Tag: App

Dedicated new app launched to support people living with rare disease, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension to improve health outcomes and quality of life

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, SFI CONNECT Centre for Future Networks & Communications (CONNECT), Maynooth University and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital announced a new partnership today to introduce an innovative health app.

This application has been specifically developed using award-winning technology deployed by many UK-based hospitals and is designed to provide essential tools and information for patients living with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), supporting improved health outcomes and quality of life right from their homes. The app also enables medical teams to educate patients about their condition and encourages proactive health management.

PAH is a rare form of pulmonary hypertension, which is high blood pressure in the lungs with an annual incidence rate of 3.11 patients per million of the total population of Ireland. Symptoms of PAH include: breathlessness, particularly during physical activity; fatigue; dizziness; syncope (fainting or passing out); peripheral oedema (swelling to lower legs or hands) and chest pain.

These symptoms can severely impact a patient’s ability to carry out normal daily activities. As the disease progresses, some patients may experience constant dyspnoea (shortness of breath or breathlessness) and fatigue so that even simple tasks, such as getting dressed and walking short distances, become difficult which can severely impact a patient’s quality of life.3

The Mater Hospital is the National Centre of Excellence for PAH and is attended by patients from across Ireland. The initial rollout of the app will benefit up to 250 people living with the rare disease who attend the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital for treatment, empowering them to manage their disease more effectively, from their homes.

The app’s integration into the patients’ care routine is expected to:

  • Improve the quality of life of patients, empowering them to self-manage elements of their condition through access to credible and localised information about the management of their condition, their treatment pathways and online support services.
  • Improve medication adherence by providing patients with medication support and education.
  • Reduce hospital appointments by providing patients with self-management information and the use of a health tracker to enable patient-initiated reviews. This would positively impact patients who are not located close to the hospital, to reduce the burden of travel, parking and support from loved ones.
  • Provide holistic guidance and education to patients on their emotional, physical and nutritional wellbeing with the aim of improving their quality of life.
  • Improve the quality of care through personalised, up-to-date medical advice from trusted clinical teams as well as deploying remote education for healthcare professionals through the app.
  • Enhance the experience of healthcare professionals by streamlining patient interactions and reducing administrative burdens, creating greater efficiencies that benefit both the professionals, and the patient.

This partnership brings together the expertise and resources of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, formerly known as Janssen, alongside Maynooth University, CONNECT and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital to offer innovative support for patients. It underscores the commitment of both public, private and academic sectors to enhance patient care, improve quality of life, and address the increasing demands on the Irish healthcare system, serving as a national pathway personalised to local clinical and system needs.

A presentation about the new app will be made today at the International Digital Health Summer School 2024, hosted at the Innovation Value Institute, Maynooth University.

Developed by Health and Care Innovations (HCI), the CONNECTPlus app has been designed in collaboration with nurses, clinicians and PAH patients, to ensure it closely supports the local pathways of care, patient needs and challenges faced by people living with PAH which will be optimised over time to incorporate user feedback.

Speaking about the partnership, Lisa Wallace, Business Unit Director and Head of Business Transformation at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine said, “This partnership aims to not only support patients living with pulmonary arterial hypertension, but also reduce the demand on a busy health system, improving the quality of care and supporting the clinician’s engagement with patients. We are living in a world where the demand for healthcare is increasing, and we need to shift to innovative ways of working where more patients are at the centre of personalised care that is delivered closer to home.”

Martin Curley, Professor of Innovation at Maynooth University and Digital Health Lead at Innovation Value Institute and CONNECT Investigator said, “Digital transformation has emerged as a vital catalyst in optimising clinical pathways for both patients and healthcare professionals. By embracing technology, we are unlocking new opportunities for seamless collaboration, efficient data management, and personalised healthcare experiences. This initiative is a great opportunity to empower patients as well as healthcare providers with the tools and insights needed to deliver timely and effective care, ultimately transforming the way we navigate and improve patient outcomes.”

Prof Sean Gaine, Consultant Respiratory Physician at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital said: “Our teams are actively involved in shaping this innovative app to ensure the technology will best suit the needs of our patients and support our goal of empowering people living with PAH to play an active role in the management of their disease. We are delighted to deliver this new innovation to help patients better manage their condition.”

