The event is described for “geeks who love the NHS”, and is inviting clinicians, developers and designers to collaborate on current problems or existing strategies for the NHS. Group of developers will be encouraged to submit ideas and rapidly build and prototype software solutions.

Dr Carl Reynolds who organised the event said that he took inspiration from similar hack days held by the Cabinet Office and frustration at the slow pace of development of NHS IT.

“There’s so much to be done in digital health. No employer can own all of the talent. I hope the NHS Hack Day will show the NHS what can be done with a different business model” Dr Reynolds said.

Dr Reynolds also stated that aim is to create useful software and showcase the benefits of open source software, open governance, open data, challenges, and the talent in the small, medium enterprise software development community.

A prize will be awarded for software that “directly or indirectly promotes health”.

More information is on the NHS Hack Day website.

Original Source eHealth Insider

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

A study published in Nature has detailed how paralysed patients in the US are amongst the first to trial the use of a robotic arm which is controlled using thoughts.

A minute sensor is implanted onto the surface of the motor cortex which translates electrical signals from the brain into commands for the device. Thinking about moving an arm or hand activates neurons in the cortex and the electrical activity is sent via a cable to a computer, which commands the arm to move in response.

As the cortex which deals with movement continues to function more than a decade after paralysis, the chip can be controlled even by those with long-term paralysis. The two participants in the latest research project were paralysed by strokes for over 15 years with no viable movement below the neck.

The team behind the device state that they have four goals:

• To develop effective communications systems for people with locked-in syndrome, giving them control over a cursor on a computer screen
• To create improved neural control of robotic-assistive devices for patients with paralysis
• To use the system to allow amputees to control a prosthetic limb by the neural interface
• To enable paralysed patients to reconnect their brain to their limbs using this system so that they could use their own hand to pick up a coffee cup.

The team assert however that whilst technology is years away from practical use, the research showed “significant promise for people with brain injuries and disorders”.

Original Source Nature

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

The East and Midlothian Pulmonary Rehabilitation Team picked up the Improving Quality accolade at the Advancing Healthcare Awards.

The team delivers pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” via video conferencing. This technology has enabled clinicians to run classes for patients simultaneously in two locations at one time. Patients are equipped with a specially-designed phone with a screen and matched up with a Physiotherapist who supports them as they practise exercises.

Amanda Stears, Specialist Physiotherapist in the team stated that pulmonary rehabilitation at the Trust has been delivered solely through digital means for the past two years with successful patient outcomes. She states the future intention is to deliver the service directly into the patient’s home, reducing demand on the clinics are lowering waiting times for patients.

“Winning this award highlights just what can be achieved by embracing the use of new technologies in delivering healthcare. The use of this type of innovative, digital technology can increase the number of patients we treat, not just in the one area but across different areas at the same time” said Stears.

Original Source Scotsman

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

A poll carried out by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has revealed that only 20% of Britons are consuming the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables.

Despite the launch of the Department of Health’s “five-a-day campaign” first launched in 2003, the survey of more than 2,000 UK adults revealed that the majority of the British public were still not meeting this goal.

Variations were seen in consumption across the UK, with the study stating that only 17% of lower income households eat at least five portions per day, compared with 27% for those in higher income groups. Levels were generally lowest in the north of England, where 18% had five or more portions daily, compared with the south of England, where 26% said they ate at least five portions.

Kate Mendoza, Head of Education for the WCRF, said that the figures indicated that many were still finding it difficult to adhere to healthy eating guidelines. Whilst public awareness of the merits of a healthy diet seems to have increased, rising food costs and a lack of incentives are attributed to these failures.

“A diet based on plant foods, such as wholegrains and pulses as well as fruit and vegetables, can reduce cancer risk as research shows they protect against a range of cancers” Mendoza continued, asserting that public knowledge about the additional benefits of healthy foods may be insufficient.

As part of Cancer Prevention Week, the WCRF will be holding a “Fruity Friday” Awareness Day on the 18 May.

A Department of Health spokesperson said “through our Change4Life campaign, we invested around £10m last year on encouraging healthier lifestyles. This included things like the Supermeals campaign which promoted five a day by giving recipe ideas and money off fruit and vegetables in retail stores.”

