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News Article
NHS cyber attack hits patient care with records left in ‘chaos’ three months on
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Patient care is still being undermined at NHS mental health trusts and social care providers that were hit by a major cyber attack in August, doctors have warned. Three months after the major attack wiped out NHS systems, patients’ records are missing, safety has been compromised, and medication doses are at risk of being missed amid ongoing “chaos”, i News has been told. Dr Andrew Molodynski, mental health lead at the British Medical Association, said the prolonged systems failure has damaged care because records are “integral to patients’ safety”. Mental health patients’ records and safeguarding alerts have not been available in some trusts since 4 August, when NHS software provider, Advanced, was hit by a ransomware attack which targeted its Carenotes records system. A total of 12 NHS mental health trusts have been impacted by the cyber attack, potentially impacting tens of thousands of patients as well as social care providers. According to Advanced’s own hazard log spreadsheet, seen by i News, the risks associated with disruption to its server include “medication doses missed”, “required number of carers not met”, “basic needs not met, such as nutrition and personal care”, and “health needs not met, such as wound care and physical support”. Advanced said: “We recognise that the restoration process has taken longer than we had initially anticipated and we have sought to communicate as clearly and transparently as we have been able.” It said planned dates for restoring the system for each client has been communicated directly and that the “overall restoration programme remains on track”. Read full story Source: i News, 4 November 2022 -
Content ArticleNearly half of all adults and approximately 8% of children (aged 5-17) worldwide have a chronic condition. Yet, studies have consistently shown that adherence to medication is poor; estimates range from under 80% to under 50%, with an average of 50%. There could be a considerable improvement in health outcomes (and consequently longevity), not only by developing new drugs, but by helping people adhere to existing treatment regimens that have already been researched, tested and prescribed for them. But adherence isn’t usually prioritised by governments, health providers or healthcare professionals (HCPs). Adherence isn’t measured at a national level for any disease, apart from in Sweden where hypertension is recorded. And as governments don’t prioritise adherence, health providers aren’t measured or incentivised for improving it, meaning HCPs may not have the time and resources (or reminders) to focus on it during consultations. This report from the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC) makes a series of recommendations.
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Content ArticleA large proportion of avoidable harm and adverse events occur in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable (FCV) settings. This article in the BMJ Open outlines the online Delphi study approach that will be taken to generate a consensus on the most relevant patient safety interventions for FCV settings. The results of this study will create a list of the most relevant patient safety interventions, based on the consensus reached among a range of experts including frontline clinicians and administrators, non-governmental organisations, policymakers and researchers. The study aims to increase awareness of the issues in this area, and identify priority interventions as well as areas for further evaluation and research.
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Content ArticleAn increasing number of cancer patients are using the internet to better understand their disease and connect with others facing the same challenges. Online cancer communities have developed into resources that highlight new research and evolving treatments. Combined with increasing health literacy and social media, they have enabled some patients to become experts in their cancer. This article in the journal JCO Oncology Practice examines the role of expert patients (e-patients) in advancing cancer medicine, and looks at opportunities available to those who wish to become more involved in research advocacy. The authors found that e-patients play a greater role in their own care and in larger conversations regarding practice, research, and policy. They highlight that clinicians can engage e-patients as partners in cancer care to work together towards improving healthcare access and outcomes for people with cancer.
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Content ArticleThis is the report of Professor Ben Goldacre’s review into how the efficient and safe use of health data for research and analysis can benefit patients and the healthcare sector. It sets out a practical vision of how the Department of Health and the NHS can curate, manage and analyse the huge volume of health data available in the UK, and then communicate and use that data to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health services.
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Content ArticleThis Health Foundation long read explores how the NHS in England can better use routine health data to help address current challenges, including winter pressures, the ongoing coronavirus response and the growing elective care backlog. It examines the longstanding barriers to widespread use of data and data science, consider what actions might help to overcome these, and explore whether the data strategy for health and social care will deliver the change needed.
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Content ArticleIn January 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global health emergency. Healthcare systems around the world faced enormous pressures as hospital admissions increased. Amongst others, med-tech companies experienced a vast increase in demand for Covid-19 related products, alongside declining demand for non-essential products, and so had to adapt their supply chains to ensure the sustained, timely delivery of medical devices. In addition, teams had to navigate disruptions to global supply chains due to various border lockdowns and tighter trade and export restrictions worldwide. Prior to the unprecedented demands of the pandemic, med-tech supply chain management was not a hot topic in the news, or generally known amongst the public. However, it has recently gained traction across the news worldwide as supply chain managers have worked relentlessly to re-establish the equilibrium within this ever-changing landscape. The med-tech industry should look to continue to re-build their supply chains, so that they can be more agile and flexible, and respond to potential future issues efficiently and effectively.
