Thanks to the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF) funded Health Innovation Exchange project, Alder Hey has formed a collaboration partnership with a Finnish-British startup company Altogame. Altogame is an alumni company of Aalto Start-Up Center.
Altogame´s virtual 3D platform transforms the way people innovate, collaborate and learn. It breaks down barriers and removes hierarchy providing a level playing field for creative problem solving and learning. Through its virtual multiplayer simulations, people can also safely practice complex real-life situations through real-time role-play. These situations can include for example difficult conversations with patients or teamwork in an operating theatre.
Using the Altogame platform, healthcare professionals can be trained efficiently without having to disrupt their clinical commitments. The benefits include improved operational safety and efficacy, enhanced customer or patient experience, increased workforce mobility, employee engagement and satisfaction.
The use case of enhancing young people´s mental health and alleviateing pressure on related mental health services showcase the flexibility of the Altogame platform.
Dr Eija Mäkirintala (CEO, Altogame): “We feel honored to have been offered this opportunity to work with Alder Hey Children´s Hospital and apply our platform to help them to achieve their ambitious vision. Together we´ll create a unique model how healthcare can benefit from novel game based technology in building a culture of collaboration, innovation and effective learning.”
Jason Taylor (Head of Innovation, Alder Hey):“We want to adapt the technology that has changed the way we live and work to provide the best diagnostic services and treatment for our patients when they are here in the hospital and back home in the community. The expert Innovation Team is forging relationships with global companies, specialists, SMEs and academia to drive the best of new technology into healthcare.”
Editor’s notes
The Health Innovation Exchange project is receiving up to £3.5million of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for the European Regional Development Fund.
About Altogame (AG Immersive Learning Simulations): Altogame´s virtual 3D platform transforms the way people innovate, collaborate and learn. It breaks down barriers, fades out hierarchy and bias providing a level playing field for creative problem solving and learning. Altogame´s current offering includes scenarios for brainstorming, for boosting agile/lean transformations, and for improving human interaction (e.g. in healthcare or customer service) through role-play simulations. Altogame´s unique set of features is enabled by the in-house competencies in modern game technology and science based behavioural design. The behavioural concept is based on Dr Eija Mäkirintala ́s scientific research and coaching and training experience.
About Alder Hey: Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust provides care for over 275,000 children and young people every year. Alder Hey delivers clinical excellence for all children, for routine illnesses as well as very complex and rare conditions.
For more information visit www.alderhey.nhs.uk and www.alderheycharity.org