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# ‘Global-First’ virtual hospital research framework launched in Ireland
- URL: https://med-techinsights.com/global-first-virtual-hospital-research-framework-launched-in-ireland/
- Published: 2024-12-13T15:10:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-22T08:05:24.000Z
- Description: The pioneering initiative aims to create multiple virtual clinical ‘areas’ for patients with different conditions, providing an innovative and effective digital healthcare solution. Cisco, a worldwide leader in networking and security, today announced a joint initiative with the University of Galway
- Author: Oliver Johnson
- Tags: Digital Health & AI, News

*The pioneering initiative aims to create multiple virtual clinical ‘areas’ for patients with different conditions, providing an innovative and effective digital healthcare solution.*

[**Cisco**](https://www.cisco.com/site/uk/en/index.html?ref=med-techinsights.com), a worldwide leader in networking and security, today announced a joint initiative with the [**University of Galway**](https://www.universityofgalway.ie/?ref=med-techinsights.com) and [**CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices**](https://curamdevices.ie/about/?ref=med-techinsights.com) in Ireland, to create a research framework for the world’s first ‘Virtual Hospital’, serving patients with diverse conditions at every stage of their healthcare needs.

As part of the Cisco [Country Digital Acceleration](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/country-digital-acceleration.html?ref=med-techinsights.com) (CDA) programme, the initiative, which is already in pilot, is aligned to the ambitions of Ireland’s 10-year health and social care reform [Sláintecare](https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/bfe4f-minister-for-health-publishes-slaintecare-progress-report-2022-and-action-plan-2023/?ref=med-techinsights.com), to avoid unnecessary hospital admission and support patients at home.

Cisco says the objectives of this initiative are to help increase access to services, convenience, and improve outcomes for patients. It will also seek to provide patients the ability to play an active role in their own recovery.

The virtual platforms are designed to mean patients will not only be able to monitor their progress, but also provide patients direct access to educational materials, and the ability to participate in the decision-making process with their healthcare providers.

Cisco technologies, including networking, cybersecurity, Webex devices and application visibility solutions, are delivering mission critical digital infrastructure to power operations, connecting patients with their healthcare providers, wherever they may be, and ensuring reliable mobile data connectivity for seamless virtual care.

Professor Derek O’Keeffe, Project Principal Investigator, Professor of Medical Device Technology at the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Galway said: “This research project offers an innovative virtual solution to a real global healthcare problem. It will explore new ways of providing care to our patients using next generation technology and new clinical pathways to improve health and economic outcomes.”

Underpinned by Cisco networking infrastructure, myPatientSpace and patientMpower mobile health apps provide the virtual hospital’s digital platform that helps patients track key health metrics and monitor symptoms from home. Clinician’s will connect to real-time dashboards that display information on a patient’s condition, alerting medical professionals to changes so they can detect deterioration early and deliver timely care.

The University of Galway HIVE Lab has developed a range of digital care solutions for local patients in this study, enabled by Cisco technology such as Webex integrated Virtual Consultations. The initiative is using innovative AI technology such as dynamic appointments where patients with chronic diseases are automatically triaged to an appropriate outpatient clinic slot based on their clinical need (e.g. Blood Pressure, HbA1c values).

In addition, the HIVE lab has developed smartphone-based software that uses AI enabled cameras to help monitor patients’ rehabilitation exercises to ensure that they are doing them in the way their physiotherapists prescribed to aid rapid recovery from operations.

Brian Jordan, Country Digital Acceleration Lead, Cisco Ireland said: “Digital technology is critical to the future of healthcare and is capable of extending care well beyond hospital walls, right into patients’ homes and in the heart of their local community. Cisco is proud to be supporting this ground-breaking 360° care delivery model that aims to streamline processes, alleviate staff workload, and reduce financial pressures on public healthcare services.”

According to Cisco, the virtual hospital research initiative will aim to prove a framework that could contribute to the lightening the workload of healthcare professionals thereby increasing staff retention, while minimising operational costs and optimising the use of healthcare resources.

[According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/technologies-offering-monitoring-from-home-in-virtual-wards-recommended?ref=med-techinsights.com) (NICE) in the UK, early value assessment study on virtual ward platform technologies demonstrated their cost-effectiveness, with an estimated 872 GBP (1,020 EUR) saving per person compared with inpatient care and by 115 GBP (135 EUR) per person compared with care at home without a virtual ward.

Commenting on the significance of the initiative, CÚRAM Director, Professor Abhay Pandit said: “This project is one of the largest industry collaborations our centre has supported to date. It is an excellent example of the impact that collaborations between CÚRAM and industry can have on local communities and society at wide.”

This research project is being carried out in conjunction with University Hospital Galway across two specialities. To date, in the initial setup stage of the project in Ireland, approximately 350 ‘bed days’ have been saved by patients who have been supported at home via a COPD virtual care pathway as part of this project work.

Cisco says the initiative expects to support hundreds of patients across the Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation virtual care pathways in the Galway region. With the development and rollout of virtual outpatient clinics this is expected to extend to thousands of patients next year.

This latest project builds on other pilot digital healthcare studies supported by Cisco in remote parts of Ireland. Enabled by its CDA programme, this includes the [Home Health project in Clare Island](https://gblogs.cisco.com/uki/bringing-healthcare-connection-to-the-most-remote-communities/?ref=med-techinsights.com), home to an aging population of 160 residents and challenged by extreme weather conditions. Care solutions in the Home Health project include smart wearables to track vital signs; drones to fly in prescriptions; virtual reality headsets to deliver training for nurses; and a robotic dog to triage emergency health issues.