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Content ArticleRaDonda Leanne Vaught faced criminal charges over a fatal medication error she made in 2017. Her trial has raised important questions over medical errors, reporting and process improvement, as well as who bears responsibility for widespread use of tech overrides in hospitals. There is debate over whether automated dispensing cabinet overrides are a reckless act or institutionalised as ordinary given the widespread use of IT workarounds among healthcare professionals. The Nashville District Attorney's Office described this override as a reckless act and a foundation for Ms. Vaught's reckless homicide charge, while some experts have said cabinet overrides are used daily at many hospitals.
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Content ArticleBlood transfusion is considered one of the safer aspects of healthcare, however potentially avoidable patient-safety incidents led to 14 deaths in the UK in 2017. Improvement initiatives often focus on staff compliance with standard operating procedures. This fails to understand adaptations made in a complex, dynamic environment, so the aim of this study from Watt et al. is to examine the extent and nature of adaptations at all stages of the vein to vein transfusion process.
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Content ArticleGender bias in healthcare is a well-recognised issue. From diagnosis to drug development and treatment, the modern healthcare system has been shown to advantage men over women. Responsibly designed artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms have the potential to overcome gender bias in medicine. However, if machine learning methods are implemented without careful thought and consideration they can lead to the perpetuation and even accentuation of existing biases. How can we develop technology in a way that prevents rather than perpetuates bias? This blog from Babylon highlights 4 key principles that can help.
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Content Article
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In this blog Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive, Helen Hughes, discusses the connection between procurement, supply chains and patient safety, ahead of an upcoming Safety for All Campaign webinar on this topic. -
Content ArticleWearable devices are a modern marvel. They teach users exactly how many calories you can burn by running up a flight of stairs, record sleep patterns down to the minute a neighbour’s safety light wakes you up, monitor your heart rate and alert you if anything gets out of whack, and even control your music during a workout. And that’s not even touching on the medical wearables that patients use to manage chronic conditions. We’re living in a time when so much information is available on our wrists or in our palms, and these devices are improving the lives and health of users all over the world. And yet, they’re not perfect. Software Advice surveyed over 450 US patients who currently use medically-prescribed wearable devices to better understand their experiences.
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Content ArticleDigital health innovations are often seen as 'ready made' solutions to challenges facing health and care systems but despite their potential, implementing these technologies can be complex. This Nuffield Trust summary highlights ten lessons for those working to integrate technology into health and social care services. The findings are based on a large-scale evaluation of digital technologies being implemented in health and social care in East London.
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Content ArticleDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health services had to quickly innovate to ensure that some of the most vulnerable people in society could continue to access mental health support, while protecting service users and staff from the virus. The NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network and the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) have worked together to produce these case studies which capture ten innovations from different countries. Key themes in the case studies include: The advantages of digital platforms in improving access The importance of supporting the wellbeing of staff Using data and evaluation to drive improvements and make the financial case for innovations The benefits of co-producing services with service users and staff Lessons about how the availability of innovations is communicated
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Content ArticleIn this opinion piece for BJGP Life, GP Chris Lowe explores potential problems with electronic access to primary care. He describes his own experience of e-consultation and warns of the potential of such technologies to make life harder for staff. He also raises concerns that rather than widen access to GPs, online access makes appointments less accessible for certain populations, and that introducing too many new technologies too quickly may cause experienced GPs to retire early.
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Content ArticleMedication errors can occur at any point in the system for prescribing, dispensing and administering drugs in the NHS – and can often be the result of human errors creeping in as burned out staff misread or miscalculate the amount needed. This article in the Health Services Journal examines how closed loop medication management systems can improve patient safety by ensuring patients are prescribed the right dosage of the right medications. The author speaks to Islam Elkonaissi, former lead pharmacist for cancer services in Cambridge, about the importance of well-planned implementation and bridging the gap between IT specialists and healthcare workers to make sure that potential for communication errors is minimised. They also discuss the value of the huge amounts of data AI systems can collect, which in turn make the systems more precise and accurate.
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Content ArticleA report from the Institute of Health and Social Care Management Power-House series discusses virtual wards, an innovation due to be implemented at scale in the NHS as a method of addressing patient waiting lists. With the help of remote treatment options and supported by technology, patients are monitored and cared for in their own homes. The report lists the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. In addition to the report, you can watch the 'How to virtual wards Power Hour' video where an expert panel discusses the details around virtual wards. Roy Lilley was joined by Professor Alison Leary, Elaine Strachan-Hall, Steph Lawrence, Alexandra Evans and Dr Elaine Maxwell for an unmissable hour of insight, expertise and guidance.
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Content ArticleAs well as having a significant negative impact on the health and wellbeing of people with dementia, falls increase service costs related to staff time, paramedic visits, and A&E admissions. This study in the Journal of Patient Safety examined whether a remote digital vision-based monitoring and management system had an impact on the prevention of falls. The authors concluded that a contact-free, remote digital vision-based monitoring and management system reduced falls, fall-related injuries, emergency services time, clinician time, and disruptive night time observations. This benefits clinicians by allowing them to undertake other clinical duties and promotes the health and safety of patients who might normally experience injury-related stress and disruption to sleep.
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Content ArticleIn this article for the Evening Standard, journalist Susannah Butter talks to Caroline Criado Perez about her book, 'Invisible Women, Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men'. Criado Perez discusses inequalities faced by women in healthcare, including delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis and exclusion from medical research. The article also looks at tech solutions being founded by women to fill gaps and address these inequalities.
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Content ArticleTo mark Rare Disease Day 2022, the Department of Health and Social Care has published England’s first Rare Diseases Action Plan.
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Content ArticleThis report by the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London highlights the opportunities and barriers for artificial intelligence to improve the health of the UK’s minority ethnic groups. It outlines the urgent need to address issues such as biased algorithms, poor data collection and a lack of diversity in research and development, in order to prevent a worsening of health inequalities experienced by minority ethnic groups.
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Content Article'Patient Safety: The PROACT® Root Cause Analysis Approach' addresses the proactive methodologies and organisational paradigms that must change in order to support and sustain activities that promote patient safety. Written by reliability expert Robert J. Latino, this book provides a perspective on patient care from outside the health industry and culture. It teaches a proven approach that measures its effectiveness based on patient safety results, rather than compliance, and demonstrates the Return-On-Investment for using root cause analysis to reduce and/or eliminate undesirable outcomes. Addressing the contribution of human error to physical consequences, Latino explores ways to identify conditions that are more prone to result in human error.
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Content ArticleThe world has significantly changed in the past decade and the healthcare sector has changed with it. Many healthcare organisations are now digital and digital tools enable patient safety and care. Electronic health records (EHRs) have replaced paper records. Picture archiving and communication systems have replaced film and light boxes. Computer-implemented or enabled hardware and software have replaced the mechanical systems of yesterday. In some instances, virtual visits have replaced in-person visits. And patients can transmit information about their health status and condition in real time to their clinicians via various software applications and devices. As a result of our digital transformation, electronic data is the lifeblood of the healthcare organisation. Electronic data, in the healthcare context, must be kept confidential, integrity must be preserved, and it must be made available on demand wherever and whenever it is needed. But if electronic data is not appropriately protected, clinical care and the business of healthcare can grind to a halt. This is why ransomware has been a significant concern for many healthcare organisations, as Lee Kim, Director Privacy and Security, HIMSS, explains in this article.
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Content ArticleThis white paper sets out the UK Government's 10-year vision for adult social care, and provides information on funded proposals that they will implement over the next three years. It highlights the factors that will cause an increase in demand for social care over the next decade and identifies stakeholders who the proposed changes to social care will affect. A key proposal in this white paper is the cap on how much individuals in England will contribute to their care costs from October 2023, which aims to make care costs predictable and limited.
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Content ArticleDigital technology is transforming every industry including healthcare. Digital and data have been used to redesign services, raising citizen expectations about self-service, personalisation, and convenience, and increasing workforce productivity. The pandemic has accelerated the shift to online and changed patient expectations and clinical willingness to adopt new ways of working. In addition, it facilitated new collaborations both in the centre of the NHS and wider local health and care systems. Together, these changes have enabled previously unimaginable progress in digitally enabled care pathways. The goal of this review is to build on this progress and ensure the national NHS (defined as NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI), NHSX (X) and NHS Digital (D)) can lead the transformation of the wider healthcare system, supporting integrated care systems (ICSs) to deliver better citizen health.
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