and research) for patients with chronic, oncological, degenerative and rare diseases, through the use of cutting-edge technological tools to offer a more advanced and efficient health service.
This system will be based on the processing of large volumes of data (or technically called Big Data), on direct and/or remote care by health professionals and/or alternative virtual assistance systems. It will also provide Artificial Intelligence to people’s contact with the health system, facilitating greater accessibility.
This Personalized Medicine and Big Data project has been launched by the Government of the Canary Islands and the Generalitat Valenciana and has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. It has a budget of 5,833,774 euros, of which the Canary Islands will assume 3,833,774 (85% co-financed by the ERDF) and the Valencian Government 2,000,000 (50% co-financed by the ERDF).
FIRST PHASE
The first phase, called Cuídat-e, has already begun in the Canary Islands with the process of recruiting participants. It consists of the use of a simple mobile application that will allow the exchange of information on healthy nutritional habits, physical activity, mood, substance use-new addictions and situations of unwanted loneliness.
For this exchange to be possible, the participants in the project will have to dedicate between 5 and 10 minutes to the app, three times a week, for a period of approximately five months, with their experiences and assessments of the chosen study topics and from which they will receive information and recommendations.
The purpose is that, thanks to this exchange of information and through the application of artificial intelligence systems, progress is made towards personalized medicine, more adapted to the needs and expectations of users. After this first stage, a second will follow, lasting ten months and which will be focused on the most prevalent pathologies and also on rare diseases; as well as in an intelligent dictaphone, capable of transcribing the conversation, in the consultation between professional and patient, to the text format of the clinical history.
Residents of the Canary Islands interested in participating in the project must give their consent by filling out the consent form available on the SCS website. www.ecuidate.com, which must be sent scanned or photographed with the mobile to the email address [email protected]. In addition, they can call 922474777 or 928474777 where they will be offered more information, even by appointment.
TOWARDS PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
Personalized medicine requires a lot of data to adjust diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations individually. To collect and process them, it is necessary to develop computer tools in phases, which is why this first stage of Cuídat-e focuses on the following five areas of study:
– Smart Spoon: On nutritional habits and healthy and attractive alternative proposals. The application will offer information on nutrients of common foods, prepared dishes, processed foods, daily balances of calories and nutrients, recommendations to achieve a balanced diet, balanced menus.
– We count on you: On physical activity, mobility and exercise. The application will report on caloric expenditure and will extract patterns of physical activity and mobility. Based on this data, it will propose challenges to maintain motivation and provide training guidelines according to needs.
– Healthy smile: On state of mind, positive coping with challenges and difficulties in life, overcoming stress, feelings of belonging, usefulness and fullness, rest, sleep and organization of time. The application will provide tactics and advice to deal with stress in a healthy way, self-motivation, relaxation and meditation.
– Tobacco, alcohol and other addictions: On the consumption of addictive substances, dependence on ICTs and new addictions. The tool will extract behavior patterns and provide general information related to addictions and their impact in the short, medium and long term. As well as advice and tactics for regaining control.
– Better in company: On situations of unwanted loneliness, social isolation and experiences of alienation, to overcome and improve interpersonal, playful, affective and social contact relationships. The tool will return general information, such as socialization and empathy tactics or strategies to promote social contact and available resources. In addition, it will propose individual and collective activities and challenges, it will facilitate videos, games and other mixed experiences (virtual and face-to-face) to make contact with other people easier.
