Ms Ciara Murphy:

We extend our sincere thanks to the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the opportunity to present our project, which won the overall award at this year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Our project is entitled "ACT – Aid, Care, Treat: App-timising emergency response. A technological aid, featuring a comprehensive repository of medical information - iterative development."

ACT is an innovative emergency response application designed to aid, care and treat an injured party in a medical emergency situation, to enhance and radically improve existing emergency response processes and, ultimately, to save lives. The development of ACT is driven by a commitment to optimise the emergency response process to improve patient outcomes in critical situations. We have created a technological aid that facilitates the direct and instantaneous transmission of an end-user's prepopulated personal and medical information, as well as their geolocation co-ordinates, via a bespoke backend system to the emergency medical services, EMS, in the event of an emergency. It also equips individuals with the tools and guidance to take prompt, potentially lifesaving actions while awaiting professional medical intervention. By harnessing the power of technology for the provision of efficient communication and accurate geolocation data, ACT can improve the existing traditional call-based emergency process and directly contribute to saving lives and minimise the potential adverse effects of emergencies.

ACT addresses a significant gap in the existing emergency response process in Ireland, and, furthermore, has the potential to do so in many international jurisdictions. ACT’s value to both society and the emergency services has been validated by leading personnel in the emergency medicine field, including the key stakeholders with whom we engaged throughout the development of the application. Its broader societal value lies in its ability to save lives, reduce emergency response times and alleviate pressure on the emergency services.