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Content ArticleBy placing patients at the heart of care, the future of healthcare looks promising. However, we must remember that technology is not used in isolation and has to be developed and implemented with and for the user.
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Content ArticleThis report by Richard Norrie, director of the Statistics and Policy Research Programme at Civitas, aims to scrutinise the Race and Health Observatory (RHO) rapid evidence review into ethnic inequalities in healthcare published in February 2022. The report highlights inconsistencies in the review's use of research and data and argues that its conclusions do not reflect the full body of evidence available concerning race and health outcomes. The author suggests that the review makes a false assumption that the needs of all ethnic groups are the same, which leads to its potentially inaccurate conclusions about the prevalence and causes of health inequalities.
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News Article
Cyber attack triggers 111 ‘total system outage’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Many NHS 111 services are without a crucial IT system for several days, after a cyber attack on a software supplier. Providers had to move to pen-and-paper yesterday, and have been unable to access patient records. Adastra – which is used by 85% of NHS 111 providers – went offline at 7am on Thursday. It was still affected as of Sunday, and staff were told it may not be online for several days. Advanced, which supplies Adastra, confirmed on Friday evening the incident was caused by a cyberattck, but says it managed to limit the damage to a small number of its servers. It was reported on Saturday that the attack is thought to have been by a criminal group trying to extort money — so-called ransomware — rather than an attack by a group linked to a state/government. As well as NHS 111, the system is used by some GP out-of-hours services and has also been marketed to urgent care providers. NHS 111 services have had to use lists of protocols when answering calls and write details down, rather than the software automatically implementing the protocols. One briefing note from commissioners in London, seen by HSJ, described the issue as a “total system outage” for NHS 111, and said “likely delays for patients… will continue throughout the weekend and potentially over next week”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 8 August 2022 -
Content ArticleVideo and telephone consultations have, through the course of the pandemic, become a central of daily operations across the NHS. In this blog, Ben Gadd and Amanda Nash of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust share their experiences about how they are being received and the potential lessons we can learn.
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News Article
NHS Wales: App helping keep heart patients out of hospital
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Mobile apps to track patients' health are keeping them out of hospital and could cut waiting times, experts have said. It follows a trial of a new app which heart patients are using through their mobile phones. The trial allows clinicians to change treatments quickly and uses video consultations, avoiding unnecessary hospital visits. Rhodri Griffiths is the innovation adoption director at Life Sciences Hub Wales, and is looking for more ways to introduce similar technology. He believes the pandemic accelerated the use and acceptance of digital solutions in healthcare, by patients and clinicians. "We really are looking at a big digital revolution within healthcare and there are an amazing myriad of things coming through," he said. He explained data collected by smartphones and watches can help predict who is likely to have a heart attack. "We can avoid that happening. So prevention is key but it's also looking at how some of this can impact on waiting lists," he said. "So, looking at how theatres are used, which patients can be prioritised? "In social care it's looking at how pain is managed by face recognition." Mr Griffiths said he believed the data collected could also identify wider problems: "It's combining these digital solutions with our genetic information - bringing big data together on a population level we can start spotting trends". Read full story Source: BBC News, 4 August 2022 -
Content ArticleThe establishment of 42 integrated care systems ushers in an unprecedented opportunity to deliver wide ranging improvements in population health and care as well as wider system performance. If that potential is to be realised, digital and analytics will need to play a central role. How can ICS leaders grasp this opportunity?
