DHACA home testing webinar 20th May 10am–next one 3 June

May 19, 2020 | by

DHACA is running its eighth WebinarWednesday on 20th May 10am on the topic of home testing. One of the two main themes of our webinars to date has been how technology can minimise face:face clinical interactions with patients whilst simultaneously improving patient outcomes and reducing costs.

This webinar continues that theme by showing how after electronic triage and remote consultation, a growing number of tests, of blood, urine, skin etc., can continue to be used to minimise face:face engagement, as well as improving patient access to prompt testing. We will look at the challenges and the benefits through the eyes of four brilliant speakers.

More details here, register here.

From Editor Donna: DHACA will have its ninth #WebinarWednesday on 3 June at 10am UK time. The topic is how best to promote technology to carers in the light of the pandemic. Editor Charles will be part of a panel discussion. More details and registration are right here.

Doing more for less in primary care – DHACA’s Wednesday webinars on 22 and 29 April

April 20, 2020 | by

DHACA restarts our webinar series after Easter Week with a panel of three contrasting suppliers of GP process improvement (aka “total triage”) software and the NHS England expert on the topic, at 10am on Wednesday. In our first Webinar, huge potential benefits were identified from use of this software, which is particularly well suited to the requirement of the current pandemic that face:face consultations be avoided where possible.

However the benefits don’t stop there. Patients, clinicians and practice managers all benefit hugely…and I can speak from personal experience as my local surgery converted recently and has never looked back! We’ll be exploring these benefits in more detail the following Wednesday 29th April in the following webinar when users – both professionals and patients – describe their experiences of the software, and the challenges implementing it.

For more information and to book for this week’s webinar go here and for next week’s (29 April) go here.

We have more exciting webinars coming up, including self-testing to reduce face:face GP consultations further so keep an eye on DHACA’s Webinar listing for when they are published.

Further ‘virtualization’ of industry meetings: DHACA Day, HITLAB, NAACOS, HXD, now ATA 2020 (updated)

March 18, 2020 | by

Practically all events that this Editor has noted on the calendar for the next few months have been converted to virtual events or postponed due to emergency restrictions around COVID-19. 

Close to our Editors’ hearts is DHACA Day–a must-read update. Originally set for tomorrow 18 March, it is now planned as a virtual event on Wednesday the 25th starting at 10am. Editor Charles Lowe has an update on the DHACA website in his mid-March newsletter. The tentative theme is ‘The silver lining in the COVID-19 cloud’.

  • Charles is also compiling a list of “all the products that members make and services that members provide that will help the health services and patients cope with Covid.19 and the subsequent lockdown.” There are more ‘calls for assistance’ in the newsletter for everything from ventilators to technical help at Public Health England.

HITLAB is going virtual indefinitely. Dr. Stan Kachnowski’s emailed update today notes that the Women’s Health Tech Challenge on 16 April is on as a virtual event, and virtually free. Remaining Seminar Series events will be virtual–and these extend into August. This Thursday’s (19 March) seminar will be a virtual town hall to discuss digital solutions which can help patients and physicians in the age of the coronavirus, with an international cast–panelists from Scripps Translational Institute, Ugandan Health, and more. Registration here (free).

The National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) has officially converted its annual meeting scheduled for 1-3 April to a virtual event, date TBD.

MAD*POW Health Experience Design Conference 2020 (HXD) 14-15 April will be fully virtual. Quite relevant is a webinar being held noon ET Wednesday 18 March on Interventions to Encourage Social Distancing, based on a 12 March survey of Italians to gauge the effectiveness of government communications on staying at home and social distancing.

UPDATE: The sole outlier up until mid-week was the American Telemedicine Association’s ATA 2020 that was going to be in Phoenix 3-5 May. It won’t be a cure for cabin fever in the sun, as ATA’s announcement of a 100 percent virtual conference is up here. Details to come.

Update: healthcare/digital health conferences canceled/postponed due to COVID-19 include SXSW, Naidex, EPIC (updated 13 Mar).

