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News ArticleNHS England has launched a “very aggressive campaign” to ensure all acute trusts give patients the ability to make appointments and receive messages online. Details of the new “national requirement” which must be met by the end of 2023-24 were sent by NHS England to acute trust chief information officers on Friday. NHSE wants all trust portals to integrate with the NHS App to enable patients to manage outpatient appointments and respond to messages through a single channel. Under NHSE’s requirements, the portals must: Enable patients to view their outpatient appointments; Enable the trust to send a waiting list validation questionnaire to patients; Provide patients with a single point of access to contact the provider, for example to cancel appointments; and Enable patients to access their correspondence from the trust. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 31 March 2023
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News Article
NHS Highland reprimand for HIV patient email data breach
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
NHS Highland has been reprimanded for a data breach which revealed the personal email addresses of people invited to use HIV services. The health board used CC (carbon copy) instead of BCC (blind carbon copy) to send an email to 37 people. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said the error amounted to a "serious breach of trust". It called for improvements to be made to data protection safeguards for HIV service providers. The mistake meant all recipients of the email could see the personal addresses of the others receiving it. One person said they recognised four other individuals, one of whom was a previous sexual partner. Read full story Source: BBC News, 30 March 2023 -
News Article
GP training to be overhauled to meet ‘ever-shifting’ needs of patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Health Education England (HEE) has outlined a new vision for general practice training which it says will better prepare GPs for future models of care. The programme will have greater focus on areas such as addressing health inequalities and managing the growing proportion of patients with mental health care needs seen in general practice, HEE said. Innovative placements, perhaps with charities, third sector organisations and services such as CAHMS will be explored, the Training the Future GP report said. And it should include educational opportunities around improving cancer detection and referral, the report said, as well as training in the harms of overdiagnosis. Overall the goal is to move to a flexible model of training that meets the needs, skills and experiences of the trainee as well as the area they are working in. HEE said it would also continue to work to address issues of discrimination, prejudice, bias and specifically racism at individual, institutional and systemic levels, and to reduce differential attainment. It will include plans to ensure patients in deprived areas are able to access care, with the development of specific training offers on these issues and prioritising expansion of training capacity to areas in need. Read full story Source: Pulse, 17 March 2023 -
Content ArticleThis report by The Queen's Nursing Institute presents the findings of a survey of community nurses (also known as district nurses) conducted in 2022 to look at how digital technologies are used in community nursing. The survey found that: 43.1% respondents reported problems with lack of compatibility between different computer systems, compared to 32.7% in 2017 87% respondents reported issues with mobile connectivity, compared to 85% in 2017 53%.respondents reported problems with device battery life, compared to 29.5% in 2017 The report concludes that overall, the community nursing workforce has a high level of digital literacy and that poor user experience frequently appears to be around design and function rather than a lack of literacy or enthusiasm for technology. The workforce also has an appetite for high functioning technology and can see the potential of new applications, for example, in managing wound care or long-term conditions.
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Content ArticleThe National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) updated their guidance for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in 2022, recommending that CGM be available to all people living with type 1 diabetes. This review in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism aimed to compare regulatory standards for CGM in the UK and Europe, with those applied in the USA by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and in Australia by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). It describes the processes in place and highlights that the criteria applied in the UK for assessing accuracy do not translate into real-life performance. The authors offer a framework to evaluate CGM accuracy studies critically and conclude that FDA- and TGA-approved indications match the available clinical data, whereas CE marking indications applied in the EU can have discrepancies. They argue that the UK can bolster regulation, but that this need to be balanced to ensure that innovation and timely access to technology for people with type 1 diabetes are not hindered.
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Content ArticleMedical technology, or ‘medtech’, is of vital importance to the UK health and care system. The Government's first Medical technology strategy outlines how it will ensure the health and social care system can reliably access safe, effective and innovative medical technologies that support the continued delivery of high-quality care, outstanding patient safety and excellent patient outcomes in a way that makes the best use of taxpayer money.
