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Content ArticlePaul McGinness, chief executive, Lenus Health, presents new evidence showing how a digital service model can reduce respiratory-related hospital admissions and enable care at home.
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Content ArticleHealthcare has, in many ways, always been a form of ‘learning system’. Driven by a diverse community of stakeholders, including health care professionals, patients and the public, a learning health system (LHS) uses internal and external knowledge to continually learn about and improve patient care. However, while LHSs have huge potential to support service transformation and population health, there is a lack of consensus about what an LHS actually is, and how to get started. This research report from the Health Foundation helps people understand LHSs and how they can be developed. It is the final output of HDR UK’s Better Care Catalyst Programme’s Policy and Insights workstream, which researched the barriers and enablers for implementing LHS approaches in the UK. It also identifies a range of opportunities and actions that can be taken by policymakers and system leaders to advance the LHS agenda across the UK.
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Content ArticleIntegrated care systems (ICSs) and provider collaboratives are ushering in a move towards more collaborative working across organisations in health, social care and the voluntary and community sector – and digital health technologies have an important role to play. Digital technologies can help information and communication to flow across organisations, people and places, bringing benefits for both patients and staff, eg, fewer tests, improved patient safety, reduced costs and saving both patients and staff time. However, using digital health technologies to overcome silos, often referred to as interoperability, has been a longstanding challenge. The King's Fund undertook research to understand how to progress interoperability in health and care.
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Content ArticleThis letter to the editor published in The Journal of Biomedical Research outlines the ways in which simulation will be used in medical education in the future. The author highlights that: simulation is likely to become much more closely linked to assessment in the future. our vision of what constitutes simulation will change radically in the future, with access to simulation becoming easier and wider. the future of simulation in medical education will follow the same path as the future of healthcare—more primary care, management of long term conditions and patient self-management.
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News Article
Centre has ‘lost the narrative’ over NHSE merger
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS should reduce the number of different electronic patient records (EPRs) used by trusts and instead rely on a smaller set of suppliers with nationally agreed prices, according to the CEO of NHS Digital. Simon Bolton, who is also NHS England’s interim chief information officer, also said NHSD and NHSE had “lost the narrative a little bit” over their forthcoming merger, due to a “fixation” with reducing NHSE staff numbers by a third; and that the centre of the NHS remained too “autocratic and authoritarian”. Mr Bolton said there were “too many” different EPRs used in the health service and said no private sector organisation would allow such variability for so long. His comments come amid a national drive to improve the uptake and quality of EPRs across NHS providers, following new technology targets set by the government earlier this year. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 28 September 2022 -
Content ArticleThe rapid uptake of digital healthcare channels offers huge benefits, but evidence also suggests a close correlation between digital exclusion and social disadvantage. People with protected characteristics under the Equality Act are among those least likely to have access to the internet and the skills needed to use it. Experts from across health and care came together to contribute to "Access Denied", a new whitepaper on digital health inequalities. This whitepaper sets out recommendations to ensure that those innovating in digital healthcare can do so in a way which addresses healthcare inequalities.
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Content ArticleDuplicate medication orders are a prominent type of medication error that in some circumstances has increased after implementation of health information technology. Duplicate medication orders are commonly defined as two or more active orders for the same medication or medications within the same therapeutic class. While there have been several studies that have identified contributing factors and described potential solutions, duplicate medication order errors continue to impact patient safety.
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Content ArticleA digital transformation is underway in healthcare and health technology. But what exactly do the smart hospitals of the future look like? Are we heading for a fully virtual health experience? Whether it’s AI and machine learning, or another form of innovation – it’s clear to see that health tech, and healthcare, is changing drastically. The words “smart hospital” and “virtual hospital wards” have eased their way into our vocabulary – and they will soon be the driving force of healthcare everywhere. So what would smart hospitals look like? And what should we be expecting between now and 2050? Health Tech World asked some of the leading experts in the field to give us their predictions as well as their expertise on what the healthcare of the next few decades will look like.
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Content Article
This year's World Patient Safety Day, due to take place on Saturday 17 September 2022, will focus on medication safety, promoting safe medication practices to prevent medication errors and reducing medication-related harm. In this blog for the hub, Laurence Goldberg, an independent pharmaceutical consultant, looks at how we can reduce drug administration errors by the provision of medicines in a ‘ready-to-administer’ format where no manipulation is required before administration to the patient. -
Content ArticleIn the UK, over 26% of adults take prescription medications and in the US the figure is around 66%. But up to 50% of patients fail to take their medications as prescribed. As healthcare steadily pivots towards digital health, Dr. Bertalan Meskó and Dr. Pranavsingh Dhunno ask how new technologies can improve medication management. In this article for The Medical Futurist, they look at the importance of empowering patients to reduce the risk of medication errors. They highlight five medication management technologies that could help patients improve their own medication safety: Smart pill dispensers which deliver audible and visual cues to remind patients to take medications at the right time Medication reminder apps which help manage medication regimens and can sync the data with a caregiver or doctor Digital therapeutics which support patients to make treatment decisions Digital pills which integrate tracking technology into pills themselves Telemedical platforms that allow patients to request advice or raise concerns with their doctors.
