European Assistance for Innovative Procurement (eafip) Conference Manchester, Nov 24th

October 2, 2015 | by

When this editor first saw European, Innovative and Procurement in the same title, he thought he’d misread it as one of the complaints that has been made at almost every recent meeting attended, especially those relating to the Accelerated Access Review, is how European procurement rules disadvantage small suppliers who are typically the principal source of innovation in the health & care sector.

So here’s your opportunity to hear from the experts and to make your concerns known to them, in this European Commission sponsored joint NHS England/eafip event on ICT solutions procurement.

Date is 24th November; more details here – booking for this free event will open soon apparently.

TSA Annual Conference 16th & 17th November: reminder (UK)

September 29, 2015 | by

Logo - TSAWe have been asked to post a reminder for the TSA’s Technology-enabled Care Event of 2015. Taking place on the 16th and 17th November 2015 at the Celtic Manor Hotel, South Wales, this is a ‘must-attend’ annual event in the sector calendar.

This year’s conference is entitled Inspiring Change and Progress. It will carry three main themes throughout the two days:

  • Entrepreneurship: How to think differently to make things happen for you, your business and the sector.
  • Education: Preparing for the future of the sector, what do we need to know?
  • Evolution: What’s next for the future of technology-enabled care?

The conference will feature a host of high profile speakers who will be tasked with giving attendees the ‘need to know’ sector picture, including ministers, sector leaders, innovators, business motivators, technology gurus, and the people who benefit from using technology-enabled care.

The two day programme will be packed with stimulating presentations, challenging debates, and informative parallel sessions that will include masterclasses & interactive workshops.

The complete programme is . A limited number of Early Bird booking rates are now available; .

Online Masters and Modular Learning in eHealth – last chance to enrol

September 18, 2015 | by

Build your skills and study while you work!

The University of Edinburgh has a few places left on their Masters programme in Global eHealth. This is studied part time, via interactive online learning, supported by a network of international experts in the field (disclosure, of which this editor is one), and is designed for working professionals with some experience in healthcare, IT or eHealth, who are looking to grow and consolidate their knowledge and skills.  Courses are available as individual 10-week modules, or accumulated for a certificate (6 courses over 1 year), diploma (12 courses over 2 years) or MSc (the latter plus a supervised research project).

Readers may be particularly interested in the courses on ‘mHealth’, ‘Telemedicine & Telehealth, ‘The Business of eHealth’ (summer term), ‘User-Centred Design in eHealth’ and ‘Consumer Health Informatics’.

Applications for the new academic year close on Monday 21st September, so don’t delay applying!

For more information, please visit their website  or contact the programme team on Global.eHealth@ed.ac.uk or the programme director claudia.pagliari@ed.ac.uk

Want to update your mobile technology knowledge?

September 16, 2015 | by

Hatching a new business idea? Interested in mobile and IoT innovation? Need to bring mobile technology and business know-how in to your organisation?

Or perhaps you just want to move your career on…

Stuart Revell has kindly drawn TTA’s attention to the Mobile Academy which sets up shop at UCL’s innovation hub in Shoreditch, London. This year’s CPD-certified annual course will run from the 1st October to 3rd December 2015 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Tutors (including Stuart) are extremely high quality, and give their time for free.

Looks to be a great opportunity. Registration is here.

DHACA visits Lancaster University on 23rd September – come and join us!

September 10, 2015 | by

The Digital Health & Care Alliance is holding its sixth one day event on 23rd September, at the University of Lancaster.

DHACA Days are aimed at informing members, seeking feedback on DHACA activities and encouraging special Interest Group (SIG) engagement in topics of importance to members. On this occasion we have a very special SIG event which is the launching of DHACA’s medical apps regulatory process description, which looks at all the things you need to do to get a medical app fully approved. The draft is already available for members to comment on.

In addition, in the morning we will have presentations from:

  • Prof Peter Sawyer, Professor of Software Systems Engineering, University of Lancaster:sensing cognitive health through monitoring computer interaction and through ambient technology – this is a most exciting (and I guess to some a bit scary) new area of research where you can sense someone’s cognitive health from how they use smartphones and other devices.
  • Prof Jon Whittle; Head of the School of Computing and Communications,University of Lancaster: the uses for temporary digital tattoos, and how to make them – this will in part be an interactive session in which members’ suggestions and, if appropriate, future involvement will be sought.
  • Jeremy Moyse, Strategic Development Manager, SEQOL: a provider’s view of how technology will help deliver changes in the health & care world – SEQOL is a ‘spin-out’ social enterprise formed in 2011 from the NHS Transforming Community Service programme and now delivers a broad range of health & care services in Swindon; as Jeremy will explain, it has grown massively since then, and collected a cabinet full of awards.
  • Prof Awais Rashid, University of Lancaster: secure IoT use in digital health – Prof Rashid is a world expert on this topic which has become particularly important since the FDA recently withdrew approval from an infusion pump because it was too easy to hack. He will explain the critical importance of IoT security, how to assess it and how best to achieve secure solutions.

(more…)

Fancy £35,000 to develop a Quantified Self solution to meet a real need?

September 10, 2015 | by

Innovate UK has announced , launching Monday 14 September.

As most TTA readers will be well aware, Quantified Self relates to the use of digital technology in self-tracking, monitoring and sensing to improve wellbeing. In particular the contest will be looking for solutions relating to the areas of: nutrition, older people, younger people, mental health and data capture. The winning solutions will focus on ways of empowering users to take ownership of their data to influence behaviour change and improve wellbeing.

The contest will include five challenges each offering up to £35,000 and the chance to work with one of challenge partners: Jamie Oliver, Toshiba, AXA PPP Insurance, Saga and Bupa. The winning company will trial their solution with the challenge partner over a period of three months.

The Knowledge Transfer Network is running two briefing events for this call. To register please sign up below:  (more…)

The intent is good, the name–Hackfest–is unfortunate (Updated)

September 10, 2015 | by | 3 Comments
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CI_Hackfest_15.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]Given another Big Blue Cross data breach (below), the juxtaposition of a release from Intel-GE Care Innovations is, how do we say, jarring. A great trumpeting of a prestige event 18-20 September in conjunction with the Stanford Center on Longevity on the Stanford University campus. “Inspiring a reconfigured care delivery process bringing care to the home and uniting patients, family caregivers and professional caregivers with the traditional clinical care team.” which will “…change the status quo. The event will bring together clinicians and care providers, health plan leaders, family and professional caregivers, patients, designers, engineers, students and faculty to explore the meaning and definition of a care team.” Yes they can be ‘hack(ing) a strategy to redefine the care team’…but given the tens of millions of health records hacked, breached and stolen in this year alone, is this the best name Stanford and Care Innovations could think of?  ‘Hackfests’ and ‘hackathons’ usually are coding or programming competitions, which long predate the negative use of ‘hack’ for malicious entry into systems. Even events in that context are increasingly met with raised eyebrow.

‘Hackfest’ for this is a stretch. Message to both: care teams need redefining, but it’s time for a better, and more descriptive, name. A ‘****-palooza’ (a voguish term in US), anyone?

Update: A Care Innovations spokesperson and this Editor had a Twitter conversation–a TweetFest, so to speak:

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Care-Innovations.png” thumb_width=”450″ /]

Readers–what do you think? Is this Editor overly sensitive to the ‘h’ word? She might be…click on the title to see Comments.

Are you an entrepreneur dreaming of riches?

September 9, 2015 | by

Well if you are, you need to come along to the free London Health Technology Forum meeting on Monday 14th September when Neil Foster, Corporate Partner in lawyers Baker Botts, and the person responsible kindly for providing the Forum with a beautifully appointed room and excellent hospitality, will be talking to us about Exits.

He will be joined by David Blair, chartered accountant and chief financial officer of a number of companies. Between them they will tell you everything a good entrepreneur needs to know about exits. Exits of course are where entrepreneurs begin to cash in on all their hard work and long hours; some become very rich.

As planning for your exit should start when you establish your company, it is critically important to know what your options are now, in time to ensure that when the time comes, you are prepared, so you can secure the maximum value for the organisation you have personally established and grown.

They will cover the following topics: (more…)

‘Frontiers Innovators’ need apply by 11 Sept (UK)

September 3, 2015 | by

As Editor Charles mentioned last month in his autumn roundup, if you would like to be considered for the Wellcome Trust’s ‘Frontiers Innovators’ program, the deadline to apply is 11 September. Ten spots are open to early-career researchers, entrepreneurs, technology developers, healthcare professionals and representatives from the pharmaceutical and medical technology industry. If selected, you will travel and accommodation to attend the ‘Digital Phenotypes – Health research in the digital age?’ meeting on 5-6 November in London, which will explore the research potential of digital health data captured outside of normal healthcare settings. More information on the meeting is here. For ‘Frontiers Innovators’, to apply, send your CV and a video message to d.phenotypes-innovators@wellcome.ac.uk by 11 September 2015.

Two events of interest, especially to digital health entrepreneurs

August 26, 2015 | by

Prof Mike Short has drawn my attention to two events taking place in October:

‘The cupboard is bare: how technology can address key unmet needs in mental health’ – Cambridge Wireless Healthcare SIG event – this half day Cambridge event om 13th October, hosted by Philips Research Laboratories and jointly sponsored by TTP and Plextek, will explore the needs from the perspective of the healthcare professional and patient. More details here; book here.

6th Discovering Start-Ups Competition – a brilliant opportunity to win some really valuable prizes to get your start-up really started up, pitching to an elite panel of business leaders from Deloitte, Google, BT, IBM, Cambridge Angels, London Business Angels, Qualcomm Ventures, Samsung and more. Finals will be held at Deloittes in London on 21st October. Note entries have to be submitted by 14th September at the latest.

 

September-October digital health events (US)

August 25, 2015 | by

While enjoying the last weeks of the Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer (thank you Nat Cole, BBC clip), it’s time to put the fall’s upcoming events on the calendar, if you haven’t already. A selection starting with our partners:

  • Parks Associates’ Connected Health Summit (9-10 September)–see banner advertising above or here
  • ATA Fall Forum (16-18 Sept)–-see sidebar or here
    • If you are attending and would like to report on either conference, email Editor Donna (her schedule unfortunately does not permit her to attend)

Others of interest:

And in London, our partners at The King’s Fund have a wealth of events on their calendar into 2016.

Events dear boy, events: a roundup of UK digital health stuff this autumn

August 18, 2015 | by

This editor accumulated vast piles of notifications when on a two week holiday recently – here is the cream of the events notified. More to follow on resources shortly.

Between 4-6th September, SECC Glasgow is holding what it claims is the first ever medical education hackathon.

On the 14th September the free-to-attend London Health Technology Forum, organised by this editor, has an evening devoted to Exits (of the financially very lucrative kind). Baker Botts’ experienced lawyers will describe with examples the different exits available to the successful entrepreneur, why it’s important to plan ahead, and what the plusses and minuses are of each type of exit. Essential knowledge if you hope to become rich from your hard work & dedication.

On 17th September, KPMG are holding a free all-day event entitled ‘Information Protection in Digital Health’ at (more…)

CAST-IAHSA Australia Technology Forum 31 August

August 18, 2015 | by

As part of the joint ACSA (Aged & Community Services Australia)-IAHSA (International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing) conference 31 August-4 September in Perth, there will be a half-day session sponsored by LeadingAge CAST (Center for Aging Services Technologies) on 31 August. The conference will feature the tools which CAST has developed to help providers better understand, plan for, select and implement appropriate technologies to support self-management, independence and facilitate the delivery of services to the home. Featured speakers are from CAST–Majd Alwan–and from providers such as New York’s Selfhelp, The Salvation Army and It’s Never 2 Late. Session page. Conference information and booking.  Australian Ageing Agenda Technology Review

ATA Fall Forum updates

August 7, 2015 | by

If you are thinking about attending ATA’s Fall Forum sessions in Washington, DC this September, the early bird discount of $100 has a week to go–14 August is the last day. This year’s meeting also has, in addition to the conference, a National Telehealth Lobby Day (16 Sept) with short briefings on how to lobby, the key issues and a half-day to make those previously scheduled visits to your Senator or Representative. The updated schedule for the three-day conference is here.

Also for ATA 2016 in Minneapolis next 14-17 May, the call for presentations has just opened. See details here.

TTA is a media partner of ATA Fall Forum, and previously ATA 2014 and 2015.

mHealth Summit now HIMSS Connected Health Conference

August 7, 2015 | by

Another sign that mHealth is now in our rear view mirrors [TTA 24 July] is that one of the main conferences on the US and international conference calendar is changing its name. Since 2009, the mHealth Summit has closed the year. Its organizing groups have changed and it’s gone international to Europe (the recent summit in Riga). Now it has been renamed (though not on the website yet) the HIMSS Connected Health Conference-–an umbrella event comprising the mHealth Summit (including the Global mHealth Forum), and two new conferences:  the Cyber Security Summit and Population Health Summit.

The shift in the industry and new concerns are clearly reflected in this reorganization. Transitions were visible last year to this Editor in covering the sessions, speaking with exhibitors and attendees. It’s not about the tech anymore, but how it fits into care models, saves money/avoids costs, improves care, improves the experience–all population health metrics–and fits with other technology and analytics. (It’s also how it fits into government payment models, an endlessly changing equation.) What is surprising is the lifting of cybersecurity to equal status, given the Hackers’ Holiday that healthcare is now (see TTA here). (Also this Editor notes that last year’s Big Buzzwords, Big Data and Analytics, has faded into where it should be–into facilitating population health and we should expect, inform data security. We also note that HIMSS has stepped forward as the organizer. HIMSS release  Telehealth & Telecare Aware has been a media partner of the mHealth Summit for most years since 2009. 

Events for your diary, your CV and perhaps your bottom line

July 16, 2015 | by

This editor has recently been overwhelmed by important dates near and far that readers needs to be aware of. Beginning with July, the first networking event for the Long Term Care Revolution SBRI National Challenge will take place in Birmingham on 21st July at the Menzies Hotel, Birmingham. Click here to register. The second networking event will take place on the 28th July at The Thistle Marble Arch. Register here

This SBRI competition aims to stimulate the development of innovative new products, services and systems that disrupt the institutional long-term care model, ensuring that UK businesses are well placed to take advantage of this growing market opportunity. A total of £4m is up for grabs so (more…)