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Content ArticleSurgical site infections (SSIs) can have a significant impact on patients, their families and healthcare providers. With shortening inpatient periods, the post-discharge element of surveillance is becoming increasingly important. Proactive surveillance, including digital wound images using patient smartphones, may be an efficient alternative to traditional methods for collecting post-discharge surveillance (PDS). The aim of this study was to determine success in patient enrolment and engagement including reasons for non-response, the time for clinicians to respond to patients, SSI rates, and carbon emissions when conducting PDS using patient smartphones.
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Content ArticleHealthcare professionals are encouraged to use feedback from their patients to inform service and quality improvement. This study in the journal Sociology of Health and Illness aimed to understand how three NHS Trusts in England were interacting with patient feedback through online channels. The authors found that organisations demonstrated varying levels of ‘preparedness to perform’ online, from invisibility through to engaging in public conversation with patients within a wider mission for transparency. Engagement varied between the Trusts; one organisation employed restrictive ‘cast lists’ of staff able to respond to patients, while another devolved responding responsibility amongst a wide array of multidisciplinary staff.
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Content ArticleThe health service needs to develop innovative ways of treating an increasingly elderly and frail population, while harnessing new technology to help mitigate the staffing crisis. As part of the Times Health Commission, this article outlines some potential solutions — encompassing new ways of working and regulation to promote healthier lifestyles — to some aspects of the health and social care crisis in the UK.
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Content ArticleThis briefing from the Centre of Mental Health summarises evidence from six studies on the use of digital and telephone technology to deliver mental health services. It finds that using remote technology can improve access to mental health support for rural communities, disabled people or people needing a specialist service far from home. It has the potential to increase access and choice in mental health care. But it also risks exacerbating inequalities for people who are digitally excluded.
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Content ArticlePatient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are used to assess the quality of healthcare experiences, focusing on patients. These measures help healthcare providers, commissioners and other stakeholders to make informed changes to their services. Showing the benefits of your intervention to the patient and healthcare delivery is important if you aim to have your digital product or service embedded within the healthcare system. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has collated guidance on how to use a patient-reported outcomes and experiences study to evaluate your digital health product.
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Content ArticleCancer Research UK, in partnership with London-based tech company Stitch, are piloting an app for patients to use whilst participating in a clinical trial. The Trialmap app, which was co-created with patients, is being piloted on a clinical trial run by Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development. The aim of the app is to ensure patients feel valued for their participation, and to improve patient experience during clinical trials. This article looks at how the app: allows patients to easily view information about the trial gives reminders about appointments and what patients might need to do to prepare for them gives patients the opportunity to provide real-time feedback regarding their time on the trial.
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Content ArticleAfter a prolonged battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers now face the next crisis that has been brewing even longer: staff shortages and an increasingly exhausted workforce. In early 2022, almost one in two (47%) healthcare professionals reported feeling burned out, up from 42% last year. Many consider leaving the field, adding to the worries of employers who see growing demand for care without enough hands at the bedside to cater for their patients. Can AI be part of the solution by helping healthcare professionals reclaim the joy in their work? An article by Philips.
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Content Article'What the HealthTech?' is a podcast from Radar Healthcare. A platform for professionals in health and social care to have open discussions on creating change, tackling challenges and making an impact on people’s lives. Each week Radar Healthcare talk to industry leaders, organisations making a difference and their team of experts to share ideas and learnings with you.
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Content ArticleGomes et al. report the utilisation and impact of a novel triage-based electronic screening tool (eST) combined with clinical assessment to recognise sepsis in paediatric emergency department. An electronic sepsis screening tool was implemented in the paediatric emergency departments of two large UK secondary care hospitals between June 2018 and January 2019. Patients eligible for screening were children < 16 years of ages excluding those with minor injuries or who were brought directly to resuscitation. Utilisation of a novel triage-based eST allowed sepsis screening in over 99% of eligible patients. The screening tool showed good accuracy to recognise sepsis at triage in the ED, which was augmented further by combining it with clinician assessment. The screening tool requires further refinement through multicentre evaluation to avoid missing sepsis cases.
