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Dr Abigail LyonsSenior Business Innovation Manager < Return to team Dr Abigail Lyons Senior Business Innovation Manager Dr Abigail Lyons leads on Industry engagement. She helps companies advance the market readiness of their digital health products & services, connecting them with the right support for their stage of development. She also leads a women’s health theme, with a focus on cardiovascular health data. Abby qualified in Immunology and Molecular Biology and her subsequent career has woven through the triple helix of industry, academia and the public sector in Scotland and the US. She worked as a postdoc researcher at the Mayo Clinic and a product development scientist in the Cardiac Surgery division of Medtronic in Minnesota. More recently, she was a programme manager at Scottish Enterprise where she managed complex multi-partner initiatives across a range of sectors and led collaborative teams to commercialise customer-centric technologies and spin-out investor-ready companies. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

Dr Petra WilsonBoard Chair < Return to team Dr Petra Wilson Board Chair Petra has over 25 years’ experience in the health and life sciences sector, ranging across academia, public sector, industry and the not-for-profit sector. In 2016 she set up Health Connect Partners, a boutique consulting firm which provides advisory services on digital health to organisations in healthcare and life sciences. Health Connect Partners is also engaged in a number of EU funded research projects in the digital health sector, working in partnership with the Institute for Innovation through Health Data. Petra’s career began in 1992 when after completing a PhD in Public Health Law, she worked for Nottingham University in research and teaching before being seconded to the European Commission where she was for 8 years in the digital health unit, supporting early work on Electronic Health Records and Connected Medical Devices. She then moved to the private sector, as a senior director in Cisco’s public health team, before moving to lead the International Diabetes Federation as its CEO. This latter experience developed her skills both in the subject matter of diabetes and in lobbying for the rights of diabetes patients at the highest levels of EU policy making. The thread running through all her work is to harness the power of data and digital tools in health to drive more accessible, resilient and efficient health systems that can put patients in the driving seat of their care. This is the passion and engagement she brings to her work with a wide range of clients in the healthcare and life sciences sector to support them in understanding the implications of EU policy for their business and helping position them as core partners in EU health systems. Petra also holds an advisor role with the digital health team at WHO Europe, and serves as an editorial Board Member of Data Saves Lives run by the European Patients Forum, and Member of the Digital Health Board Committee of EURODIS, the EU Rare Diseases Organisation. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

Exploring person-centred approaches to diabetes care in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire to create a roadmap for future care. < Return to projects Type 2 Diabetes - Transforming the Diagnosis Conversation Project impact Early Self-Management: Redesigned diagnosis conversations for Type 2 diabetes aim to engage patients early, reducing complications and secondary care referrals Better Communication: The project emphasises improved communication between primary and secondary care to enhance patient experiences and reduce unnecessary referrals Key Outputs: Developed a market review, support recommendations, and a prototype tool to improve Type 2 diabetes diagnosis conversations Exploring person-centred approaches to diabetes care in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire to create a roadmap for future care. By focusing on one key moment in the care journey - the conversation between the primary care health professional and the newly diagnosed type 2 patient - the DHI in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire aimed to understand how secondary care and primary care staff could work more collaboratively to improve self-management in the community and a more consistent approach. Through exploring and mapping current care experiences and identifying aspirations for future care, using co-design methodology, we identified opportunities to redesign the type 2 diabetes diagnosis conversation to support early engagement. Summary Emerging insights have revealed several opportunities for improvement: • Engaging people in self-management at diagnosis to reduce later complications and referrals to secondary care • Improving communication between primary and secondary care to reduce unnecessary referrals and improve the person’s experience • Using technology to support citizen education and confidence to self-manage Impact & value A market research report was concluded to outline the current state of diabetes care and policy in Scotland and current emerging digital technologies to support diabetes care. The project also employed a participatory process including pop-up engagements in the community, interviews with people living with type 2 diabetes and primary and secondary care health professionals, a codesign workshop with health professionals and further engagements with people living with Type 2 diabetes to refine the concepts. Rich insights were generated on how people would like to be supported at the diagnosis stage, and how primary care staff can be supported by specialist staff to create more consistent person-centred diagnosis conversations. There were several key outputs from the project: the market review; recommendations around support for practice nurses; recommendations around diagnosis specialist group appointments, and the development of a prototype of the paper diagnosis conversation tool to support the discussion between patient and healthcare professional at the point of diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Progress to date Further engagement and scoping activity has taken place over the last 12 months, through DHI Simulation activity, to consider the potential digitisation of the tool prototyped in the DHI DSE. This work will be progressed through consultation with the National Diabetes Group. The insights gained through this project, and the DHI's other work in diabetes will inform future projects in this critical domain. Next steps Diabetes project hub DHI uniquely drives Diabetes Innovation in Scotland by collaborating with NHS, industry, academia, and individuals with lived experiences to advance innovation and funding opportunities. View hub Partners Project staff Resources Transforming the Diagnosis Conversation Report Previous project Projects index page Next project

