A useful note on telehealth & telecare (UK)

March 20, 2014 | by

If like me you are frequently asked for a summary of what has happened recently in the world of telehealth & telecare and are forced either to sit down and cut & paste/write one or politely turn down the request, you’ll be pleased to know of the recent four-page summary produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). Written by Peter Border, it is a competent summary of recent developments in remote monitoring in the UK, including 3millionlives & ALIP, extending to mention of the regulation of medical apps.

Of course there are bits I’d have written differently. For example (more…)

MHRA guidance on medical device stand-alone software, including apps (UK)

March 19, 2014 | by

The MHRA has today provided guidance on medical device software, which includes medical apps. The guidance can be found here.

Briefly, this guidance aims to:

  • outline the current regulatory position
  • explain what defines a medical device
  • help with decisions on whether your stand -alone software or app is a medical device and give examples
  • give information about the rules on classification of medical devices and how to meet the regulations
  • give links to other useful websites and relevant documents.

This guidance is aimed at those working in healthcare and people who are developing devices.

Readers might wish to refer to our previous recommendations regarding medical apps.

One pearl found at the Wearable Technology Show 2014 (UK)

March 19, 2014 | by

They say if you open enough oysters you’ll find a pearl, which was certainly true of the Wearable Technology Show 2014  held in Olympia on March 18-19. Perhaps I should have paid up to be a delegate, because to me the exhibition was fairly underwhelming with little to excite. Clearly some of the exhibitors felt that way too, as at least a couple of booths had been deserted by midday on the second day. There was one star though.

Unfortunately not all the exhibitors were recorded in the “Exhibitors A-Z” in the show guide so as I had been relying on that for writing this report, I do not have a complete list. For those wondering what they missed, here are a selection (more…)

RSM apps conference – save over 90%…and a day! (UK)

March 18, 2014 | by

I try not to abuse my position as a contributing editor to TTA by pushing the Royal Society of Medicine’s conferences too hard.  However, having just received an email encouraging me to attend a commercial health apps event in London at the end of April which would cost me £1698 to attend (on an earlybird rate!), I feel that loyal TTA readers should be reminded that the RSM is also running an event on the same topic – entitled Playing games, using apps, promoting wellbeing – on 10th April.

As the RSM is a charity dedicated to medical education and the advancement of medical care, we try to keep prices as low as possible whilst getting the most prestigious speakers. The charges therefore – starting at just £45 for the day – are not expected to cover the cost of running the event….and many of the speakers are the same. A further plus is that we have crammed everything into a single day.

Last year’s apps event sold out before the event, as did our recent digital health held in February, so I’m glad to be able to report that there are still just a few places left for those fast movers keen to save money, and time.

Another UKTelehealthcare Marketplace event (UK)

March 17, 2014 | by

UKTelehealthcare have announced that their next Marketplace event will be held on Wednesday 9th April 2014 at The Oculus, The Gateway Conference Centre, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8FF.

The event begins at 10.30am and ends at 3pm. Refreshments and snacks will be available all day at the central café. Entry is completely free to visitors – it’s a great opportunity to see all the latest telehealth & telecare kit available. For exhibitors it’s one of the great benefits of membership.

UKTelehealthcare suggest that all Health & Social Care professionals, Telecare & Telehealth providers and commissioners, CCGs, supporting carers and care agencies, the voluntary sector, those involved in dementia care and Housing Associations should attend.