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Content ArticleInnovation and technology have played a vital role in our health system, not least during the pandemic. Whilst we have seen a variety of positive changes and reforms, such as the MedTech Funding Mandate and new data plans, the new administration still has a lot to address. Not forgetting the positive lessons we learnt from the pandemic is key – we saw that a more rapid uptake is possible and barriers to adoption can be overcome. Addressing these barriers to adoption is still essential if the UK wants to be the global hub for technology and innovation – adopting technological driven innovative solutions will be more important than ever for the NHS in order to continue improving patient outcomes whilst maintaining economic discipline.
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Content ArticleVision-based patient monitoring systems (VBPMS) are assistive tools that enable staff to enhance and support patient safety in inpatient services by delivering non-contact measurement of physiological parameters such as pulse and breathing rate, some estimate of patient location, activity or behaviour data and some form of contextual video information (which may be blurred) either in real-time or through subsequent reviews. In some cases, a VBPMS can be classified as a medical device regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and have specific indications for use. Providers adopting the technology need to ensure users are appropriately trained.
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Content ArticleIn this HSJ article, Gemma Dakin and George Croft from the Health Innovation Network share their reflections on the HSJ Patient Safety Congress. They highlight key themes that emerged including the need to listen to patients, service users, and carers stories, and encourage their involvement to bring about a cultural change. They argue that humanity will be central to making progress in quality improvement and patient safety.
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Content ArticleThere is a huge challenge to improve technology adoption and readiness across the NHS. This article in HSJ looks at a partnership between tech services company Agyle and Dorset County Hospital (DCH) which aimed to develop a digital patient record strategy which places user experience at the heart of its approach. DCH's objective was for its staff to access a decreasing number of systems, designed around clinical processes, with data flowing seamlessly between those systems. The article looks at how Agyle and DCH worked together to achieve improved clinical safety, interoperability, cost-effectiveness and future-proofing through their strategy.
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Content ArticleIn this review, Jane Carthey and colleagues discuss human factors research in cardiac surgery and other medical domains. The authors describe a systems approach to understanding human factors in cardiac surgery and summarise the lessons that have been learned about critical incident and near-miss reporting in other high technology industries that are pertinent to this field.
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Content ArticleThis blog by Dr Anna Bayes from Altera Digital Health looks at the benefits of closed-loop medication administration (CLMA) in preventing avoidable medication errors. CLMA provides an extra validation at the point of drug administration by using barcode technology to positively identify the patient and validate their prescribed medications against the physical medication product (for example, pills, infusions or creams) at the point of care. Anna also considers CLMA's role in advancing digital maturity.
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News Article
‘Contentious’ US tech firm to harvest patient data in NHSE waiting list push
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
NHS England has ordered the collection of identifiable patient data from hospitals by US data firm Palantir, for a pilot scheme aimed at accelerating recovery of elective waiting lists. The regulator has instructed NHS Digital, with which it will merge in January, to use Palantir’s Foundry platform to collect data about patients’ admission, inpatient, discharge and outpatient activity at acute hospitals. Identifiable data such as patients’ NHS numbers, date of birth, and postcode will be collected through Palantir’s software. Patients cannot opt out of having their data collected. But NHS Digital’s Caldicott Guardian – who is meant to safeguard use of data – has identified “risks” in the pilot and said it needs additional work before it can meet confidentiality requirements. The data collected will be “anonymised in accordance with the ICO’s (Information Commissioner’s) Anonymisation Code of Practice”. However, privacy campaigners Medconfidential claimed this code is not fit for purpose and warned that NHS chiefs were making the same mistakes as previous failed efforts to use patient data appropriately. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 1 November 2022 -
News ArticleFive promising technologies that could help improve symptoms and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease have been conditionally recommended by NICE. The wearable devices have sensors that monitor the symptoms of people with Parkinson’s disease while they go about their day-to-day life. This information may more accurately record a person’s symptoms than a clinical assessment during in-person appointments and help inform medication decisions and follow up treatment such as physiotherapy. Parkinson's disease is an incurable condition that affects the brain, resulting in progressive loss of coordination and movement problems. It is caused by loss of the cells in the brain that are responsible for producing dopamine, which helps to control and coordinate body movements. Mark Chapman, interim director of Medical Technology at NICE, said: “Providing wearable technology to people with Parkinson’s disease could have a transformative effect on their care and lead to changes in their treatment taking place more quickly. “However there is uncertainty in the evidence at present on these five promising technologies which is why the committee has conditionally recommended their use by the NHS while data is collected to eliminate these evidence gaps. “We are committed to balancing the best care with value for money, delivering both for individuals and society as a whole, while at the same time driving innovation into the hands of health and care professionals to enable best practice.” Read full story Source: NICE, 27 October 2022
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News ArticleA new report published by the NHS AI Lab and Health Education England (HEE) has advocated for training and education for providers in how they deliver and develop AI guidance for staff. The report, entitled ‘Developing healthcare workers’ confidence in AI (Part 2)’, is the second of two reports in relation to this research and follows the 2019 Topol Review recommendation to develop a healthcare workforce “able and willing” to use AI and robotics. It is also part of HEE’s Digital, AI and Robotics Technologies in Education (DART-ED) programme, which aims to understand the impact of advances of these technologies on the workforce’s education and training requirements. In the previous report, the AI Lab and HEE found that many clinicians and staff were unaccustomed to the use of AI technologies, and without the suitable training patients would not be able to experience and share the advantages. The new report has set out recommendations for education and training providers in England to support them in planning, resourcing, developing and delivering new training packages in this area. It notes that specialist training will also be required depending on roles and responsibilities such as involvement in implementation, procurement or using AI in clinical practice. Brhmie Balaram, Head of AI Research and Ethics at the NHS AI Lab, added: “This important new research will support those organisations that train our health and care workers to develop their curriculums to ensure staff of the future receive the training in AI they will need. This project is only one in a series at the NHS AI Lab to help ensure the workforce and local NHS organisations are ready for the further spread of AI technologies that have been found to be safe, ethical and effective.” Read full story Source: Health Tech Newspaper, 25 October 2022
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News ArticlePeter Duffy warned that there is a growing risk of electronic patient records and NHS staff communications being exposed to tampering efforts in disputes with managers and executives. The surgeon, who now practices on the Isle of Man, made the comments during talks given in September – to the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) and at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) in Dublin. He told audiences that “there is increasing potential for electronic tampering” of NHS IT records, holding serious implications for patient safety reporting and disputes with government and health service bodies. The consultant medic, who says he was driven out of UHMBT in 2016 after blowing the whistle on dangerous practices and uninvestigated cases of harm within the trust’s urology services, won a constructive dismissal claim against his ex-employer in 2018. Duffy now alleges that emails concerning the care of a patient at the centre of his whistleblowing were forged and backdated by senior UHMBT staff, several years after his employment claim against the trust had ended. The emails were not disclosed during the tribunal – despite a court order having been issued to release all communications concerning the care of the patient in question, the late Peter Read, who died in early 2015 – and are understood to have surfaced during the course of an external review into UHMBT’s urology services carried out between late 2019 and 2021. Niche Consult, a private firm commissioned by NHS England/Improvement (NHSE/I) to investigate Duffy’s patient safety disclosures alongside broader concerns regarding the trust’s urology department, determined that the emails in question were not fakes. Duffy told the AfPP and RCSI audiences that, during the Niche review of UHMBT’s urology services in 2020, he was “abruptly told that two entirely new, never-seen-before emails had suddenly, unexpectedly appeared”. The emails appear to partly implicate him in the series of clinical errors and missed care opportunities that contributed to Read’s death. Duffy described the allegedly falsified emails as being part of “an executive vendetta” waged against him in retaliation for his whistleblowing activity and negative publicity surrounding it, as UHMBT was seeking to cultivate the image of a “turnaround” trust in the years following a major maternity scandal between 2004 and 2013. Read full story Source: Computer Weekly, 28 September 2022