This is the full and final report of Phase 2 (2023–2025) of the Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) programme. Led by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), the evaluation assesses the contribution of digital inclusion efforts on improving outcomes for people at high risk of drug-related harm. Using a mixed-methods approach, the report explores service accessibility, digital literacy, wellbeing, stigma reduction, and system-level impacts. It provides detailed analysis, key findings, and recommendations for embedding digital approaches into health, social care, and community services. This report is supported by a series of appendices provided in the Supporting Evidence Report. < Return to resources Evaluation of the Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) Programme – FINAL REPORT Perkins, A., Dumbrell, J., Livingston, W., McCluskey, S., Steele, S. This is the full and final report of Phase 2 (2023–2025) of the Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) programme. Led by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), the evaluation assesses the contribution of digital inclusion efforts on improving outcomes for people at high risk of drug-related harm. Using a mixed-methods approach, the report explores service accessibility, digital literacy, wellbeing, stigma reduction, and system-level impacts. It provides detailed analysis, key findings, and recommendations for embedding digital approaches into health, social care, and community services. This report is supported by a series of appendices provided in the Supporting Evidence Report. View resource Previous item Next item

Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster (DMHIC) was established in March 2022 to drive the development, evaluation, and adoption of digital technologies in support of mental health service transformation. Governed by a multi-sector programme board and supported by an advisory board, the cluster aligns cross sector collaboration with national priorities and digital research and innovation (R&I) opportunities. Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) provides cluster management on behalf of the Scottish Government. This report examines the current landscape of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) services across five NHS health boards in Scotland, highlighting systemic challenges, patient experiences, and emerging opportunities for service improvement and innovation. < Return to resources Adult ADHD Scottish Pathway Research : A review of the current landscape of approaches to Adult ADHD care across health boards in Scotland Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster (DMHIC) was established in March 2022 to drive the development, evaluation, and adoption of digital technologies in support of mental health service transformation. Governed by a multi-sector programme board and supported by an advisory board, the cluster aligns cross sector collaboration with national priorities and digital research and innovation (R&I) opportunities. Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) provides cluster management on behalf of the Scottish Government. This report examines the current landscape of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) services across five NHS health boards in Scotland, highlighting systemic challenges, patient experiences, and emerging opportunities for service improvement and innovation. View resource Previous item Next item

This paper provides a high-level mapping of existing capability / competency / career frameworks relevant to the special data, information and knowledge workforce in health and care in Scotland. It is informed by: • Early discussions of the project steering group • Literature search • Interviews with strategic stakeholders It is anticipated that this initial mapping will be augmented through iterative engagement with stakeholders and finalised in the final SDIK Scoping Report to provide a composite overview of data, information and knowledge workforce capabilities to date . Associated with "Our Time to Shine" report. < Return to resources High Level Mapping of Relevant Existing Capability/Competency/Career Frameworks: Appendix 2 Digital Health & Care Institute & Wales, Ann This paper provides a high-level mapping of existing capability / competency / career frameworks relevant to the special data, information and knowledge workforce in health and care in Scotland. It is informed by: • Early discussions of the project steering group • Literature search • Interviews with strategic stakeholders It is anticipated that this initial mapping will be augmented through iterative engagement with stakeholders and finalised in the final SDIK Scoping Report to provide a composite overview of data, information and knowledge workforce capabilities to date . Associated with "Our Time to Shine" report. View resource Previous item Next item

