Clinical Task Group in the HJERTERO (”Calm Heart”) Project Have Had Their First Meeting

The Region of Southern Denmark are currently working on the HJERTERO (”Calm Heart”) project where artificial intelligence and the development of data-driven predication model are going help detect early signs of anxiety and depression in heart patients.

6th April 2021

First meeting of the clinical task group

The clinical task group of the HJERTERO (”Calm Heart”) project were gathered for the first time on the 10th of March. An important tool they are working with is benefits realisation, which is to balance the expectations of those involved in the project and ensure that they are working towards mutual goals. Focusing on benefits realisation from the early stages of the project, and practicing this continuously, helps ensure successful implementation, as this process identifies necessary behavioural changes. The meeting was conducted virtually.

HJERTERO (”Calm Heart”) operates from the Health Innovation Centre of Southern Denmark. Carsten Jensen, Assoc. Prof. and project manager at the centre, elaborates:

Even today, new technologies help us determine illnesses more quickly and accurately than before. Furthermore, these technologies are helping us individualise treatment and initiate measures to prevent these illnesses. HJERTERO (”Calm Heart”) are going to run through historical and present data via Artificial Intelligence (AL), in order to find the risk factors linked to the increased risk of developing psychological challenges after a heart disease. AL is going to help process this data that would otherwise have been impossible to survey for the healthcare professionals.

Furthermore, this type of AL-based supported tool is going to aid the healthcare professionals, such as doctors and hospital personnel, in their dialogue with heart patients. The solutions is going to advice the healthcare professionals that this patient require special attention. In the future, this development method will be applicable to other fields of illness and disease where there is an increased risk of anxiety and depression due to a somatic illness. An example of this is in COPD and diabetes, where anxiety and depression are present in 10-30% of patients.

We have gathered a great circle of partners in the HJERTERO (”Calm Heart”) project, made up of researches, doctors and developers from i.e. University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital (OUH), supported by the SAS institute and the Region of Southern Denmark’s division for documentation and information management.