Month: December 2022

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust has completed a six-month pilot with Accurx, and found the technology introduced more efficient processes, better communication and improved patient experience.

The pilot was run across eight community services, following on from a successful partnership with Doncaster Primary Care Services which supported communication between patients and healthcare staff via SMS and video.

Dr Satya Raghuvanshi, head of clinical at Accurx, said: “It’s often perceived that to achieve widespread change across an organisation, complex systems or processes need to be put in place. But actually, we see time and time again that simple tech, like SMS or email messaging, can lead to vast improvements.”

A number of Accurx products were used in the new pilot to improve communications. Patient Messaging was used to send documents, letters, links, surveys, and to receive text and photo responses.

Video Consultations were used for 1:1 and

GigXR has advanced its hyper-immersive learning tools with the release of Anima Res’ Insight Series, delivering hyper-realistic 3D anatomy learning.

The holographic healthcare training company has announced the Insight Series in partnership with the 3D medical animation company Anima Res. The series gives structurally accurate holograms of heart, lung and kidneys in a way that just cannot be replicated with cadavers or analogue tools.

The new models will allow learners at medical and nursing schools, healthcare providers and government and defense agencies, to see the impact of disease on the affected organs.

The content is true-to-life, cost-and-resource-effective and scalable and is delivered on the Gig Immersive Learning Platform.

Pablo Olmos, co-CEO at Anima Res, said: “Showing learners accurate 3D organ function and disease progression removes the friction between students mastering anatomy and applying their learnings to a real-life patient.

“Partnering with GigXR gives us the springboard to expand our geographic

Palo Alto Networks is to introduce new features and capabilities for medical Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices to protect them against cyber attacks.

The company has launched Medical IoT Security, a comprehensive Zero Trust security solution specifically for digital healthcare.

Zero Trust is the highest level of cyber security and requires all internal and external users to be authenticated, authorised and continuously validated before gaining access to applications and data.

The new Palo Alto Networks Medical IoT Security makes use of machine learning and supports organisations to deploy and manage new connected technologies quickly and safely.

It can be integrated with existing healthcare information management systems, like AIMS and Epic Systems, to help automate workflows.

The solution allows users to create device rules with automated security responses, for example monitoring for behaviour anomalies and triggering appropriate responses.

Recommended least-privileged access policies for medical devices can also be enforced with one click using

This Digital Health News industry roundup includes a new online course for young people to build skills for a future career in care, a milestone for digital-first healthcare-at-home company Cera and the integration of Ibex Medical Analytics’ AI platform with Source BioScience’s pathology network.

Babyl partners with Novo Nordisk to expand diabetes care in Rwanda

A partnership between Babyl – a subsidiary of Babylon – and Novo Nordisk will help contribute to the expansion of diabetes awareness and care in Rwanda through community engagement and skills building using digital technology.

Babyl’s existing infrastructure and digital tech will be used to offer digital consultations to patients across Rwanda. Patients who then receive a confirmed diagnosis will be guided to the correct level of care by a doctor or nurse. This could include medication or a referral for further tests.

Vinay Ransiwal, vice president and general manager at Novo Nordisk Middle Africa,

The Dorset Care Record has been viewed more than 1.5 million times by health and care professionals, supporting them to deliver faster, safer and more effective care.

The Dorset Care Record was introduced in April 2018 to boost communication between professionals working in the region.

They are able to access a single and secure view of a person’s health and care information including details about allergies, medication, discharges, test results and plans for ongoing care.

Peter Gill, senior reporting officer for the Dorset Care Record (DCR) and director of informatics at University Hospitals Dorset, said: “Uptake of the DCR has grown substantially over the past year and I hear first-hand, from clinical colleagues, the huge positive difference it is making.

“By having immediate access to vital information, it gives a more rounded picture of a patient’s heath, enabling informed decisions to be made at the right time and in the

Uber is spreading some Christmas cheer amongst NHS staff over the festive period, by offering them free rides and meals.

As a way to thank NHS staff who have worked tirelessly through a pandemic and are now facing working over the Christmas break, Uber will be offering two free £10 rides. There’s also a £10 meal voucher on offer for staff within the NHS.

The offer is available for anyone who has an NHS or HSC email address. Staff need to ensure that they have an Uber account linked to their work email. A promo code will then be sent which can be added to their Uber account.

Andrew Brem, general manager for the UK and Ireland at Uber, said: “Our brilliant NHS has seen us through a pandemic and now thousands of staff will be working through Christmas.

“We want to make sure that travel is one less thing

At the University of South Australia, researchers designed a system that allows them to measure a patient’s blood pressure with a camera. The camera visualizes the patient’s forehead and focuses on two regions in particular to optically determine photoplethysmographic signals that AI algorithms then convert to blood pressure data. The researchers tested their system in 25 volunteers, and so far it has proven to be approximately 90% as accurate as traditional pressure cuff measurements. The system could provide contact-free measurements in as little as ten seconds, and could be very useful for large health screens or in situations where minimal contact is preferred for safety, such as during a pandemic.

Blood pressure is a key health indicator, but our method of measuring it can be a little cumbersome. Inflatable cuffs can be uncomfortable and a bit of a faff to use. If we could develop a non-invasive and rapid alternative,

More than 40 System Control Centres (SCCs) are now operating 24/7 across the country in a bid to ease pressures on the NHS this winter and as we move into 2023.

Director and CIO of the Yorkshire & Humber Care Record Programme, Lee Rickles, speaks exclusively to Digital Health News about SCCs, including why they are “a good concept”, the challenges that lie ahead and why the Humber and North Yorkshire region are yet to introduce one.

The purpose of SCCs is to consistently ensure the safest and highest quality of care possible for the entire population across every area by balancing the clinical risk within and across all acute, community, mental health, primary care, and social care services.

The new 24/7 centres are already live in all 42 integrated care systems (ICSs) in England, operating mostly across integrated care boards (ICB). The intention is that they will manage demand

Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby has received a new machine that their dementia patients can interact with to help them recall and share memories of past events.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s official charity, The Health Tree Foundation, received a donation of more than £8,000 from Cleethorpes Golf Club.

The money will be used to purchase a Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) machine which will be installed at the Grimsby hospital.

The machine is designed to help patients with dementia recall events from their past, which is particularly beneficial to those with memory impairments. It uses a range of interactive activities to boost cognitive stimulation and help patients share their memories and spark conversation.

Emily Woods, dementia clinical nurse specialist, said: “The RITA machines are fantastic as they can be used for cognitive stimulation. It helps keep patients stimulated and creates conversation. We do use them