Original Source BBC News

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

A report compiled by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has stated that cuts to NHS Community Care mean that clinicians and nurses in these services are facing job cuts, rising workloads and a reduction in face-to-face patient contacts.

The RCN assert that despite pledges by Ministers that NHS community services would be focused on to relieve the pressure on acute services, community services are struggling to cope with growing demand brought on by the ageing population, hospital bed shortages and staff cutbacks.

The “Nicholson Challenge” is an efficiency savings drive which is intended to save the NHS £20 billion by 2015. Whilst savings are supposed to be recouped using the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) plan, the RCN state that job cuts are being targeted instead. They claim that a total of 61,113 posts in the NHS across the UK have been lost or placed at risk since April 2010.

A survey of Community workers revealed that 89% reported to have seen their caseload rise over the last year, while 59% said they were spending less time with their patients than this time last year. 68% also said staffing levels had fallen within their service, while 86% reported that patients were being discharged from hospital more quickly than before.

Chief Executive of the RCN, Dr Peter Carter, has stated that NHS Community Services are “overburdened, under-invested and at risk from cutbacks”. He said that targeting jobs for cuts is “a false economy”, and that cuts to community services would just lead to greater burdens on acute settings in the long run.

Whilst community services are essential for ensuring that patient choice is fully catered for, departments may often have difficulties in justifying their contribution both financially and with regard to patient outcomes, meaning that they can often be the first target of cuts. Trusts with domiciliary care services could therefore seek to implement an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system like Therapy Manager which enables clinicians to create secure offline databases of patient records for easy community travel. Effective utilisation of mobile technologies coupled with an EPR can help to ensure that clinicians are provided with the tools to perform to the highest standards, which will help to streamline working processes, reduce costs and ultimately improve the patient experience. Activity recording and reporting on performance and finance can also highlight exactly where costs are being incurred, ensuring that cuts are only targeted to the relevant areas.

Original Source The Guardian

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

Approximately 1.75 million people in Scotland were analysed in the study, of which it was found that nearly a quarter had “multimorbidity”, meaning that they suffer from two or more chronic diseases. These conditions were found in many cases to include Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, Stroke and Depression.

The authors of the study state that care for patients with multiple disorders was often co-ordinated poorly and inefficient, with the focus of research and education for medical students on single diseases only. The report stated that in general, people with multimorbidity are more likely to live in deprived areas and have a poorer quality of life. As a result, their care is likely to be fragmented because they see a number of different specialists.

Bruce Guthrie, Professor of Primary Care Medicine at Dundee University who led the study asserted that the current approach towards treating multimorbidity needs to change. “Existing approaches need to be complemented by support for the work of generalists, providing continuity, co-ordination, and above all a personal approach for people with multimorbidity” he said.

Graham Watt, Professor of General Practice at Glasgow University, said that rather than more specialists, patients with multiple conditions “need someone who can oversee all the problems of a patient”.

“These patients need continuity, and we need ways of measuring how well care is joined-up” Watt said.

In order that clinicians can adequately manage patients with multiple disorders, Therapy Services should look towards the implementation of collaborative systems. An Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system such as Therapy Manager is highly focused on efficiently capturing clinical activity within Therapies. It enables therapists across all professions to view all aspects of the patient journey, including Referrals, Notes, Assessments, Letters and Discharges. The Therapies Viewer can also be used by any healthcare professional, allowing the sharing of information and collaboration around treating multiple conditions.

Original Source BBC News

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

The speech and language therapy (SLT) team at the new community Trust are currently selecting existing apps from the iTunes store, which they believe will help to improve the service they provide to patients. The focus will be specifically on apps designed for stroke patients, children with communication problems and individuals who have undergone ear, nose and throat surgery.

The Trust has initially purchased 12 iPads, the use of which will start in the next fortnight. Patients with access to an Apple device such an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch will also have the opportunity to utilise the apps at home to progress their treatment outside of clinical hours. It is hoped that this will enhance patients’ education, and demonstrate how they can provide an element of “self-help” to their own treatment.

Ian Hogan, head of technology at the Trust states that the intention is to roll-out the technology to other areas of rehabilitation services if the technology proves a success. He asserts that the inclusion of such technology into the treatment issued in clinical appointments will provide enhanced patient experience and better patient outcomes.

