A NEW first-of-its-kind clinical trial involving the use of digitally-tracked monitoring devices will “put Jersey on the map” while helping experts to answer a question of “international importance”, the doctor responsible for leading the project has said.
The trial, which looks at whether intravenous iron injections can help people with ‘preserved ejection fraction’ heart failure, will record data taken from ten Jersey-based patients using state-of-the-art digital technology.
The patients will be required to wear a ring and a patch for 24 hours a day, which will allow experts to then measure their physical activity over the course of a twelve week trial.
Dr Aaron Henry, Cardiology Clinical Fellow at Jersey General Hospital, told the JEP that the trial “seeks to answer a very simple question: does iron into the vein make people feel better, walk further, and improve their quality of life?”.
“Often these trials are run by big academic institutions like the University of Oxford, where I also work,” he noted. “But there is real potential in Jersey to run this kind of trial.
“Here we’ve got a single healthcare system, we’ve got a really engaged primary care GP group, and we’ve got a wonderful cardiology team and really engaged patients – so it’s kind of a perfect storm for this thing to happen.”
He explained that “traditional” attempts to explore the link between iron injections and preserved ejection fraction heart failure have focused on “six minute walking tests” following an agreed control period.
“What’s unique about this, though”, he added, “is that we’re using digital technology to monitor the physical activity.
“What’s important is people walking to the shop to buy groceries, or walking to the kitchen to make a cup of tea: the patches and the rings will pick that data up, so we can really see if the iron makes a difference in their life.”
The doctor opined that the project “has the potential to revolutionise how we do trials globally in cardiology”.
“The really exciting thing about the trial is, regardless of the result, it will put Jersey on the map.
“[The trial] is really important for international healthcare, because we could find that iron works, makes people feel better, walk further, have a better quality of life – and that’s a game-changer that will change guidelines around the world.
“Or, we could find out that it doesn’t work, and makes no difference, in which case we don’t need to invest any more money globally.
“From there, we can draw a line under it and say, actually, we’ve tried this in a really rigorous setting and it doesn’t seem to make any difference, so let’s try something else – it’s a win-win.”
He said that a “huge number of people behind the scenes” had worked together over a prolonged period to make sure bring the trial to fruition.
“It’s really, really difficult to do these kind of trials, and it requires a lot of logistical support, a lot of tech and a lot of people who understand the tech.
“The engagement of the staff, from Health Minister Tom Binet – who authorised the clinical trial certificate – right down to the cardiology team, who run things on the ground, has been incredible.
“Everyone’s pulled in the same direction, which is really exciting.”
