Projects

DebugIT

Detecting and Eliminating Bacteria UsinG Information Technology

Start:

01.2008

End: 

12.2011

Client: 

DG INFSO, European Commission (EC)

EU FP7 Large-scale integrating project: Based on advanced text, image and structured data mining of about 3m individual patient data from various hospitals new knowledge and decision support will be developed to improve patient safety in antibiotic use, to fight the fast emergence of resistances among pathogens, misuse and overuse of antibiotics.

In half a century of antibiotics use, new challenges have surfaced: the fast emergence of resistances among pathogens and the overuse of antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance results in escalating healthcare costs, increased morbidity and mortality and the (re-)emergence of potentially untreatable pathogens. For infectious diseases DebugIT will 

  • Detect patient safety related patterns and trends
  • Acquire knowledge
  • Invest this knowledge to upgrade quality healthcare.

The DebugIT project, with its innovative approach, is a prime example of how ICT tools can be used to address the emerging challenges in healthcare. This project addresses several of the overriding call topics at once by tackling the problems around antibiotics and of antimicrobial resistance of infectious diseases in an international consortium uniting world class research facilities, SMEs and industry partners.

It is an example of partnering at the European level to keep pace with soaring research costs by making use of complex IT technology technologies. This program addresses the main socio-economic challenges in healthcare, namely to make Europe’s healthcare systems safer and sustainable.