 

Plum expands investment offering in Ireland with ETFs

Smart money app Plum has expanded its investment offering to include ETFs in Ireland and other EU markets. Customers can invest in diversified funds by geographical region, sector and asset class, as well as tracking multiple stock market indices from around the world.

In partnership with Berlin-based fintech Upvest, Plum now offers its customers investments in EUR-denominated ETFs, including fractional shares. As a result, Plum is able to offer them a broader, enhanced investment experience, in addition to the 3,000 US stocks it already offers.

The Easy ETF range, accessible without a paid subscription, consists of three globally diversified ETFs tailored to different risk levels to help customers start their investment journey. The rest of the ETFs are available with Pro and Premium subscriptions, with more than 40 carefully selected funds on offer in total, such as S&P 500 US, Artificial Intelligence ETF or Europe Dividend Income.

The launch of ETFs follows the success of ‘Plum Interest’, an innovative product based on a money market fund offering a variable return of up to 3.80%. Paired with Plum’s stock investing product, the company aims to offer Irish savers a full suite of products to build wealth over the long-term.

Victor Trokoudes, CEO and founder of Plum, comments: “We know already that people in Ireland are great at saving. But they’ve been let down by poor interest rates and inaccessible and confusing investment options from the traditional banks and providers. That is why we have carefully selected a range of ETFs that will provide customers with more high-quality options to put their money to work.”

“The recent success of our ‘Plum Interest’ product in Ireland shows that people are hungry for innovative products to build their wealth. Now, with the addition of diversified, expertly created ETFs as well, it will be easier than ever for people to invest in the sectors and regions that matter to them, as well as being more able to find the risk level appropriate for their circumstances.”

As well as Ireland, ETFs are available to Plum customers in seven other EU markets (France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Greece).

The Gemini mobile app is now available in more countries

The Gemini mobile app is coming to more countries across Europe and the UK, empowering users to supercharge their creativity and productivity with our AI-powered mobile app.

Today Google is rolling out the Gemini mobile app to more countries and territories, so users can get help from Gemini on the go. With the Gemini app on your phone, you can type, talk or add an image for all kinds of help: you can take a picture of your flat tire and ask for instructions on how to change it, or get help writing that thank you note. It’s an important first step in building a true AI assistant — one that is conversational, multimodal and helpful.

Google Gemini app on the Pixel 8 pro and Pixel 8a – techbuzzireland

To access Gemini on Android, download the Gemini app or opt in through Google Assistant, and you’ll be able to use Gemini by corner swiping, hitting the power button on select phones, or saying “Hey Google.” This will enable a new overlay experience that offers easy access to Gemini as well as contextual help right on your screen. Many loved voice features in Google Assistant will be available through the Gemini app — including setting timers, making calls and setting reminders — and there will be more support in the future.

Google remains dedicated to making Gemini available to as many people as possible. By expanding our language support and reaching new countries, we’re ensuring more people can supercharge their ideas with Gemini. Try the latest features at: https://gemini.google.com/

On iOS, access is being rolled out to Gemini right from the Google app over the next couple of weeks. Just tap the Gemini toggle and chat with Gemini to supercharge  creativity, get help writing social posts and even plan a date night.

FREENOW partners with MOBY to offer in-app bookings for pedal and e-bikes in Dublin

FREENOW, Ireland’s number 1 taxi app, has partnered with Irish bike sharing provider MOBY to make its 500+ pedal and e-bike fleet available on the FREENOW app. MOBY and FREENOW co-branded bikes will be available to book in Dublin via the FREENOW app alongside taxis from today.

The new partnership with MOBY is part of FREENOW’s ongoing commitment to enhance urban transportation choices by offering a range of sustainable and efficient transport options to passengers in Ireland. It will allow FREENOW users to adopt a more flexible approach to daily transport and choose from different transport options when travelling for work or leisure, easily combining taxis and bikes with existing public transport. This mirrors the multi-modal progress made by FREENOW in other markets, such as the UK, France, Spain or Germany, where passengers are combining a variety of transport options to get about the city – from e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds, and taxis to car sharing, all available via the FREENOW app.

FREENOW’s growing multi-mobility offering also contributes to its sustainability efforts, as the company takes measurable sustainability efforts to become a net-zero platform. This is clear from insights drawn from other European countries, where a variety of mobility options are already seamlessly integrated into the FREENOW app. With over 200K e-scooters and e-bikes vehicles available across Europe, during 2023 alone, electric shared vehicles on the FREENOW platform saved 2,067 tons of CO2, highlighting the positive impact of multi-modal transport. 

MOBY operates public bike share schemes in Dublin, Athlone, Mullingar, Ashbourne and Tullamore and corporate bike share schemes for Dublin Airport, Eastpoint Business Park and Sport Ireland, as well as a growing international business. Currently, it has over 500 bikes available throughout Dublin city, and plans are underway to extend this number to 1,500. To unlock a bike, users pay a €1 fee; the first three minutes are then free, and after that period, it costs €0.15 per minute for an e-bike and €0.02 for a manual bike. Users can locate and book the e-bikes through the FREENOW app under the new ‘2-wheels’ option and use them within the designated operating area visible on the map in the app in Dublin.

Commenting on the launch, Charlie Gleeson, General Manager of FREENOW Ireland, said: “We are delighted to partner with MOBY to integrate a new bike service to the FREENOW app, making it easier for passengers to consider efficient and sustainable transport options.

The Irish government’s ambitious target to reduce carbon emissions by 50% in the transport sector by 2030 sets a clear focus for the sector before the turn of the decade. At FREENOW, we are committed to supporting the taxi industry’s progression towards these targets by continuing to onboard more EV drivers and expand our green (EV) taxi fleet alongside increased micro-mobility solutions, such as the MOBY integration.

This announcement is also timely given the recent micromobility regulations introduced under the Road Traffic and Road Act 2023. The new legislation will positively contribute to the integration of both e-bikes and e-scooters on Irish roads and support the safer use of micromobility moving forward. This partnership with MOBY forms part of our wider plans to integrate additional mobility options into the FREENOW app, offering more choice to passengers in Ireland in the coming months in line with this new legislation.

We will continue to drive change by ensuring passengers can have easy access to more and increasingly sustainable transport options that residents or visitors can conveniently use and combine with existing public transport options to move fast and safely from A to B in Dublin and beyond.”

Also commenting on the launch, Akash Kajal, Operations Manager of MOBY said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with FREENOW to enhance mobility choices for Dublin transport users, making it even easier to rent and ride a bike for more people. By integrating seamless MOBY bike rentals directly into the FREENOW app and leveraging Dublin City Council’s commendable efforts in expanding bike lanes citywide, we truly believe that multi-modal transportation can empower consumers with more efficient, sustainable, and healthier travel options throughout Dublin.”

Research* conducted by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in its ‘Walking and Cycling Index’ reveals the growing demand for sustainable transport options in Ireland. According to the NTA findings, 1 in 4 adults in Ireland currently cycle at least once a week, and 39% expressed a desire to cycle more. Every day, those who walk and cycle take nearly 530,000 private cars off the road in the Dublin Metropolitan Area.

New app launched to inform Irish citizens about European Parliament Elections

A new app aiming to help European citizens engage with the upcoming European Parliament elections has gone live on May 9th to coincide with Europe Day. 

The EU&I app aims to help EU citizens navigate the upcoming European Parliament elections, taking place in June. The app provides a comprehensive platform to help voters explore and understand the positions of both Irish political parties and independent candidates competing in the European elections.

When they visit the EU&I web app, users are prompted to indicate their political preferences through a questionnaire, which generates personalised insights about which political parties and candidates align best with the voter’s values and beliefs.

Available in 20 languages with 36 policy statements, the EU&I Voter app offers users an extensive guide on a range of topics central to European politics, including economic policies, environmental initiatives, and social justice issues. It also allows users to explore party/candidate views on Ireland’s position in Europe and beyond. 

The creators of the app are hoping that this new development will encourage Irish citizens to vote in the upcoming elections taking place on the 7th of June. 

