About Us
Devices for Dignity: The NIHR Health Tech Research Centre in long term conditions is one of 14 national HealthTech Research Centres (HRC’s). We have been funded by the NIHR since 2008 to act as a catalyst within the NHS for the development of new medical devices, healthcare technologies and technology-dependent interventions. We focus on developing technology solutions to meet clinical needs and for chronic health conditions that are often overlooked, and that are typically associated with loss of dignity and independence, and poor patient outcomes.
Devices for Dignity: The HealthTech Research Centre in long term conditions is a national organisation hosted at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We work closely with other NIHR-funded organisations including Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs), Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs), Biomedical Research Centres and Units (BRCs, BRUs), the NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI), Research Design Services (RDSs), the Clinical Research Network (CRN), and the other HRCs. We work with Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) nationally, and link with Clinical Trials Units where projects need this expertise.
We also work with other national bodies within the health technology innovation ecosystem, including the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
We are strategically linked with the INSIGNEO Institute for in silico Medicine, and the Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare (CATCH) at the University of Sheffield.
The INSIGNEO Institute for in silico Medicine co-ordinates academics and clinicians from a multiplicity of disciplines who collaborate to improve health outcomes by developing subject-specific computer models able to compute ‘biomarkers’ – measures of physiology that can support a clinical decision – which are difficult or impossible to obtain directly. These advanced computer simulations can then be used directly in clinical practice to improve diagnosis and optimise treatment, offering a path to a more personalised medicine. The Institute is at the forefront of clinical translation.
You can visit INSIGNEO’s website here.
CATCH is a translational research centre at the University of Sheffield. CATCH researches, develops, evaluates and implements new technologies to enable people to live and age well. Their aim is to make a significant and lasting contribution to the quality of life and independence of the growing number of people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. CATCH brings together and co-ordinates the activities of over 70 academics across 17 departments and 5 faculties at the University of Sheffield including healthcare scientists, engineers, psychologists, computer scientists, architects, and social scientists.
You can visit CATCH’s website here.
Our Partners
Our Academic Partners:
Our NHS partners:
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Our Innovation Partners:
