TSA Conference – dates for your diary

May 28, 2016 | by

The TSA’s 2016 Technology Enabled Care (TEC) and digital health sector conference will be taking place on 18 & 19 October in the ICC in Birmingham. It will be chaired for the second year by former Minister of State for Care Services, the Rt Hon Paul Burstow.

It will focus on the theme ‘Connected Care, Connected Homes and Connected Communities’ bringing together organisational leaders and audiences across government, health, social care, housing, home care, industry, third sector and more.

A “packed programme” is apparently being developed with “challenging debates, thought-provoking presentations, interactive workshops and brand new exhibition zones to inspire, inform and drive forward sector collaboration”.

Earlybird booking here.

Funding opportunity for digital health projects in the UK outside London

May 20, 2016 | by
Funding opportunity for digital health projects

Interactive Healthcare Fund is for businesses (SMEs) who wish to bring innovative digital health and wellbeing products and services to market in the NHS and wider health and social care marketplace

Funded by Creative England’s Regional Growth Fund and managed by Creative England in partnership with the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (Yorkshire & Humber AHSN), this Interactive Healthcare Fund is for businesses (SMEs) who wish to bring innovative digital health and wellbeing products and services to market in the NHS and wider health and social care marketplace.

Key Information

  • £250,000 will be available via investments of up to £50,000 per application
  • Companies must be based in England, outside Greater London
  • The fund opened on Monday 4th April 2016 and close on Friday 17th June 2016

Funding will support the development of innovative concepts using digital technology to improve patient care and health services, in response to the following priority areas:

  • Citizen empowerment and maintaining independence for people living with Long Term Conditions (LTCs);
  • Medicines adherence and optimisation;
  • Public health and wellbeing priorities (e.g. obesity, alcohol and smoking cessation) and reducing inequalities in health;
  • Patient safety and falls prevention;
  • Improving mental health and wellbeing (including young people’s mental health).

We will be looking for projects which can demonstrate knowledge of health and social care challenges developed through working with clinical or expert patient groups or both, and the technology skills and the ambition to respond to an identified health and/or social care need.

Here are the FAQs and Application Guidelines, and for applications go here – for further information please contact tim.evans@creativeengland.co.uk (eligibility and technical queries) or p.hedley-takhar@yhahsn.com (healthcare priority areas).

Last minute events, through to the end of 2016

May 17, 2016 | by

We have events this week that you can still sign up for/attend, through to November!

On the evening of 18th May, as we have previously covered, there is a free two hour webinar on telementoring surgeons – watch how it’s done during operations by experts. Register here.

For the 19th May, come and hear world-class speakers, introduced by George Freeman, Minister for Life Sciences, talking about the Future of medicine; the doctor’s role in 2025 at the Royal Society of Medicine. More info is here – online booking is closed though as many people now do at the RSM, you can sign up at the door on the day.

On 20th May, again as we have previously covered, the SIHI event at the University of Portsmouth is entitled Safe and effective medicines: Informatics for best practice. More info here.

Evangelia Balanou has kindly pointed out that the Aging2.0 (sic) Global Startup Search is coming to London on 14th June. Details of the Search are here, if you want to pitch. Note there are also European events in Barcelona, Berlin & Brussels. To book for the London event go here (note special free ticket category for 65+).

Also in June, the RSM is running another in its very successful big data series, entitled big data, clouds, and the internet of healthy things on June 2nd. Details here.

Finally, looking further out, the RSM is also repeating an event last run three years ago, again to a sellout audience, entitled point of care testing: disruptive innovation. is the NHS ready for it yet? (Especially eagle eyed readers with a good memory will notice the addition of yet.) This aims to demonstrate the extraordinary effectiveness of testing at the point of care (rather than sending samples for lab analysis) which can transform the cost of delivering care at the same time as greatly improving patient outcomes. Do check the programme out here, and book!

Dream team or dance of the dinosaurs? Another view of Legrand’s recent acquisition

May 9, 2016 | by

The recent news of  Legrand’s acquisition of Jontek Ltd to join Tynetec in their Assisted Living & Healthcare Business Unit stirs many nice memories, as this editor has much to thank both Tynetec, and Jontek for.

