Using artificial intelligence to predict risk

Greater Manchester has some of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) inequality in England, with premature CVD contributing to the 20-year gap in healthy life expectancy.

A collaborative team of researchers based at Manchester Metropolitan University have proposed a research study that will integrate a number of data resources and use computer algorithms and artificial intelligence to help doctors and other healthcare professionals better identify and manage people who are at risk of having a heart attack or developing heart disease.  It is hoped that this method could lead to innovation in other disease areas in the future.

The team wanted to include the patient voice at the heart of the research from the very beginning and came to Research for the Future to help them gather people’s opinions on the initial research proposal.  Working against an extremely short deadline, we were able to quickly identify more than 800 volunteers that had registered with our ‘Help BEAT Heart Disease’ campaign.

Professor William Ollier, part of the research team said,

“We received more than 50 responses in less than 24 hours, all very positive and with some great comments.  Thanks again for the extremely quick turnaround”

The success of the initial phase meant that Prof Ollier and the research team were quickly able to progress to the next stage, developing the grant application process, and came back to us to help them recruit a public contributor and co-applicant.

Prof Ollier again,

“We received four expressions of interest within a short space of time.  We recruited the perfect candidate for the PPI co-investigator role.  A very big thank you for all your support and for going the extra mile.”