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News Article
Stick-on ultrasound patch hailed as revolution in medical imaging
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A stick-on patch that can take an ultrasound scan of a person’s insides as they go about their daily life has been hailed as a revolution in medical imaging. The wearable patch, which is the size of a postage stamp, can image blood vessels, the digestive system and internal organs for up to 48 hours, giving doctors a more detailed picture of a patient’s health than the snapshots provided by routine scans. In laboratory tests, researchers used the patches to watch people’s hearts change shape during exercise, their stomachs expand and shrink as they drank and passed drinks, and their muscles pick up microdamage when weightlifting. Prof Xuanhe Zhao at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who led the research team, said the patches could “revolutionise” medical imaging because existing scans are very brief, sometimes lasting only seconds, and usually have to be performed in hospitals. Ultrasound scans are extremely common, with NHS England performing more than 8m last year. But the technique has major limitations, requiring highly trained sonographers to place and orient the probes on patients’ bodies to get high-quality images. For this reason, most ultrasound scans are brief and performed on patients who are required to keep still while the images are taken. Wireless patches could sidestep some of these problems, as they can be fixed in position and left to take images for hours, and even days, at a time, the researchers say. Beyond scanning organs for early signs of disease, the “set and forget” patches could monitor bladder function, tumours, and the development of foetuses in the womb. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 28 July 2022 -
News Article
County Durham and Darlington improves patient safety with AI
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has created and implemented an artificial intelligence (AI) model to protect patients from acute kidney injury (AKI). The trust’s AI-driven model helps healthcare staff to identify patients who are at risk from AKI and to swiftly respond with treatment. The technology uses risk stratification digital tools that staff are able to access through an app. These are combined with care processes developed at the trust and which involve a new specialist nurse team, preventive specialist intervention, assessment and follow-up. Its implementation at County Durham and Darlington has led to a reduction in both hospital-acquired and community AKI. Overall, the incidence of AKI within the trust fell from 6.5% between March and May 2020, to 3.8% during the same period in 2021. The most significant reduction was seen in hospital-acquired AKI – which fell by more than 80%. Jeremy Cundall, medical director for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and executive lead for the project, said: “The partnership has resulted in patients being detected earlier – preventing AKI from occurring or mitigating the worsening of existing AKI. Accordingly, patients have been more effectively triaged to the right pathways of care including referral and transfer to tertiary renal units where appropriate.” Claire Stocks, early detection, resuscitation and mortality lead nurse for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This work has been a project very much about using collaborative partnerships to enhance patient safety and quality. An idea that was developed in a ‘cupboard conversation’ is now a fully operational specialist nurse service. Utilising digital innovations supports rapid triage, early detection and treatment to improve outcomes.” In addition to the improvements in patient safety, the technology has delivered cost savings for the trust too. County Durham and Darlington saved more than £2million in direct costs from reductions in AKI incidence. The improved transfer of patients has also released ICU capacity, vital at a time when the NHS is dealing with a growing national backlog for elective surgery. Read full story Source: Digital Health, 27 July 2022 -
EventuntilDigital has been an area of focus in the NHS for a number of years, and is a key feature of the NHS Long Term Plan. The Government's new plan for digital health and social care further recognises its role in transforming the NHS, building on the What Good Looks Like Framework. But do members of the UK public want digital tools as part of their support from the NHS? To better understand the nation’s true opinions, ORCHA has again this year commissioned independent research to ask 2,000 UK residents what they think. In this webinar, ORCHA's Director of Research, Dr Simon Leigh, and Clinical Director, Dr Tom Micklewright, will discuss this research in detail. We'll also hear from industry experts including Helen Hughes, Chief Executive at Patient Safety Learning, Richard Stubbs, CEO at Yorkshire and Humber AHSN, and Miles Sibley, Director at Patient Experience Library. Discover: What are patient attitudes towards digital health in the UK? How is digital health usage changing? Are people finding digital health helpful? Which regions are most activated in terms of digital health? How does the NHS influence the public's digital health choices? Register for the webinar
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News Article
World first in hologram patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Medical students are using hologram patients to hone their skills with life-like training scenarios. The project at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge is the first in the world to use the mixed reality technology in this way. Students wear Microsoft HoloLens headsets that let them interact with the patient while still being able to see each other. Lecturers are able to alter the patient’s response, make observations and add complications to the scenario. It enables realistic and immersive safe-to-fail training which can be delivered remotely as well as in person. The first module, covering respiratory conditions and emergencies, has already been launched and more are planned around cardiology and neurology. The HoloScenarios system is being developed by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Cambridge and US-based tech firm GigXR. Consultant anaesthetist Dr Arun Gupta, who is leading the project in Cambridge, said: “Mixed reality is increasingly recognised as a useful method of simulator training. As institutions scale procurement, the demand for platforms that offer utility and ease of mixed reality learning management is rapidly expanding" Read full story Source: CIEHF, 21 July 2022 -
Content ArticleThis guide developed by the AHSN Network, the University of Plymouth and the pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim sets out four key principles to involve and engage patients and the public in digital health innovation: Engage – map out your strategy and motivations, identify a representative cohort and develop inclusive engagement practices. Acknowledge, value & support – show you value patients’ and the public’s contribution to ongoing and transparent communication, any necessary training and potential financial reimbursement. Communicate – tailored external communication and open feedback channels are crucial to maintaining engagement and accountability by all parties. Trust and transparency – In order to gain patients’ trust, organisations conducting PPIE should be trustworthy and transparent about potential risks.