There doesn’t seem to be any information on this event on the UKTelehealthcare website quite yet, so keep checking back. Although there is no need to book, do please let UKTelehealthcare know if you are going to attend. To do that, or for further information, contact Doug Miles on 07712 626 348, email: doug@londontelecare.com

Encouraging signs of change

March 17, 2014 | by

A couple of recent articles have given me hope, after a really depressing session at my local surgery today for an NHS Health Check.  It began when I spotted two adjacent notices in the waiting room, the first encouraging patients to access the surgery’s online facilities, and the second banning the use of mobile devices. It descended further when after producing the form I’d been asked to complete about height, weight, alcohol consumption, family history of disease etc., I was asked every question all over. When I protested, I was told that as most patients don’t fill in the form, or forget it, they ask patients anyway. (Discretion suggested it probably wasn’t the right time to suggest that perhaps that was why people don’t fill in forms…)

However the first article, by Zahid Latif, who heads up healthcare for the Technology Strategy Board, indicates a restlessness with the current use of patient data that appeals to me.  He goes on to explain how the projects in the TSB’s dallas programme (more…)

Yecco Update (UK)

March 13, 2014 | by

Having previously covered Yecco on this site, we thought readers might be interested to know that the service has been completely updated, with additional features to come. What follows are extracts from their press release, appropriately adapted; we have not checked out any of these features ourselves.

Yecco is a free private network that stores all users’ vital information in one safe place. Aimed at older and disabled people and those who care for them, it’s a social media platform, connecting friends, families and professionals

It is free to download from the app store to any mobile or tablet device.  (more…)

A very Appy week!

March 8, 2014 | by

Although my fellow editor Chrys has done a great job of covering the Ofcom-sponsored report on attitudes and behaviours of apps users, and The Boss (aka Donna) has highlighted the HIMSS Analytics Mobile Study as well as covering the opposition to the PROTECT legislation, identifying a tax issue that might just be behind it all, there is still more to report on the apps front this week.

Beginning with that PROTECT legislation, the same Brad Thompson that Donna quotes also writes in Mobihealthnews of the recommendations of the FDASIA committee on how the FDA can improve the regulation of mobile health. The overall recommendation is that the “FDA needs to do a better job at (more…)

Reflections on the NHS Innovation Expo (UK)

March 7, 2014 | by | 5 Comments

Editor Charles visited the Expo in Manchester on Tuesday 4th March – here are his personal reflections.

I decided to devote the one day I had to visit the NHS Innovation Expo to visiting stands to try to spread the word about DHACA that was launched last week.

The first thing I noticed about the event was that it seemed less crowded than previous ones. When passing them, I never saw the main auditoria full either, very much in contrast to earlier Expos.

The other principal observation was that (more…)

Recent Developments in Digital Health – RSM conference summary

March 3, 2014 | by

Editor Charles summarises the one day conference at the Royal Society of Medicine on 27th February

This was the first  conference in 2014 organised by the Royal Society of Medicine’s Telemedicine & eHealth Section.  The day began with one of Dr Kevin Doughty’s excellent presentations on telecare. Kevin is Deputy Director of CUHTec. One key message was that the oldest people in society – those most in need of support to remain in the community – were best communicated with using televisions.  In response to this requirement he particularly picked out the Speakset set-top box as a low cost, easy-to-use add-on to make any television into a videoconferencing unit.

This was followed by an excellent summary by Julie Bretland, Director, OurMobileHealth, on the maturity of the use of mobile apps, in particular the need for good curation. (This subject will be explored in much greater detail in the RSM’s 10th April apps event, where there are still just a few places left.)

Next came (more…)

How to use demographic change to improve care

March 1, 2014 | by

Demographic change has long been a concern of healthcare strategists, and of Telehealth & Telecare Aware. However many have recognised that once a user is connected to a monitoring system, that same technology can be used to connect people to enable them to care for each other. Thus an elderly person recently diagnosed with diabetes might learn much from someone who has managed with the condition for many years, so avoiding  them needing to take up valuable time with their GP or specialist.

However there can be problems with making this a reality, particularly in this time of privacy concerns and potential litigation. Now a new app-driven service has been introduced called Helparound.  Initially focused on diabetic emergency, and now allergic reactions, the service can readily identify those geographically closest who might be willing to help. Currently majoring on the US this is one of what hopefully in the future will be many P2P (patient to patient) apps.

If the challenges can be overcome, P2P will undoubtedly be a major response to the challenge of fewer care professionals and more people requiring care.

How much longer will ‘mobile’ be different from ‘living’?

