In a significant development for healthcare innovation, Abertay University has been awarded £250,000 in funding from the Scottish Government to develop an advanced digital tool that promises to revolutionize healthcare planning and decision-making processes.
FLOW Fusion: A Game-Changing Approach to Healthcare Planning
The project, named FLOW Fusion, represents a cutting-edge application of digital twin technology in the healthcare sector. By leveraging sophisticated simulation technology, this innovative tool is designed to help healthcare professionals anticipate system pressures and test alternative approaches before implementation.
Stuart Anderson, a lecturer in Abertay’s Department of Games Technology and Mathematics, leads the project. He explains the vision behind FLOW Fusion: “Flow Fusion takes the principles of game design and applies them to one of the most pressing challenges in healthcare – how to plan and adapt under pressure.”
Making Complex Data Accessible Through Interactive Simulation
The technology combines game engines, data-driven simulation, and user experience design into a comprehensive suite. This integration enables non-technical users to harness the full potential of digital twins for service improvement, operational planning, and staff coordination.
The approach is particularly innovative because it transforms complex healthcare data into interactive, game-based simulations. This allows clinicians to explore ‘what if’ scenarios in a safe, engaging environment, helping them understand the impact of their decisions on the wider healthcare system.
Building on Proven Success: The Design HOPES Initiative
FLOW Fusion builds upon the success of Design HOPES, a £7.75 million Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded initiative involving five Scottish universities. As part of this collaborative project, the team developed FLOW, a ‘serious game’ that demonstrated how individual patient decisions can impact the wider healthcare system.
Using anonymized NHS Tayside data, FLOW recreated and visualized patient journeys through an A&E department. The scenarios were validated by clinical and support staff, ensuring real-world applicability and accuracy.
Real-World Impact and Recognition
The FLOW game is currently showcased in the V&A Dundee Design HOPES exhibition ‘From HOPE to HEALTH,’ highlighting its role in increasing awareness of the carbon impacts of visiting hospitals and promoting behavior change.
Professor Mel Woods, co-director of Design HOPES, emphasizes the significance of this funding: “This funding for FLOW Fusion is an exciting opportunity to translate the insights from the FLOW game into real-world impact. It is also a strong endorsement of the work we have been doing in direct collaboration with our colleagues at NHS Tayside to create a ‘digital twin’ of the healthcare system, which can be used for training and planning.”
Part of a Broader Innovation Ecosystem
FLOW Fusion is one of 18 projects from 10 universities selected for support in the 2025-2026 financial year through the Scottish Government’s Proof of Concept Fund. In total, £2.945 million has been allocated to help bridge the gap between research and real-world impact, supporting early to mid-stage commercialization activities.
The projects will run from September 2025 to March 2026, providing a focused timeframe for development and implementation.
The Future of Healthcare Planning
This investment in digital twin technology represents a significant step forward in healthcare planning and management. By providing clinicians with tools to simulate and test different scenarios, FLOW Fusion has the potential to improve patient care, optimize resource allocation, and enhance overall healthcare system efficiency.
The project team, including Eliza Ralph, Cal Gillies, Fraser Simpson, and Professor Ruth Falconer, brings together expertise from games technology, mathematics, and healthcare research to create a truly interdisciplinary solution to complex healthcare challenges.
As healthcare systems worldwide face increasing pressure and complexity, innovations like FLOW Fusion offer promising pathways to more effective, data-driven decision-making and improved patient outcomes.