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Content ArticleThe Indian Liver Patient Dataset (ILPD) is used extensively to create algorithms that predict liver disease. Given the existing research describing demographic inequities in liver disease diagnosis and management, these algorithms require scrutiny for potential biases. Isabel Straw and Honghan Wu address this overlooked issue by investigating ILPD models for sex bias. They demonstrated a sex disparity that exists in published ILPD classifiers. In practice, the higher false negative rate for females would manifest as increased rates of missed diagnosis for female patients and a consequent lack of appropriate care. Our study demonstrates that evaluating biases in the initial stages of machine learning can provide insights into inequalities in current clinical practice, reveal pathophysiological differences between the male and females, and can mitigate the digitisation of inequalities into algorithmic systems. An awareness of the potential biases of these systems is essential in preventing the digital exacerbation of healthcare inequalities.
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Content ArticleThis paper in the journal Learning Health Systems examines what would be needed to develop learning health systems (LHS) in the United Kingdom, considering national policy implications and actions which local organisations and health systems could take. It identifies opportunities for local NHS organisations to make better use of health data and ways that national policy could promote greater use of collaboration and analytics.
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Content ArticleThe What Good Looks Like (WGLL) Hub has been developed to support NHS staff and their organisations in achieving What Good Looks Like. It brings together a wealth of digital health information and features good practice examples of technology-enabled healthcare, standards, guides and policies, useful tools and templates and networking information. It will help you with your digital transformation work.
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News Article
Government plans new ‘regulatory levers’ to force pace of NHS’s digital uptake
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Digital improvement will be added to the conditions which trusts and integrated care systems have to legally meet as part of their operating licence, the government has indicated. The move is part of a raft of actions unveiled by the Department of Health and Social Care which are intended to “modernise” the NHS. The Plan for Digital Health and Social Care states: “At present, there are limited formal mechanisms for overseeing delivery of NHS digital priorities. Digital does not yet feature in the provider licence, system oversight framework, or Care Quality Commission assessments.” It adds: “We are exploring options for filling this gap in discussions between NHS England and the CQC, and through a review and consultation with system leaders and frontline staff.” New “regulatory levers” will be used to: “signal that digitisation is a priority, identify the non-negotiable standards of digital capability, [and] explain how we will monitor and support compliance”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 30 June 2022 -
Content ArticleThe 2022 conference returned to Parliament on Thursday 19 May and was hosted by Taiwo Owatemi MP. Entitled “The Road to Resilience”, it explored the steps that will need to be taken in the years to come to continue the momentum seen during the pandemic around the key role of HealthTech and make the healthcare system more resilient for its staff and patients. Featuring keynote speakers Sam Roberts, CEO at NICE & Lord Kamall, Minister for Technology, Innovation and Life Sciences, the conference brought together key health sector stakeholders, providing insights into the direction of UK health care, its recovery following the pandemic & how technology can play a vital role in enhancing the health system moving forward. View the recording of the conference below.
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Content ArticleThe health and social care system’s long-term sustainability depends on effective digital transformation. This document outlines the government's plans to reform and develop the use of digital technologies in health and social care in order to deliver a system that will be faster, more effective and more personalised. The plan pulls together the four goals of reform for the health and care system identified by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care: prevent people’s health and social care needs from escalating personalise health and social care and reduce health disparities improve the experience and impact of people providing services transform performance
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News Article
NHS App to get new digital features by 2023
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS App will soon be updated with features to help offer people in England more personalised care. It is part of the government's plan for a digital revolution to speed up care and improve access while saving the health service time and money. By March 2023, more users will receive messages from their GP and be able to see their medical records and manage hospital elective-care appointments. By March 2024, the app should offer face-to-face video consultations. The government's ambition is for at least 75% of adults to be using it by March 2024. Currently, less than half - about 28 million - have it on their phone or tablet. The government also wants 90% of NHS trusts to have electronic patient records in place or be processing them by December 2023 and for all social-care providers to adopt a digital social-care record. And patients across the country should be able to complete their hospital pre-assessment checks from home by September 2024. Read full story Source: BBC News, 29 June 2022 -
News Article
USA: Cerner’s VA software rollout report cites 150 “cases of harm”