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Content ArticleIssues with medication management and errors in medication administration are major threats to patient safety. This article for the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Network takes a look at the AHRQ's current areas of focus for medication safety. The authors look at evidence-based solutions to improve medication safety in three areas: High-risk medication use and polypharmacy in older adults Reducing opioid overprescribing, increasing naloxone access and use and other interventions for opioid medication safety Nursing-sensitive medication safety The article also explores future research directions in medication safety and highlights that these will advance patient safety overall.
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Content Article
HealthIT.Gov: SAFER guides (USA)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Health records and plans
The SAFER Guides consist of nine guides organiaed into three broad groups. These guides enable healthcare organisations to address electronic health record (EHR) safety in a variety of areas. Most organisations will want to start with the Foundational Guides, and proceed from there to address their areas of greatest interest or concern. -
Content ArticleMaking the Patient Tracking List (PTL) available to general practice in North Central London (NCL) is proving to be an effective approach. When thinking about how best to address the backlog of patients, it’s natural to only consider the locations where the patients will be treated, but Amy Bowen, director of system improvement for NCL, says her team saw the value of involving primary care in the conversation. “Initially, everyone considered the PTL from secondary care, but we thought ‘let’s flip it on its head’,” she says. The approach uses funding from the NHS’s elective accelerator sites initiative to form multi-disciplinary Proactive Integrated Teams (PITs) that can access the PTL using the elective recovery dashboard in the Cerner population health platform, HealtheIntent®. Find out more in this article in the Integrated Care Journal.
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News Article
NHS doctors' paperwork piles up after cyber-attack
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Doctors say it could take months to process mounting piles of medical paperwork caused by a continuing cyber-attack on an NHS supplier. One out-of-hours GP says patient care is being badly affected as staff enter a fourth week of taking care notes with pen and paper. The ransomware attack against software and services provider Advanced was first spotted on 4 August. The company says it may take another 12 weeks to get some services back online. Dr Fay Wilson, who manages an urgent-care centre in the West Midlands, says the main choke point for her team is with patient records. She said it could affect patient care "because we can't send notifications to GP practices, except by methods that don't work because they require a lot of manual handling, and we haven't got the staff to actually do the manual handling". Read full story Source: BBC News, 31 August 2022 -
Content ArticleBabylon is a US company that offers AI-powered online apps to health systems. Several UK hospital trusts have used Babylon apps to triage patients and reduce attendances at accident and emergency departments since 2018. In this blog, Nicole Kobie, contributing editor at technology website Wired, looks at Babylon's recent cancellation of its last contract with an NHS trust. She highlights that although some welcome Babylon's exit from the NHS, the disruption caused by the apps' implementation was costly and has left some trusts with large bills. The apps also triggered complaints from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after concerns that Babylon's AI was missing signs of serious illness. The article highlights the need to carefully consider patient safety and cost-effectiveness when introducing new technologies into health systems, and take a slower approach to rolling out AI innovations.
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News Article
App will let patients avoid long NHS waits
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Patients will be able to use the NHS app to shop around for hospitals with the shortest waiting lists in a renewed drive to cut backlogs for routine care. Health bosses agreed yesterday to give patients more choice over where they are treated by next April in an effort to use digital league tables to direct people towards hospitals with the shortest waits. Steve Barclay, the health secretary, wants to give patients “real-time data” on their phones to decide whether to travel further to get quicker treatment for hip replacements, cataract removals and other non-urgent procedures. A government source said: “We don’t need a big bureaucracy to funnel patients towards the hospital which NHS managers decide is best, when, armed with a right to choose and the right information on the app, patients will go where waiting times are lowest.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times (31 August 2022) -
EventuntilJoin the Health Tech Alliance and Becton Dickinson for a deep dive into the role of technology in improving patient safety. With the evolution of virtual wards and ever-increasing use of technology across the NHS The Health Tech Alliance and Becton Dickinson (BD) are joining forces to deep dive into the role of technology in improving patient safety. The event will be made up of a combination of interactive workshops, plenary sessions, and a panel discussion as well as networking opportunities over lunch and eventing reception. Register
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EventuntilIn the face of new challenges, developing requirements, and restructuring of local systems within the NHS it’s vital to bring together the Digital Health community again. HETT 2022 will explore the systems and infrastructure that underpin and enable a data-driven NHS, supporting the ecosystem to deliver patient outcomes through the meaningful implementation of technology. Two days of free CPD accredited educational sessions, interactive activities, and networking opportunities with 150+ innovative suppliers and 200+ expert speakers. Further information and registration
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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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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 -
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 ArticleIn spring 2021, YouTube asked the National Academy of Medicine to bring together experts to develop principles for elevating credible health information online. In this interview with The Commonwealth Fund, Garth Graham, YouTube’s director and global head of health care and public health partnerships talks about how YouTube—which reaches two billion people each month—has been working with health systems in the US to create high-quality, engaging health content.
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Content ArticleProfessor Ron McLeod's presentation on the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) White Paper on Human Factors in highly automated systems.
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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