Once Tynetec quality was a match for the other major player in the telecare market, their competition was truly appreciated in restraining the cost of delivering telecare. They were enormously helpful, particularly when this editor was working in Surrey. However at the end of the day, their systems, like the other major competitors in the market, were proprietary. Thus once a Tynetec dispersed alarm unit was installed, only Tynetec peripherals could be added.

Jontek on the other hand were able to receive alerts from all the major telecare players, so enabled mixed economies (as we had in Surrey) to be managed by the same call centre. Although “for legal reasons” there were problems with getting (more…)

Sleepio and Alivecor enhance digital health credibility

May 5, 2016 | by

This has proved to be a great week for digital health credibility.

Firstly Sleepio picked up two honours – one was scoring the highest mark on the first Ranked Health output. The second was getting the American College of Physicians to come out and say that CBT-I should be the treatment of choice for insomnia (above hypnotics).

Meanwhile a study has shown that “A Smart Phone-based ECG Recorder Is Non-inferior to an Ambulatory Event Monitor for Diagnosis of Palpitations”. In layman’s language, the Alivecor/Kardia smartphone peripheral and app are as good as the awkward to wear & cumbersome Holter monitor.

Well done both!

Those who have heard Dr Sophie Bostok, the indefatigable Sleepio Sleep Evangelist, explain (more…)

Two events that should appeal to all commercially-minded UK readers

April 18, 2016 | by

As some readers will be aware, this editor is involved in organising a range of low-cost, and free, digital health events. Two that should be of interest to all commercially-minded readers are:

On Friday 22nd April DHACA is holding its eighth members’ day at the Conference Centre at 1 Victoria St., this time focusing on customer mapping: how do you identify and contact the right person in the NHS to sell your digital health product or service to? We will have Siobhan Jones, a Deputy Directory in the Department of Health, John Currie a senior procurement manager in NHS England, and Karen Livingstone, National Director of SBRI Healthcare, NHS England, and Director of Partnerships & Industry, Eastern AHSN to help us. However the most important part of the day will be attendees sharing what works & what doesn’t. Membership of DHACA is free (though we do need to make a small charge for refreshments). Do come along – book here.

Then on the evening of the 28th April the London Health Technology Forum is holding an event kindly sponsored by Baker Botts on the assessment & regulation of medical apps. Confirmed for the evening is Julian Hitchcock, a partner in Denoon Legal, who gave a masterful presentation recently at the RSM medical apps event – this is particularly important considering the EU GDPR finalisation and changes expected as the Medical Devices & In Vitro Devices Directives are converted to regulations. Book here – attendance is completely free.

Telehealth Quality Group first conference Manchester 21 June 2016

April 16, 2016 | by

The Telehealth Quality Group kicks off its campaign to stimulate new thinking around telehealth and telecare with a UK event in Manchester on June 21st. The focus of the event is on ‘Integrated Care’ – the route to which has been exercising strategists, policy-makers, commissioners and those tasked with delivery for some time.

The programme includes the likes of Malcolm Fisk, Kevin Doughty and this editor as well as Dr Laura Ryan of NHS24 … bringing news of the experience in Scotland, and Professor Andrew Sixsmith … bringing practice examples and insights from Canada.

Participants will also learn more about the TQG’s International Code of Practice for Telehealth Services – for which apparently three services are now seeking certification.

Other treats at the Manchester event include sessions that:

• look back and learn lessons from the Whole System Demonstrators;
• consider some of the technological developments and market trends around telehealth and telecare;
• check out developments in Rochdale as they pursue integrated care in the context of Manchester’s new devolved powers;
• draw on the telehealth experience of a West Yorkshire GP; and
• make sure the position of carers and service users is not overlooked.

A potpourri, maybe…and hopefully of interest to readers. Details are on the TQG website here

Calling all health start-ups: get some free pitching practice from KPMG!

April 13, 2016 | by

How can founders and early stakeholders get the experience they need to present their ideas in the best light?

KPMG’s Graduate Development Network (GDN) and KPMG Tech Growth are organising an event to help answer that question. Start-ups will be invited to KPMG’s presentation suite to present their pitch in a friendly but constructive environment.