March 12, 2020 | by

Your Editor has been offline since Monday to this afternoon (EDT) due to a Fios network outage, not a health outage due to COVID-19. Since last week and the HIMSS20 cancellation, major conference and meeting cancellations and reschedulings are multiplying like fig buttercups in the spring. And yes, WHO has declared it a pandemic as Italy closes down and the US bans travel and even trade from Europe for the next 30 days, but not the UK. (There are additional relief measures including a requested payroll tax reduction, tax deferrals and assistance to small businesses. Many schools and businesses are going remote and long-term care residences, a nexus of infection, are being strongly encouraged to defer non-medically necessary visitors.)

Below are some of the majors and of interest to Readers in the digital health area. Most are the largest conferences with international attendees:

What’s on? The DHACA Day on 18 March at Brown Rudnick in London. Agenda and registration here.  Updates at @DHACA_org.

Additional updates 13 March

Running lists are up at Forbes (including sporting events such as the NBA, Broadway, and every major St Patrick’s Day parade; happily the NY International Auto Show is moved to 28 August) and MedPage Today. Healthcare IT News has a list of government and academic information resources led by the CDC, the WHO, and the NHS. We’ll repeat the NHS pages from our earlier article:

The UK Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England has provided the following links to coronavirus guidance (hat tip to DOHSC via LinkedIn):

👩‍⚕️ Health: 
🚂 Transport: 
👩‍🎓 Education:
👨‍💼 Employers:
🏡 Social care:

Calling all digital health entrepreneurs: DHACA Day on 18th March is for you!

January 23, 2020 | by

If you’re struggling with the many challenges of how to grow your digital health business fast, DHACA, sponsored by the AHSN Network, is at hand to help. Specifically on 18th March we have assembled an outstanding group of speakers to help you get to know NHSX and its priorities, to build AI into your product or service, to position yourself to benefit most from the current emphasis on longevity, to understand how the cabinet office can help, how data privacy legislation may change post Brexit, what Babylon is doing, how the AHSNs can help and much, much more. You only have to pay for lunch! You will also get to hear how you can access a wide range of in depth business services free, due to the generosity of our sponsors.

The event is being held courtesy of Baker Botts in their offices very close to Bank Tube station in London. 

Please click here to see more detail and to book.

(Disclosure: this Editor is also CEO of DHACA)

Calling all pitchers! Join us at Baker Botts on 5th February for a great evening

December 18, 2019 | by

Baker Botts (UK) LLP, in association with the Digital Health & Care Alliance and Ascendant Corporate Finance, invites you to join them for the DHACA/HTF fourth annual pitch event on Wednesday 5 February 2020 at their London office close to Bank tube station. The evening will feature a number of healthtech/medtech sector companies presenting their business for five minutes each, followed by two minutes of Q&A from the audience and panel of funders. Prizes will be awarded by Baker Botts Partner, Neil Foster, to the most fundable company and best presentation (as voted on by the panel and audience). Attendance is free.

Stuart McKnight, Managing Director of Ascendant Corporate Finance, will be the keynote speaker and will discuss key venture investment trends in the digital health and medtech sectors including highlighting the biggest deals and the most active investors.

We are particularly keen to have the best companies pitching so if your company would like an opportunity to pitch at this event, please download a copy of the pitch form by clicking here and return it as soon as possible it to Abigail Brookes at abigail.brookes@bakerbotts.com and definitely by Friday 10 January 2020. This event is also a great opportunity to meet and network with like-minded people, organisations and investors.

In order to qualify to pitch, you should be a private company within the healthtech or medtech sector, seeking funding within the next year. Successful applicants will be informed no later than w/c 13 January 2020.

Finally just to add that the Digital Health and Care Alliance is also running our next DHACA Day at Baker Botts on 18th March – you can book here, now. The agenda is in active development so keep checking.