March 1, 2014 | by

The news that the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week broke all attendance records is hardly surprising, given the way mobile communications are inserting their way into almost every aspect of life. It does though make one wonder how much longer the MWC can retain it’s broad focus as communications mobility becomes indistinguishable from normal living (and additional accommodation in Catalonia becomes harder to find). Indeed, as mHealth News pointed out last week, mobile comms keeps people living, worldwide

Not all age groups have been able to gain the same level of benefit from mobile comms though, most notably older people. It is therefore great to see (more…)

European Knowledge Tree Technology Group 2014 Conference (UK)

February 26, 2014 | by

The European Knowledge Tree Technology Group (EKTG) has met periodically since the Ambient Assisted Living Forum in Odense in 2010. Recent meetings include sessions at AAL 2013 in Sweden. It is an ad hoc high level group drawn from across technology, finance, service, policy and innovation sectors. It has drilled into the barriers and drivers around mainstream market uptake of independent living services.

The Group will meet again in London on 24 & 25 March, 2014 at the London School of Economics to to consider a range of interconnected care-related topics:

  • How does technology and care procurement take place?
  • How do we educate the people who need it?
  • Making the media work for you.
  • How do we pay for what’s needed?
  • What are the costs and systems of care?
  • What can technology do for: Heart Disease, Mental Health, Sensory Deficits?
  • How can we transfer technology from field to field, nano to macro technologies?
  • Legal, ethical, and regulatory issues – do you meet them?
  • Communicating in emergencies
  • If the power goes off, do services work?

The Group aims to bring together key players from user groups, industry, finance, public and private stakeholders, policy makers (and, as they say in their blurb, YOU…). To join those key players, click here.

 

Digital Health and Care Alliance opens for business; free membership available (UK)

February 26, 2014 | by

As the dallas programme approaches its halfway point, one of its four projects, i-focus, has formed an organisation to continue the promotion of interoperability across the health & care sector beyond the end of dallas. The Alliance, with the acronym DHACA, will help NHS organisations, local authorities and third-sector providers collaborate and share information about new digital services.  This will significantly help members reduce costs, remove duplication of effort and improve support for independent living and self-management projects, resulting in much-improved patient outcomes. DHACA will operate across the full health and social care spectrum. Targeted at forward-thinking, engaged, health and care professionals as well as technology suppliers, DHACA will provide experienced assistance, trusted processes and in-depth knowledge to:

  • Define and share best practice services, technologies and business models
  • Define and share business requirements for future procurement and roadmapping
  • Better use existing investments, assets and infrastructure
  • Ensure quality, interoperability with other systems and future-proofing

Membership is currently free – more information and joining arrangements here. (Disclosure editor Charles Lowe has been recruited by ADI, as interim director of DHACA, to establish it – the medical apps work previously published on TTA will now be taken forwards in DHACA)

Geonovo ceases trading (UK)

February 18, 2014 | by

Geonovo has ceased trading. They won the TSA’s Innovation Award in 2011; their Home Health Hub seemed to be exactly what was needed to overcome Next Generation Network issues.  Confirming recent rumours, Mike Dillon of Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group (at a different branch than that shown on the website) informed Telehealth & Telecare Aware today that parts of the business including their intellectual property had been sold off; creditors have been notified.

A sad end to a most exciting company – as the products were so highly regarded, let us hope that phoenixes will, appropriately, rise from the ashes.

Wearable technology – so much choice, so much data to sell?

February 18, 2014 | by

Vandrico has recently updated its List of Wearable Devices which now features (at the time of this post) 118 such items, plus some interesting analysis.  It is indeed a most comprehensive and impressive listing, that underlines the growing importance of this sector. And still there are others, such as Apple, apparently still to join.

One aspect not mentioned by Vandrico, which is becoming increasingly concerning is the extent to which the business models of such apps might involve selling persona fitness data.  In spite of denials, this Mother Jones article suggests that worries persist. iMedicalApps reports that the practice is already well established with medical apps used by physicians in the US (more…)