Posts Tagged ‘SLT’

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Wirral to roll out iPads in SLT

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

Wirral Community NHS Trust have announced that they are to incorporate iPad apps into their patients’ rehabilitation treatment processes as part of their IM&T strategy.

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.

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Posted in Speech & Language Therapy | No Comments »

Organ donor registration now available on Facebook

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Facebook users are now able to register themselves as organ donors using their profiles in a scheme designed to encourage participation from younger individuals.

A “health and wellbeing” button is to be implement on the site’s timeline which will enable people to share their thoughts on organ transplants, including their intention to become a donor. They will then be able to access the Facebook profile of the NHS Blood and Transplant service with the ability to sign up to the register directly.

There are currently around 10,000 people in need of a transplant in the UK, and figures show that three people die every day while on the waiting list. As more than 900 million people globally use Facebook, with 30 million in the UK, it is hoped that the page can raise awareness and provide a simple mechanism for people to register themselves.

With the timeline functionality of Facebook, users will be able to see which of their friends are talking about organ donation and give the option to add becoming a donor as a “life event” to users own timelines.

“We believe that by simply telling people that you’re an organ donor, the power of sharing and connection can play an important role” said Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook.

Sally Johnson, the Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation said more people need to sign up to the register, and that their move to Facebook was intended to make the process as quick and easy as possible.

“This is an exciting new way to use the power of social media to reach a huge audience and encourage people to think about it, act, and share that information” Johnson said.

The page can be viewed here.

Original Source Sky 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.

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Bilingualism improves brain function

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Researchers at Northwestern University have published a study citing the benefits of bilingualism, believing that it can “boost” cognitive abilities.

The findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides “biological” evidence of how speaking two languages can profoundly affect the brain and change how the nervous system responds to sound.

48 volunteers were used in the study, 23 of which were bilingual. They were all exposed to different sounds, whilst scalp electrodes were used to measure their responses in the form of brainwaves.

It was found that under quiet, laboratory conditions, all participants responded similarly. Against a backdrop of noise however, the bilingual group were found to be superior at processing sounds.
The study revealed that they were better able to distinguish and concentrate on a speaker’s voice amongst large levels of background noise.

Professor Nina Kraus, who led the research, said “the bilingual’s enhanced experience with sound results in an auditory system that is highly efficient, flexible and focused in its automatic sound processing, especially in challenging or novel listening conditions.”

Due to previous research indicating that bilingualism can ward off dementia, the research will contribute towards research in preventing brain degeneration.

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.

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Posted in Speech & Language Therapy | No Comments »

“Bed-blocking” cost NHS £18.5 million last month

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Department of Health data has shown that the number of patients who are being delayed in their discharge from hospital is continuing to increase.

It is thought that “bed blocking” is occurring more frequently due to lack of support by Social and Community Services for vulnerable patients. There is a wide gulf of information and a lack of communication between acute and community services.

A problem also highlighted is that of delayed discharge due to hospital processes even in cases where care home places are available or patients are seen as fit for discharge. Compiling discharge summaries and “care packages” can often be delayed by staff having limited access to patient records and the restrictions that occur from usin paper-based systems.

The Department of Health state that during March 2012, 71,000 inpatient bed-days were taken up by these patients, a 7.5% rise on the figure for March 2011. At an estimated cost to the NHS of £260 per day, bed-blocking delays in March are thought to have cost approximately £18.5 million.

Liz Kendall, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Care said the rises were a result of the government’s cuts to services.

“Every day thousands of older people are stuck in hospital.This isn’t what they or their families want and it’s not what hard-pressed taxpayers need either, because hospital care is far more expensive.

In order to streamline the discharge process, Trusts could seek to implement an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system like Therapy Manager. The system allows clinicians to create quick “tick-box” discharge summaries for instantaneous electronic submission back to the referring source. Assessments, clinical notes and patient documentation are also created electronically and can be automatically triggered and populated with patient demographics, reducing administrative input and the costs associated with paper processes.

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.

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Posted in Efficiency | No Comments »

Free online advice for Podiatry patients

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

A US Podiatrist has launched a free online podiatry website for people suffering with foot disorders.

The site features an educational library which will give patients greater access to information about conditions and possible treatment options. It contains a full list of potential foot problems and a section advising people of when it is the best time to seek treatment.

In addition to treatment, there is also a section dedicated to preventative measures that patients can take to avoid bunions and other foot problems. The library details different exercises that can help prevent foot problems, and contains advice that helps patients to select the right footwear.

Dr Jeffrey Kauffman who launched the site said “We are very excited to be able to offer this service to our patients. I believe that the more educated a patient is, the better chance they have to maintain a healthy lifestyle and take proper care of their feet and ankles.”

The site can be viewed here.

Original Source Premier Walking

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.

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Posted in Podiatry | No Comments »

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