Last call for DHACA Day on 9th November, plus an excellent RSM event on 3rd December

October 29, 2019 | by

Two quick notifications:

DHACA Day

The Digital Health & Care Alliance’s next quarterly update for medtech entrepreneurs is coming up on 9th November in London, with just ten spaces left. Covering all the hot areas that those working in the digital health & care sector need to be concerned about, it is kindly sponsored by Baker Botts and Kent Surrey & Sussex AHSN to ensure you get great value from the event. For more information, and to book, go here.

Behavioural science for better outcomes in health and care services

The Royal Society of Medicine is running a one day conference on how to use behavioural science to develop, optimise and evaluate a digital health intervention on 3rd December. The RSM name attracts the world’s best speakers and their charitable status means that prices are cut to the bone so this is guaranteed to be a great day. More details and to book are here.

(Disclosure: Editor Charles is involved with both the above organisations)

Next DHACA Day 9th July, London – seeking new members (psst–it’s free)

May 16, 2019 | by

DHACA, the Digital Health and Care Alliance, with some 850 members currently, is having a new membership drive among SMEs working in the UK’s digital health & care space, following the kind offering of new sponsorship by Kent Surrey and Sussex AHSN and UCL Partners. 

The organisation’s objective is to help members develop their innovative products and services commercially, to achieve successful sales to the NHS. DHACA works right across the UK.

If you aren’t a member, you can sign up here to ensure you are kept aware of important news and of DHACA events. Membership is entirely free and members’ details will of course never be passed on to any other organisation.

Whether or not you are currently a member, booking is now open for the next DHACA Day. This event is primarily aimed at informing members working in the digital health & care sector of the major recent changes they need to be aware of, and how best to navigate them to make greater sales to the NHS and other health & care organisations. There is a small charge of £30+VAT to provide lunch, otherwise all other costs will kindly be covered by the event Sponsors, Baker Botts, in whose premises at 41 Lothbury (the opposite side of the Bank of England to the Bank Tube) it will be held.

The draft agenda includes talks by Luke Pratsides, Clinical Lead, Digital Development, NHS England about NHSX, Sam Shah, Director of Digital Development at NHS England and James Maguire, Clinical Advisor in Digital Innovation & AI at NHSX on NHS England’s digital development strategy, Mark Salmon, Programme Director, NICE on their HealthTech Connect and Evidence Standards, Neil Foster, Partner, Baker Botts on Finance for digital health start-ups, Neil Coulson, Partner, Baker Botts, on IP protection and the GDPR, Rob Berry, Commercial Director, UCL Partners on how the AHSNs can help SMEs and much more. Neil McGuire, Clinical Director of Devices, MHRA, has also been invited to update attendees on MDR implementation – a most important topic.

DHACA is keen to get members’ views on how they’d like it to be organised and governed in order to deliver what members want, so there will be time in the middle of the day for this too.

Should be a great day!

(Disclosure: this Editor is also DHACA CEO) 

 

Win the Trillium II prize and get €1,000!

April 18, 2019 | by

The Trillium II EU project has just extended the deadline for entries to the Trillium II prize to 15th May, so there’s still plenty of time to enter. The prize of €1000 will go to the organisation that comes up with the best proposal to publicise and deploy the International Patient Summary (IPS). This is an internationally-agreed standard for summarising a person’s health record – as it is adopted worldwide, wherever someone is in the world a clinician will be able instantly to see and understand the main aspects of that person’s health record. This will particularly result in improved patient outcomes, faster treatment, lower healthcare costs and reduced medical errors. It will be of particular interest to readers whose products or services access local health records, as it should mean that in future they no longer need tailoring to the specifics of those records.

Details are here – note that to enter you will need to contact Lene Taustrup at lta@medcom.dk

To date, not many entries have been completed, so the probability of winning with a new entry could be high.

(Disclosure: this editor is CEO of DHACA, the Digital Health & Care Alliance, which is a participant in this EC-funded project).

A fistful of topical events

November 16, 2017 | by

The London Health Technology Forum has just announced the details of its Christmas evening meeting on 13th December. Star turn will be the seasonally-appropriate Andrew Nowell, CEO of Pitpatpet who has a brilliant story to tell of how an activity tracker can unlock so many revenue sources. Attendees will also unlock mince pies, courtesy of longstanding host Baker Botts, and a roundup of key digital health changes in 2017 from this editor.