In times of rapid social, economic, environmental, and technological change designers can play a valuable role by applying their creativity to catalyse innovative solutions to address complex problems. As they do so, it becomes apparent they need to ask fundamental questions about what they make, how they make it, and who for. The mindsets and postures of designers often go unnoticed and unacknowledged, but they profoundly influence what is identified as a problem and how it is framed and addressed. This paper draws upon a research project titled ‘CO/DEsign’, which explores the application of agile co-design methods in an endeavour to understand and identify the most appropriate approach for rigorous analysis. The ‘CO/DEsign’ project argues that, while it is important to draw upon other disciplines and borrow methods such as thematic analysis, further methods should be developed that better represent and support designers and their approaches. < Return to resources Code Design: the role of boundary objects in research analysis Johnson, Michael and Ballie, Jen and Thorup, Tine and Brooks, Elizabeth In times of rapid social, economic, environmental, and technological change designers can play a valuable role by applying their creativity to catalyse innovative solutions to address complex problems. As they do so, it becomes apparent they need to ask fundamental questions about what they make, how they make it, and who for. The mindsets and postures of designers often go unnoticed and unacknowledged, but they profoundly influence what is identified as a problem and how it is framed and addressed. This paper draws upon a research project titled ‘CO/DEsign’, which explores the application of agile co-design methods in an endeavour to understand and identify the most appropriate approach for rigorous analysis. The ‘CO/DEsign’ project argues that, while it is important to draw upon other disciplines and borrow methods such as thematic analysis, further methods should be developed that better represent and support designers and their approaches. View resource Previous item Next item

In Summer 2022, DHI conducted an online survey via SurveyMonkey as part of its diabetes portfolio to explore key challenges faced by NHS Scotland in diabetes care and to generate new ideas for digital innovations. This report presents an analysis of survey responses, which were solicited from health and care professionals as well as individuals with an interest in diabetes care. With 275 participants, key themes included person-centred care, mental health support, access to information and resources, and the integration of diabetes technologies, alongside diverse ideas for innovation spanning care models, digital connectivity, and self-management capabilities. < Return to resources Transforming Diabetes Care Through Innovation Savage, J. In Summer 2022, DHI conducted an online survey via SurveyMonkey as part of its diabetes portfolio to explore key challenges faced by NHS Scotland in diabetes care and to generate new ideas for digital innovations. This report presents an analysis of survey responses, which were solicited from health and care professionals as well as individuals with an interest in diabetes care. With 275 participants, key themes included person-centred care, mental health support, access to information and resources, and the integration of diabetes technologies, alongside diverse ideas for innovation spanning care models, digital connectivity, and self-management capabilities. View resource Previous item Next item

Summary of the TITTAN project to date. < Return to resources TITTAN Project Update and Workshop 2 Overview of Best Practices Rooney, Laura Summary of the TITTAN project to date. View resource Previous item Next item

The Health Frontiers Project focuses on transforming healthcare through three interlinked strands of research and innovation, backed by €9.1 million from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) through the Peace Plus Programme, the Health Frontiers project is accelerating innovation across the digital health and MedTech landscape. < Return to projects Health Frontiers - TIC Project impact 11 academic and clinical partners working across Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Scotland to address shared health and care challenges 25+ digital health products and processes to be co-designed, developed, and tested in real-world clinical settings 25 MedTech SMEs engaged, supporting innovation, skills development, and economic growth across participating regions The Health Frontiers Project focuses on transforming healthcare through three interlinked strands of research and innovation, backed by €9.1 million from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) through the Peace Plus Programme, the Health Frontiers project is accelerating innovation across the digital health and MedTech landscape. The Health Frontiers–Technology Innovation Centre, led by Ulster University, is a flagship crossborder hub dedicated to advancing nextgeneration digital health and medical technologies. Aligned with Peace Plus Investment Area 2.2 – Innovation Challenge Fund, the initiative strengthens research and innovation capacity while supporting the adoption of cuttingedge technologies. The Centre brings together leading universities, healthcare organisations, and MedTech companies from Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Scotland. This collaborative network drives innovation that enhances patient care, improves clinical systems, and supports economic growth. Building on more than four decades of Ulster University’s leadership in health technology innovation, Health Frontiers extends the legacy of the INTERREG VA Eastern Corridor Medical Engineering Centre (ECME) partnership. By uniting expertise in engineering, computing, and clinical science, the Centre delivers meaningful impact on patient outcomes, regional prosperity, and peacebuilding through shared progress and collaboration. Summary For industry, the project offers direct collaboration with leading research and clinical partners to codevelop and validate new solutions. Companies gain access to regulatory, design, and innovation expertise, supported by dedicated Peace Plus investment that helps speed up development and adoption. For academia, Health Frontiers enables highimpact, multidisciplinary research with real clinical relevance. It strengthens crossborder collaboration, opens new funding opportunities, and supports the translation of research into practical healthcare technologies that deliver measurable outcomes. For clinicians, healthcare systems, and communities, the project ensures technologies are shaped around real needs. It supports a shift toward digitally enabled care, improving safety, efficiency, and patient experience, while empowering people to influence innovation through participatory design and more connected, accessible services. Impact & value Progress to date Next steps Partners Project staff Resources View project website : About Health Frontiers – Technology Innovation Centre Previous project Projects index page Next project