In addition to the brightest young minds in KPMG today, the audience will also include members of KPMG Tech Growth. These individuals’ sole purpose is to support and engage with early stage and high growth technology companies. Senior management from KPMG’s core business and industry experts in Healthcare will also be invited to provide input and augment the audience’s experience. Speakers can benefit from the constructive feedback on offer, form valuable connections and enjoy themselves in a friendly atmosphere.

The event takes place on May 13th – if you’re interested, contact Ian.McRae@kpmg.co.uk

Webcast: practical telementoring…for surgery

April 9, 2016 | by

Watch a live interactive webcast, free, with international surgical experts as they show and discuss actual cases using the currently available methods for surgical telementoring.  Utilising VisitOR1, off-the-shelf software services, and Google Glass, these studies will show the comparative strengths of each platform; real-world tips will be shared.  You and your institution will learn methods to improve skills and teach new procedures by remote presence. Watch the various “budget-friendly” ways to accomplish this goal.

The event will be broadcast live at 7pm BST on 18th May – a perfect warm-up for those attending the Royal Society of Medicine – and the Institution of Engineering & Technology’s – premier telemedicine event of the year the following day: the Future of Medicine: the role of Doctors in 2025.

This event was planned by The American Medical Foundation for Peer Review and Education, a leader in the organisation and support of surgical telementoring initiatives. There is more information on the most current approaches already implemented in their publication “Surgical Telementoring News” edited by Evelyn Baram-Clothier, PhG, JD

Register for the webcast here.

(Disclosure this editor participated in the planning for this event on behalf of the Royal Society of Medicine.)

Applications invited for the DigitalHealth.London accelerator by 25th April

March 28, 2016 | by

The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, is part of DigitalHealth.London. It will work with 30 small digital health businesses each year over an initial three-­year period. It will provide help with engagement with clinicians and healthcare experts, so companies can refine their products. It will provide advice on topics such as such as navigating the intricacies of the NHS, understanding how to work with sensitive data, and opportunities to showcase new technologies in hospitals.

Life Sciences Minister George Freeman launched DigitalHealth.London at City Hall in February with the aim of speeding up the use of new digital health technologies by bringing together clinicians, healthcare providers, research institutes, entrepreneurs and industry to give companies a clearer route to market based on the needs of patients, the NHS and wider health sector.

Speaking at an Accelerator information day held recently, Dr Tony Newman-­Sanders, Consultant Radiologist and Chief Clinical Information Officer, Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, said (more…)

A gallimaufry of short digital health items to start the day with

March 22, 2016 | by

The WHO has produced an excellent report on the state of eHealth in the European region, including a review of telehealth readiness. Ericsson have produced a very interesting report confirming what I guess anyone will have realised if they’ve traveled by public transport or have children: young people downloading video content are driving a surge in data usage: there’s much detail here though. Both are well worth the read.

Mentioning Ericsson reminds that the Telegraph recently produced a summary of the 20 best-selling mobile phones of all time – takes you back, with the substantial number once produced by Nokia.

The Royal Society of Medicine has it’s fifth annual medical app conference on April 7th – numbers booked have already well exceeded last year’s sellout so they are expecting to fill this year’s much larger conference venue. The focus this year is on the many legislative, regulatory and voluntary measures being introduced that will impact medical apps – there’s still room for old favourites though, such as Richard Brady’s always-topical (more…)

Breaking news: AliveCor’s integration with Apple Watch – hugely impressive!

March 16, 2016 | by

Kardia bandAliveCor have today announced the Kardia Band which replaces the ordinary strap on an Apple Watch. Touch the band with your other hand and it records a one-lead ECG (EKG=US) that communicates with the Watch app, Kardia by AliveCor. The Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Detector then uses an algorithm to instantly detect and inform the wearer of the presence of AF, the most common cardiac arrhythmia and a leading cause of stroke. Other ‘detectors’ look at the ECG to determine normal heart rate and rhythm or if you should retake an ECG so physicians receive only the highest quality recordings.

Users can also record voice memos on their Apple Watch to accompany each ECG that give doctors and caregivers a clearer picture of what was happening at the time of the recording — describing symptoms such as palpitations or external factors like caffeine intake. Kardia also integrates seamlessly with Apple’s Health app to include ECG data with steps and calorie intake to provide richer, personal analysis over time.