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A serious revelation may derail the Cerner Millenium rollout. A draft report by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) states that a flaw in Cerner’s software caused the system to lose 11,000 orders for specialty care, lab work, and other services – without alerting healthcare providers the orders (also known as referrals) had been lost. This created ‘cases of harm’ to at least 150 veterans in care. The VA patient safety team classified dozens of cases of “moderate harm” and one case of “major harm.” The major harm cited affected a homeless veteran, aged in his 60s, who was identified as at risk for suicide and had seen a psychiatrist at Mann-Grandstaff in December 2020, after the implementation. After prescribing medication to treat depression, the psychiatrist ordered a follow-up appointment one month later. That order disappeared in the electronic health record and was not scheduled. The consequences were that the veteran, weeks after the unscheduled appointment date, called the Veterans Crisis Line. He was going to kill himself with a razor. Fortunately, he was found in time by local first responders, taken to a non-VA mental health unit, and hospitalized. The draft report implies that the ‘unknown queue’ problem has not been fixed and continues to put veterans at risk in the VA system. There may be as many as 60 other safety problems. Other incidents cited in the draft report include one of “catastrophic harm” and another case the VA told the OIG may be reclassified as catastrophic. Catastrophic harm is defined by the VA as “death or permanent loss of function.” Read full story Source: Telehealth and Telecare Aware, 21 June 2022 -
Content ArticleThis book is a resource for the coaches who provide health IT-related assistance for primary care practices to support their QI and practice transformation efforts. The audience for this handbook includes both the health IT-focused coaches who support QI work as well as the practice facilitators/coaches who have the necessary background, interest, and skills to provide clinical health IT support. Although the handbook is primarily intended for external coaches working with primary care practices, the content could also be useful for practice-based staff responsible for addressing health IT needs related to QI. The handbook assumes readers already have a basic level of comfort with EHR use and with extracting and using electronic data for QI.
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EventuntilNHS waiting lists are at record levels with 6 million people currently awaiting treatment, and the potential for this figure to reach 14 million over the coming years. With people waiting longer for treatment, the need to develop integrated perioperative pathways that better support patients through their surgical journey has never been greater. During the pandemic, hospitals turned to digital technology to remotely support patients before, during and after surgery – helping to improve both the patient experience, and the quality of care. It is now evident that these tools will play an increasingly important role in supporting the delivery of efficient, sustainable and patient-centred surgical pathways. In this free webinar a panel of NHS and industry experts will discuss: How digital perioperative care can help tackle the elective backlog, improve efficiency & support patients. Best practice for procuring, designing and integrating technology across the surgical pathway. Collaborative partnerships and the future of perioperative care. Register
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Content ArticleThis strategy sets out the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s vision for how data will be used to improve the health and care of the population in a safe, trusted and transparent way. It: provides an overarching narrative and action plan to address the current cultural, behavioural and structural barriers in the system, with the ultimate goal of having a health and care system that is underpinned by high-quality and readily available data marks the next steps of the discussion about how we can best utilise data for the benefit of patients, service users, and the health and care system This strategy applies to England only. The strategy shows how data will be used to bring benefits to all parts of health and social care – from patients and care users to staff on the frontline and pioneers driving the most cutting-edge research. It is backed by a series of concrete commitments, including: investing in secure data environments to power life-saving research and treatments using technology to allow staff to spend more quality time with patients giving people better access to their own data through shared care records and the NHS App.
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Content ArticleDr Gordon Hay, service director of A&E/urgent care services at Moorfields Eye Hospital discusses with Digital Health the challenge to minimising hospital visits during the pandemic and how Moorfields Eye Hospital utilised a video conference platform to implement a fully functional virtual A&E service, providing an effective hybrid care delivery model for the future.
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News Article
Royal Surrey County Hospital to launch virtual ward to free up beds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The Royal Surrey County Hospital is preparing to open its first virtual ward. From this summer 15 patients will receive treatment at home using apps and wearable technology, as an alternative to a stay in hospital. The ward will be overseen by a consultant, working with therapists, nursing staff and pharmacists. The hospital, in Guildford, plans to extend the ward to 52 patients by April 2024. Health providers across England have been asked to deliver virtual wards at a rate of 40 to 50 beds per 100,000 people by December 2023. It is hoped they will free up beds more quickly, speeding up admissions from A&E and for elective surgery. Read full story Source: BBC News, 7 June 2022 -
Content ArticleThis report explores the factors influencing healthcare workers’ confidence in AI-driven technologies. A second report will detail how their confidence can be developed through education and training.