This research reports looks at examples of computable medical records around the world in 2016. Computable records are set to drive the evolution of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), aiming for interoperability, portability, and comprehensive health data. These records, readable by humans and machines, will contain a patient's entire medical history and declare their fidelity level, ensuring users can assess completeness and accuracy. Unique and ideally open-source, these records will support a health status scoring system and facilitate adoption across various stakeholders. < Return to resources Computable Records: The Next Generation of the EMR Conversation Rimpiläinen, Sanna This research reports looks at examples of computable medical records around the world in 2016. Computable records are set to drive the evolution of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), aiming for interoperability, portability, and comprehensive health data. These records, readable by humans and machines, will contain a patient's entire medical history and declare their fidelity level, ensuring users can assess completeness and accuracy. Unique and ideally open-source, these records will support a health status scoring system and facilitate adoption across various stakeholders. View resource Previous item Next item

Olivia DunbarEvents, Marketing & PR Assistant < Return to team Olivia Dunbar Events, Marketing & PR Assistant Olivia is our Marketing, PR, and Events Assistant at DHI, where she plays a pivotal role in delivering key events and marketing initiatives. With a focus on the #DigiInventors Challenge, Olivia leads the day-to-day development and execution of this flagship programme, ensuring its success across Scotland and internationally. Olivia's responsibilities extend to overseeing the logistics and promotion of various DHI events, both in-person and online. She provides essential support in public relations, social media management, and marketing communications, working closely with the Head of Communications and Marketing to maintain DHI's public-facing activities. Her background includes a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Advertising and Public Relations from the City of Glasgow College, equipping her with a robust foundation in marketing and communication. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

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The School of Innovation and Technology (SIT) at the Glasgow School of Art explores the intersection of design, technology, and society, using design innovation to address complex global challenges. It brings together expertise in product design, simulation, and visualisation to shape future-focused solutions in areas like healthcare, education, and climate resilience Visit Partner's website Previous Item Next Item

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) is a vital part of Scotland’s careers and skills system. DYW is employer-led, and it’s our priority to make it easier for employers to connect with young people in schools and colleges across Scotland. It’s a team effort to support young people to prepare for the world of work. Through DYW, employers can provide inspirational opportunities for young people to help them understand and develop the skills they need to succeed. Get involved to influence education and help shape the future workforce Scotland needs. Visit Partner's website Previous Item Next Item

This is a blog post on the need to develop Pharmaceutical Care Pathways. Developing a sustainable pharmaceutical care pathway is increasingly crucial in Scotland's healthcare system, aiming to share the workload with primary and secondary care services. The goal is to integrate pharmacists more deeply into the care pathway, contributing to personalised patient care. Building on initiatives like "The Right Medicine" from 2002, the Scottish government emphasizes closer collaboration between GPs, pharmacists, and other community services to enhance patient services beyond medication prescription. < Return to resources Why do we need Pharmaceutical Care Pathways? Rooney, Laura This is a blog post on the need to develop Pharmaceutical Care Pathways. Developing a sustainable pharmaceutical care pathway is increasingly crucial in Scotland's healthcare system, aiming to share the workload with primary and secondary care services. The goal is to integrate pharmacists more deeply into the care pathway, contributing to personalised patient care. Building on initiatives like "The Right Medicine" from 2002, the Scottish government emphasizes closer collaboration between GPs, pharmacists, and other community services to enhance patient services beyond medication prescription. View resource Previous item Next item