Commenting on the launch of the app, Team Ireland lead, and Associate Professor at UCD, Dr James Cross said: “We are delighted to officially launch our new app EU&I ahead of the European elections. This app provides an excellent educational platform to empower Irish voters, which will, in turn, allow them to make informed decisions about the future of Europe. A group of our master’s students from different disciplines here at UCD have been working tirelessly to compile information about the election and its candidates. They have made this information accessible to our app users, contributing to a Europe-wide effort to inform voters. By harnessing the power of technology, we aim to empower voters to make informed decisions when entering the ballot box this June.”

UCD Master’s Student Aaron Kelly added: “By making this political information readily available for app users, we aim to inform the general public on one simple, accessible platform. This helpful tool eliminates political jargon while providing a wealth of information for citizens as well as for politicians themselves. It is a free resource that provides a personalised and exhaustive political guide for users, and we hope that it will encourage more people to get out and use their vote in June.

The official launch of EU&I Voter took place on the 14th of May at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. A panel discussion featuring Dr. Laura Sudulich from the University of Exeter, Dr. Kevin Cunningham Director of Ireland Thinks and Patrick O’Riordan from Dublin Office of the European Parliament on pressing issues faced by the EU was held, as well as a live demonstration of the app.  

 

Bumble, Women-first Dating App Launches New Features and Design, Ushering in the next Decade of Datin

Bumble, the women-first dating app, today unveiled an updated brand identity and app design, and launched a suite of new features, including more ways to Make The First Move, marking a new chapter in Bumble’s evolution.

Bumble launched in 2014, giving women more control of their dating lives by flipping traditional gender roles and challenging the antiquated rules of dating. Today, the app is expanding upon its make the first move requirement by introducing choice in how a connection is made with Opening Moves. Additionally, Bumble is making its profile creation quicker and more intentional, expanding its dating intentions and making updates to its compatibility algorithms.

Recent Bumble research* shows women’s experiences have evolved, especially regarding empowerment in online dating. Keeping true to Bumble’s mission, equality remains a priority in relationships with the overwhelming majority* (92%) of women stating it is a top marker in romance. However, how women define equality has evolved with almost 9 in 10* (88%) single women surveyed on the app globally stating that today, equality is about personal choice and autonomy to decide what’s right for you.

After billions of first moves and countless Bumble success stories, Bumble continues to prioritize community-first feedback with solutions that make dating better for women. This builds upon the company’s decade of leadership in addressing issues that impact women online, including banning body shaming and gender-based hate, launching features to combat non-consensual lewd content, and leveraging AI to automatically block spam, scam, and fake profiles. According to research, the majority* of women (60%) surveyed use Bumble because they believe the app delivers a better experience for them.

The Evolution of Make The First Move

Beginning today, women on Bumble have even more choice in how they connect with the launch of Opening Moves. The new feature gives women the option to set a question that their matches can respond to, creating a new way to engage with connections while keeping women in control. Nearly half of women* (46%) surveyed on Bumble shared that having more ways to start a conversation would make their dating app experience even better. Women can use one of Bumble’s recommended Opening Moves, or craft their own. For non-binary and same-gender connections, either person can set and respond to an Opening Move.

“We have always believed that when you make dating better for women, you make it better for everyone. In listening to our community, many have shared their exhaustion with the current online dating experience, and for some, that includes making the first move. We’re also hearing from women that empowerment today is not only about control but it’s also about agency, and we’re excited to offer more choice in how women make the first move with our new Opening Moves feature,” said Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble. “We want to evolve with our community, shifting from a fixed approach to giving women more options in how they engage.”

“Bumble has been leading in addressing the challenges of online spaces, introducing industry-first features like Private Detector™ to identify unsolicited lewd images, AI and machine learning to identify scams and spam, and comprehensive Community Guidelines. This latest launch reflects the first step in our continued commitment to making dating better for women, creating space for people to establish relationship dynamics that work for them,” Jones continued.

During testing, Bumble found that Opening Moves improved meaningful conversations on the app by increasing chat initiation and reply rates, as well as lengthening time spent in conversation.