This announcement follows previous work done in-house by the Trust’s infant feeding team to develop their “Breast Start” breastfeeding app intended to promote and support breastfeeding among new mothers. The app provides quick and easy-to-read “how to guides”, information on “breastfeeding friendly” places, and links to external sites that provide additional information. The app, which is free of charge, will finish testing in the next two weeks and will be made available to mothers shortly after.

Original Source eHealth Insider

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

A survey by PwC has revealed that one in three people are now turning to social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to access health information.

The Health Research Institute arm of PwC surveyed over 1,000 consumers and 124 healthcare executives in the US, monitoring their social media traffic for a week.

The results showed that people are utilising social media as opposed to sites set up by healthcare organisations to influence decisions about their care. The survey established that social media usage by the healthcare industry in the US is dwarfed by consumer interaction, with 24 times more activity on community sites.

70% of respondents also stated that they would prefer to receive more assistance from healthcare providers via social media for referrals and the scheduling of appointments.

Keith Pollard, Managing Director of Intuition Communication, said that social media has changed the “patient-provider dynamic.”

Pollard states that the main barrier to the NHS embracing social media is the fear of patients publicly airing negative comments on their services. However, the PwC study indicated that the majority of mentions on social media regarding medical treatment were “neutral”, with only 5% of comments deemed negative.

“The power of social media for health organisations is the benefit of listening and engaging with patients on their terms,” Pollard added. He also concluded that social media could feature in the future collection of data from individuals, even being implemented to help “complete the patient profile”.

Original Source eHealth Insider

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

Microsoft’s sensor was originally developed for gaming in conjunction with their Xbox console, but is now being combined with computer-vision algorithms trained to detect behavioural abnormalities.

Early diagnosis in Autism is essential, as getting sufficient access to speech and language therapy (SLT) can significantly improve a child’s communication skills. A large number of symptoms however can indicate autism, with many of these being subtle. Traditional methods have involved analysis of video footage of the child playing by an experienced clinician – a costly and time-consuming process.

University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development has now installed Kinect cameras to monitor groups of around 10 children aged between 3 and 5 years old as they play, which then identify and track children based on their shape and the colour of the clothes they are wearing.

The information is fed to into software which logs each child’s activity level, plotting it against the room’s average. The system can flag up children who are hyperactive or unusually still – both possible markers for autism. Behavioural markers as designated on the Autism Observation Scale for Infants can now be identified by the system, measuring traits like a child’s ability to follow an object as it passes in front of the eyes, as well as noting certain mannerisms or postures that are classified as being early signs of a possible ASD.

Guillermo Sapiro, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Institute states that early tests using the software have been in agreement with professional diagnosis. He stated his intention to merge their Kinect system with a specially developed video game for that would test a child as they played with a parent and flag up any concerns.

Original Source New Scientist

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.

Kate Davies made the announcement whilst speaking at the 2012 Health Informatics Congress in London yesterday.

Whilst stating that “definitely” having a world-class IT infrastructure by 2022 was “unrealistic”, she reported that the likelihood was an 8 out of 10.

“What gives me that confidence is when you see huge enthusiasm and a real understanding that there is an opportunity here. There are so many examples of GPs and hospitals doing different and innovative things with IT, all with the patient at the core and all about using information in the proper way” Davies said.

Criticisms were however made by members of the audience, specifically by small IT companies. Despite the change in direction for NHS IT, there are still fears that it will be too difficult for small companies to compete with their larger counterparts. Whilst the Department of Health has previously pledged to work with Intellect to create a ‘vibrant’ healthcare IT market, Davis said this did not mean it was her role to create a system that would allow such companies to prosper.

Professor Sir Muir Gray, director of the NHS National Knowledge Service, told the conference that the history of problems with IT in the NHS stemmed from a “managerial and culture issue” within the organisation.

Professor Iain Carpenter, president of Institute Health Records and Information Management, argued that clinicians are “fired-up”, and that significant inroads are being made towards implementing a new attitude towards IT.

“They are fired up and are getting the message that the world is changing. We do have a chance at being world beaters and I believe we are going places” Carpenter said.

Original Source The Register

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.