Moira MackenzieDeputy Chief Executive Officer/Director of Innovation < Return to team Moira Mackenzie Deputy Chief Executive Officer/Director of Innovation Moira is a key member of our executive team and she believes that the progress of any country can best be evidenced by the quality of care it provides to its most vulnerable citizens. She has over 30 years’ of experience in leading complex transformational change developments, enabled by digital within health, housing and care environments. Moira led West Lothian Council's ground-breaking Opening Doors for Older People Initiative, which inspired subsequent influential and high-profile roles including leadership of the Scottish Government’s National Telecare Development Programme and Head of Service for the high-achieving Scottish Centre for Telehealth & Telecare, which led the roll-out of Home & Mobile Health Monitoring, Telecare, computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and virtual consultations across Scotland. Within DHI, Moira leads senior stakeholder engagement, design, finance, comms & marketing functions to identify collaborative health & care opportunities where DHI can add the most value from its expertise in digitally enabled research & innovation. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

Transforming Diabetes Care Through Innovation –mapping the current landscape and identifying future priorities in Scotland < Return to projects Transforming Diabetes Care Through Innovation Project impact The project generated significant interest from health professionals and people with diabetes, with 275 survey responses, eight interviews, and five workshops to map current projects and identify future innovation opportunities. Over 30 innovation projects were identified, revealing five challenges in diabetes care: implementation, resourcing, variation in services, integrating user data, and managing expectations. Future landscape mapping identified seven key thematic challenges in diabetes innovation: individualising care, lifestyles, education, inequalities, mental wellbeing, technology, and flexible care pathways. Transforming Diabetes Care Through Innovation –mapping the current landscape and identifying future priorities in Scotland This participatory design led innovation Diabetes project was sponsored by the Scottish Diabetes Group in collaboration with Chief Scientist office. The research undertook a novel, and person-centred approach to identifying innovation priorities and explored the impact of current innovations on the experiences of service users. Mixed method approaches brought together survey data and user experiences to map current and future state priorities and innovation ideas. and analysis of the current projects live diabetes innovation landscape in Scotland and readiness for scale up. These insights were all presented in a series of digital maps and have been published as part of the outputs from this work. Summary Focusing on users' needs in innovation, as highlighted by this research, provides valuable insights into unmet needs and aspirations. Participatory design fosters collaboration, empathy, and a deeper understanding of challenges, leading to more sustainable, scalable solutions. The research has informed decision-makers in supporting continued investment in diabetes technologies and contributed to future demand work within the Chief Scientist Office Innovation Portfolio. This approach offers a framework for identifying future innovation projects in NHS Scotland. The research was presented at the National Services Research Conference (July 2024) and won the Best Poster Award at the Digital Health and Care Conference (December 2023). Impact & value Following a “round table” session with senior stakeholders a shortened list of priority themes has emerged, and pipeline proposals are in development within DHI. Research outputs published in November 2024. Progress to date Next steps Diabetes project hub DHI uniquely drives Diabetes Innovation in Scotland by collaborating with NHS, industry, academia, and individuals with lived experiences to advance innovation and funding opportunities. View hub Partners Project staff Resources Transforming Diabetes Care Through Innovation – Survey Results Transforming Diabetes Care Through Innovation – Summary Report IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES AND MAPPING THE DIABETES INNOVATION LANDSCAPE IN SCOTLAND Previous project Projects index page Next project

Chris MalarkeyFinance Officer < Return to team Chris Malarkey Finance Officer Chris joined DHI as Finance Officer and has responsibility for the development, monitoring and reporting of the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre’s 5-year core budget. Prior to DHI, Chris worked for The Bumblebee Conservation Trust while studying for a Master’s Degree in Business and Administration. This helped spark his keen interest in all things accountancy and finance as he hopes to pursue a chartered accountancy qualification. He has contributed to several different areas within the DHI, including leading the financial management of a growing portfolio of additionally funded projects and the development and improvement of DHI’s financial process’ to ensure robust levels of governance and audit. Chris has a keen interest in psychology and music with his honours Degree in Audio Engineering and background volunteering in educational environments and music charities. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page