Expanded Compatibility and Stronger Curation

Relationships look different for everyone, but more than 2 in 3* (68%) of women surveyed stated that they struggle with people not being upfront about their dating intentions. Bumble’s data*** also shows that women want to learn more about a potential match before they connect, with nearly 80% swiping right once they have viewed the entire profile.

To help people better communicate what they are looking for now, not just in the future, the app has updated its Dating Intentions badges to include everything from ‘fun, casual dates’ and ‘intimacy without commitment’ to a ‘life partner’ and ‘ethical non-monogamy.’ People on Bumble can now also select up to two dating intentions to be shown on their profile. More than 3 in 4* (77%) women surveyed globally on Bumble said knowing someone’s dating intentions is one of the most important things when online dating.

To help people find compatible matches even faster, common interests and shared top musical artists are now highlighted at the top of profiles to quickly and easily identify commonalities with a potential match. Bumble also increased the minimum number of photos required on a profile and made advancements to its For You algorithm, which is a daily set of four curated, relevant profiles based on your preferences and past matches.

A New Look and Feel

To mark the start of a new chapter, Bumble is also unveiling an updated brand identity including a new logo, bolder fonts, and refreshed colors and illustrations. The new design is a reflection of the company’s branding evolution, emphasizing their ongoing dedication to enhancing member experiences on the app. Bumble’s data shows that 3 in 4* (75%) women say the look and feel of a dating app is important to their overall experience and with 65% that the visual identity of a dating app can make it easier to use.

Led in-house by Bumble’s Creative Studio, the new design will be part of a global marketing campaign launching across more than 10 countries, which includes new content showcasing the lengths women may go when faced with online dating fatigue.

Tech Review – MORENTO Smart Air Purifier for Large Rooms

The MORENTO Smart Air Purifier for Large Rooms is an ideal product to have in your house to get cleaner fresher air, this one is on the larger size say the size of a paper shredder but bigger means better in this case.

The unit is not too heavy but some may find it on the bulky side there is a bit of weight to it which will keep it in place where you put it.

The app as seen below is a simple affair and easy to set up and will give you a graph over time how things are going and below is initial set up and what you can expect at first while it cleans the air in the room, as seen it is unhealthy now and it gives your phone a notification to make you aware, see samples below on initial set up. On first testing blowing smoke into it yields immediate results so it works.

There is a tray on the front and rear so this covers a large area but do not place it against a wall or it will not work to its full potential, there is rubber feet underneath and up top and front you have an array of controls some of which can be used in the app. Once on you will feel the fan at work and it is refreshing. Even if you want some cool air.

The touch sensitive keys up top work really well allowing you to make a quick set up for your needs and the app is quite responsive and fast too on my testing and you can see more of that in the video review below.

There is four fans speeds and the top speed can be a bit noisy in a quiet environment however the sleep mode does a good job and will not keep you awake which is great and the display on the front of the unit also goes out so no light distraction either.

Once set up you will have a red ring outside the front display with a countdown timer this will read according to the settings you set it up for with fan speed and timer. You can set scenes if you wish to do so and use your voice assistant like most home smart appliances but this is not for me.

This is ideal for getting rid of smells fast especially after cooking for example it removes dust pollen smoke and more and gives you clean air and again can be move between rooms upstairs and downstairs in your home.

Overall the product is simple to set up and use and you can basically just press a button or two and leave it there to do the job and it does it well and you will feel the difference in the air and your phone will not be shy letting you know the progress either.

 

 

Havaworks app notification
Display on front and notification on Apple Watch Ultra 2

 