A short note at the end indicates that the FDA-cleared AliveCor Mobile ECG, best known for snapping on to an iPhone but works on Android smartphones as well, has been rebranded as Kardia Mobile to establish a product family.

Most impressive.

In the US, the Kardia Band is pending 510k clearance and is not currently for sale. Plans for the UK have not been formally announced but anticipated soon.  AliveCor release.

Digital health for pets – more

March 14, 2016 | by

Our item on telehealth for pets has prompted Prof Mike Short to draw my attention to an article on digital health at Crufts over the weekend. Offerings include:

  • PitPat, a fully-fledged fitness tracker for dogs, particularly to help avoid obesity;
  • AnimAlarm, makers of a heat sensor for dogs in cars (similar perhaps to the heat sensor for babies in cars that won a previous Blue Blazes award), have now branched out to create what is claimed to be the world’s first auto-inflating life jacket (for dogs presumably – the technology’s been around for humans for a while). Described as a life-saving piece of equipment, it is aimed at “giving pooches everywhere a fighting chance should they be thrown overboard at sea”. (Is the logic that if dogs have to be protected from owners that leave them in hot cars, they’ll need protection from owners doing other crazy things too?)

 

The AAL Smart Ageing Prize: €50,000 could be yours!

March 14, 2016 | by

The Active & Assisted Living (AAL) Programme has launched the AAL Smart Ageing Prize – a €50,000 challenge prize to find the best innovation in internet connected devices and technologies (Internet of Things) that will empower older adults to achieve the social & independent qualities of life they aspire to.

The prize aims to find innovations that improve connectivity between older adults, devices and technologies related to any aspect of their life (e.g. home, social, work, study, transport or services). The idea should present a business opportunity which has the potential to be commercially viable. Applications must involve older adults in the development and testing of the technology.

The AAL will help the most innovative ideas turn into real products that can be financially sustainable. Fifteen of the most promising applications will be chosen as finalists and will be invited to a social innovation mentoring academy in Brussels in July to progress their ideas. Each of the finalists will be awarded a €500 Euro grant to develop a prototype to demonstrate.

The winner will be awarded a prize of €50,000 at the AAL Forum in Switzerland in late September. The Prize is open to individuals, groups and organisations in the 28 member countries of the European Union, as well as Israel, Canada, Norway and Switzerland.

The deadline for applications is Friday 13 May 2016 at midday (12pm) Central European Time.

For full details and to apply please visit the AAL website.

Good luck!

Hyperbole, pets & apps: a brief romp around the digital health scene

March 10, 2016 | by | 1 Comment

In technology, over-use of the term “groundbreaking” is common. However it takes some nerve to use the term to describe “Home Assist”, a push-button pendant-based telecare service now being sold by Boots (provided by Tunstall). Whilst TTA can only applaud the arrival of another high street offering, we would counsel a more realistic service description for a telecare service already offered by many.

Research via Boots’ own website reveals that in addition to the advertised push-button pendant, a falls detector is available as well. This site gives price details too, which look quite competitive at the basic level with non-subsidised local authority telecare schemes, though of course without the linkages to local services, including response services in the event eg of a fall, that some of these schemes also offer. Downloading the in store leaflet gives yet further information, for example that the pricier ‘advanced’ package includes a smoke detector (surely for older people almost as important as a basic pendant, and ideally one/floor of your house?) and bogus call detector, as well as falls detector etc.

Meanwhile in a far off land (Los Angeles to be precise) Active4Pets are busy recruiting to accelerate the US rollout of their “innovative” telehealth communication platform for pets. The (admittedly far-fetched) thought of pets regularly reporting vital signs electronically conjures up all sorts of bad, (though unavoidable) puns such as: (more…)

Pitch@Palace – it’s voting time + a great short video on wearables

March 7, 2016 | by

Our previous item on Pitch@Palace introduced this brilliant pitching event for entrepreneurs. Now the pitches have been put on the web for everyone to vote for.

We highly recommend readers to have a look at the pitches and vote for your favourite for the “People’s Choice” award – there are lots of health-related start-ups to choose from…overall the pitches give a great feel for what is hot just now.

And whilst you’re in video mode, have a quick look at this very short, excellent summary of recently launched wearables that Prof Mike Short kindly made me aware of today – a “must watch”!