Greece: BlueHealthPass - AI to improve health at sea
The project develops a remote e-health solution for the maritime sector and specifically for seafarers who, despite working in very adverse conditions, are not cared for adequately by traditional health measures. The e-health solution offers preventative measures, treatment plan or exercise with AI as well as measures for emergencies, including teleconferencing.
Innovation Norway operates the EEA Grants Programme on Business Innovation in Greece. The Programme Officer at Innovation Norway's office in Greece, Theocharis Adraktas Rentis, says that
“The pandemic accelerated the need for eHealth solutions that facilitate teleconsultation, remote monitoring of a medical case, and self-management of the conditions by the patients.”
He continues to explain that:
“The BlueHealthPass allows the health care professionals to create personalised care plans that seafarers can follow (via the mobile application) in order to maintain a healthy status. The care plan may include, specific dietary plan, regular physical exercise, medication prescription if needed, personalised questionnaires to regularly assess the condition of the seafarers and educational material that increases the awareness of the seafarers and help them adopt a healthy lifestyle".
Better health, less environmental and economic impact
The solution aims to improve the overall health of the seafarers. It will also reduce the economic and environmental impact of emergency health situations that may cause vessels to divert from its original routes. Incidents on board that require costly deviations from a ship's course cost on average $180,000 per diversion.
he BlueHealthPass brings together multiple stakeholders (including seafarers, maritime companies, Health Care professionals in domestic and foreign countries and insurance companies) to a digital healthcare ecosystem.
Partnership with SINTEF in Norway
SINTEF is a leading research institute in Europe, based in Trondheim, Norway. As a partner in this project, SINTEF contributed with research and innovation. See this video where SINTEF provides its view on the cooperation:
A unified digital healthcare system
The project creates a unified digital healthcare ecosystem. The ecosystem brings together the needs of multiple stakeholders including seafarers, maritime companies, health care professionals, insurance companies and others.
It offers preventative measures, such as a personalised treatment plan or physical/mental exercise plan facilitated with use of AI and machine learning algorithms. It also provides reactive measures in the case of emergencies, such as remote health advice via teleconference.
Holistic package of remote, digital health services
The project creates a holistic package of remote digital health services for seafarers. The package allows seafarers to give their consent digitally for any medical procedures needed. It makes it possible to create shared treatment plans and maintain constant communication between seafarers and the medical professionals, while the seafarers stay on board the ship. The medical professionals may also monitor any chronic illnesses, also in interoperability with any other medical files used by the shipping company or ship.
See Dr Alexander Berler, Director Consulting Services at Gnomon Informatics, explain the project in the video below:
The Business Innovation Programme in Greece
The project is supported by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein through the EEA Grants. See more opportunities under the Business Innovation Programme in Greece.