Features

  • Enjoy Clean Air: MORENTO HY4866-WF smart air purifiers for home can be used at home to effectively capture 99.97% of airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns, including dust and pollen. This air purifiers for home large room with a CADR of up to 300 m ³/ h, one air change per hour can be completed for rooms up to 1076 ft² or 100 m². This air purifier for home can use with the “Havaworks” app to monitor the air quality from your phone in real-time.
  • App-Enabled Wi-Fi Control: Use the “Havaworks” app to turn your air purifiers for home into a remote. Set an active schedule for convenience or manually control the settings for a burst of clean air. Monitor the air quality and check the filter life on this hepa air purifier display or APP at your leisure.
  • Intelligent Voice Control: Go hands-free and use your voice to monitor and change the HY4866-WF hepa air purifier’s settings through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
  • High Efficiency Filtration: The double air intake design of this hepa air purifiers for home allows the multi-layer HEPA filters to purify from both sides simultaneously, increasing the purification speed. The smart display of this air purifiers for home and app monitors the filter life and will let you know when to replace them. Search for B0BMDYDXFK (enhanced) or B0C3GWNR29 (original) on Amazon for replacement filters.
  • Sleep Well: In sleep mode, this air purifier for bedroom will run at its lowest fan speed at less than 24dB (the equivalence of ambient silence) with the display lights off. Enjoy an interrupted night’s rest with clean air. Activating the display of the air purifier will exit sleep mode.
  • 4 Fan Speeds: Select from fan speeds of 1F/2F/3F/4F for this HY4866-WF hepa air purifier for home; the higher the fan speed, the quicker the air is filtered and purified. In automatic mode, the fan speed will automatically adjust to the air quality. Couple this with a 2/5/8 hour timer to have this air purifier for bedroom run for the designated period of time while sleeping or heading out.
  • Air Quality Monitoring: The PM2.5 infrared sensor monitors the air quality in real-time and displays this information on the screen of MORENTO smart air purifiers and on the “Havaworks” app. If the air quality drops, the screen of air purifiers for home large room will display yellow or red and the app will send a notification in accordance to current air quality rating.

BUY

Video Review

Revolut surpasses 2M young customers worldwide on <18 app; bolsters product in bid to put financial power into hands of teens

Revolut, the licensed European bank with more than 40 million customers around the world, has today announced that its <18 app for 6-17 year olds now has more than 2 million young customers worldwide — jumping to a total of 3.5 million worldwide when including guardians. In the last year in Ireland, total customers of the Revolut <18 app — including kids and their guardians — have increased by nearly 35%.

A version of Revolut built especially for Gen-Z and beyond, the <18 app helps young people manage their money in ways that work for them — while providing the right controls to give parents and guardians peace of mind. In line with its growth, Revolut is supercharging its <18 app with a new look and features. These include Analytics to boost financial literacy through budgeting and spending analysis, and Wallpapers to help <18s to help teens express themselves.

The company is also making features like Pockets to set aside money towards specific goals and Spare Change round-ups available to all <18 app users for free for the first time. In Ireland, some of the top 20 goals for young people already using Pockets through a parent or guardian’s paid plan include:

  • Clothes, specifically from fast fashion site SHEIN;
  • Gadgets, such as mobile phones, PCs, and PlayStation 5s — or even cars;
  • And summer holidays — with London the most sought-after destination.

The addition of this new functionality for all will supercharge young people’s ability to put money aside for the things that matter to them — from the latest tech to events with friends. 

Carlos Spada, Head of Product, Revolut <18 commented: “Our <18 app is built for teens and our goal is to be the ultimate financial companion, growing with young people and their financial needs. The features we’re announcing today will empower young people to take the lead on their finances and practise healthy money habits, all with fun opportunities for personalisation and the right level of parental oversight.

“We’re excited to see more and more young people choosing Revolut as the place to build towards financial independence.”

Revolut’s <18 app is also available in more than 20 markets including the UK, EEA, Australia, Singapore and the US. In Ireland, Revolut has seen an increase in average daily <18 wallet balances — up from €38.92 in March 2023 to €42.34 in March 2024, while average monthly <18 spending has decreased — down from €150.18 in March 2023 to €124.79 in March 2024. Alongside that, Irish kids received an average allowance of €9.71 in March 2024 — down from €10.41 last year.

To help young people grow healthy money habits, parents can try:

  1. Finding everyday moments to talk about financial concepts. From budgeting at the supermarket to comparison shopping for a particular purchase, parents can help their kids understand the real-life value of money. 
  2. Giving kids a regular allowance or pay day. By providing regularity, parents can encourage kids to practise money management basics. 
  3. Getting granular on spending habits. Helping kids make use of spending alerts and analytics to stick to their budget, avoid overspending and think about where they might do things differently next time. 
  4. Helping kids put money aside to reach their goals. Whether your kid is after the latest video game or they’re planning ahead for university, help them set goals and stick to them. 
  5. Remembering financial literacy is lifelong. Stick with them and be consistent while they’re learning. Ensure money chats are positive and encourage questions. 

Clanwilliam Introduces Patient-focused App ‘Pippo’ to Revolutionise GP Services

Global healthcare technology company Clanwilliam has announced the full launch of Pippo, an innovative patient focused app designed to streamline and simplify interactions between patients and GPs in Ireland. The roll out of the application is enabled by a multi-year seven figure investment with several hundred thousand euro already invested in the solution.

Pippo reduces the burden of managing healthcare administration by simplifying the management of repeat prescription requests, appointment bookings, and other patient requests. A pilot version of the app enabling the management of patient bookings was rolled out across GP practices nationwide last year. An average of 40 hours every month in administrative duties was saved by practices using Pippo over the course of the successful pilot scheme.

The full launch of Pippo includes the introduction of a new online repeat prescriptions functionality into the app. This functionality is expected to save participating practices an estimated 15 to 30 minutes per prescription and unlock valuable clinical capacity.

Many GP practices currently manage repeat prescription requests, patient appointment bookings and other requests via time intensive channels, such as phone calls, consuming valuable practice capacity. Pippo streamlines the management of these administrative functions through a fully digital and easy-to-use platform that enables patients of participating clinics to manage requests online.

Designed with stringent security standards, the platform ensures the secure end-to-end protection of patient data and is fully interoperable with existing GP practice management systems including Socrates and Helix Practice Manager.

Commenting on the full launch of Pippo, Eileen Byrne, Managing Director of Clanwilliam Ireland, said, “The nature of healthcare is rapidly evolving in our digital age. Increasingly, digital technologies have a crucial role to play in making existing healthcare services more agile, flexible and responsive, for the benefit of both healthcare professionals and their patients.

 “We are delighted to now be able to offer repeat prescriptions functionality through the app, providing another seamless, patient-led interaction that creates efficiencies for practices.

With its capacity to deliver seamless, secure and efficient interactions between GPs and patients, the roll out of Pippo is an important step forward on this journey of transforming healthcare. By increasing the efficiency of GP patient interactions including appointment booking, payments, and refilling prescriptions in a simple and easy to use way, we’re helping to unlock significant benefits for both doctors and patients.

 Through Pippo and the ongoing development of our range of pioneering healthcare innovations, we hope to continue our progress in improving healthcare delivery and realising our vision of a fully connected healthcare system for all.”

Claire Kavanagh, Practice Receptionist and Pippo Project Lead at Tower Medical, commented, “Digital healthcare innovation is an important part of improving healthcare services for patients and doctors across Ireland. By working closely with Clanwilliam for many years and leveraging their suite of technology solutions, we’ve been able to enhance the delivery of our practice’s services and continue meeting the evolving needs of patients.

Pippo is an important digital service that can simplify a range of interactions between patients and GPs and save valuable hours in administrative duties. Integrating the pilot version of Pippo in our practice increased the efficiency of our booking system, unlocking valuable practice capacity and helping us to foster a better patient experience.”

For over 25 years, Clanwilliam has forged successful integrations and partnerships with healthcare technology providers and worked with key stakeholders such as the Department of Health, ICGP, and the HSE to help shape the future of the digital healthcare space in Ireland. Pippo is the latest in a series of healthcare innovations aligned with the HSE eHealth programme of work, including digital health initiatives such as Chronic Disease Management, e-Referrals, electronic prescriptions, the newly launched STC Analyser, and Covid vaccinations.

Pippo is part of Clanwilliam, founded in 1996 in Dublin, when Howard Beggs established Medicom Medical Computer Solutions to help doctors utilise technology to deliver better care. It has grown into a global healthcare group of more than 25 technology products and services committed to improving healthcare across the world. It has 19 offices and more than 1,050 staff in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and India.