NICE Health App Briefings: NICE has finally published the end result of its review of three health apps on their Guidance & Advice list. Given that digital health is so much faster moving than pharma, it is disappointing that these apps appear to be being judged to a very high level of evidence requirement.

For example Sleepio, whose evidence for  effectiveness “is based on 5 well-designed and well-reported randomised controlled trials and 1 large prospective unpublished audit” is still judged, in terms of clinical effectiveness, as “has potential to have a positive impact for adults with poor sleep compared with standard care. There is good quality evidence that Sleepio improves sleep but the effect size varies between studies, and none of the studies compared Sleepio with face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT‑I).”

This editor is unaware of any other app that has five good RCTs under its belt so (more…)

A few short topical items: NHS Digital, DHACA, IET, more

November 1, 2017 | by

Rob Shaw, NHS Digital’s Deputy CEO, gave a welcome talk at EHI Live on Tuesday encouraging the NHS organisations to become “intelligent” customers. To quote “We have got to make it easier for suppliers to sell into health and social care”. Let’s hope that the message is received and acted on! Until it is, the Kent Surrey and Sussex AHSN is offering help to SMEs to make that first sales – how to book, and to get more details on the event on 23rd November go here.

DHACA’s Digital Health Safety event, in partnership with Digital Health.London on 7th November is proving extremely popular, to the point where it may be oversubscribed soon, so if you want a seat for this really important event for all digital health developers and suppliers, book now.

The IET is running a TechStyle event on the evening of 22 November entitled the world of wearables aimed at people “between 14 and 114”. For today only (1 November) they are offering a special “2 for 1” deal making the already tiny cost essentially insignificant. Book here.  Hat tip to Prof Mike Short.

Prof Short has also highlighted a recent report from Agilysis looking at the role digital technology can play in delivering the vital step change our nation’s care services need. It concluded that: 

  • Leading digital professionals say lack of digital skills biggest risk to transforming care services fit for the 21st century;
  • Lack of knowledge of digital tools is largely responsible for delays in embracing new ways of working;
  • Believe digital technology could cut costs associated with social care delivery and therefore address the number one issue affecting UK social care today;
  • Digital technology can help local authorities manage both demand (improved customer satisfaction) and supply (improves multi-agency working).

There’s a great (more…)

A random selection of what’s crossed my screen recently

October 25, 2017 | by

One of the signs of autumn for this editor is the first email from Flusurvey. This is a brilliantly simple system that sends you an email every week asking if you have flu-like symptoms, then produces a map of the UK that gives advance warnings of epidemics. It costs nothing to join and is a great contribution to public health so why not sign up?. (They also have some exciting developments that may surface soon such as a small device that you blow into the connects to a smartphone and can tell almost immediately if you have flu’.)

Increasingly of concern to this editor, due to his deep involvement in digital health regulation, is who is working out how to regulate self-learning algorithms. It is therefore good to see the issue breaking cover in the general press with this article. For what it’s worth this editor’s view is that as technology begins to behave more like humans, albeit in a much faster, and narrow, way by learning as it goes along, perhaps an appropriately adapted use of the way human clinicians are examined, supervised and regulated, might be most appropriate. Sitting next to an AHSN CIO interested in the topic at a Kings Fund event last week, I was pleased to hear him offer precisely the same suggestion, so perhaps there is a little mileage in the idea. 

DHACA (disclosure: run by this editor) has just renewed its website after a long delay, and will be updating content over the next few weeks. First off is the events page advertising:

Our Digital health safety conference on 7th November at Cocoon Networks, London, is being run jointly with DigitalHealth.London – the MHRA has now confirmed they will present so we have almost all the relevant organisations and experts in the UK speaking at this event which should be essential attendance for all involved with the development and use of digital health & care. Attendance has increased substantially in the past few days so do book soon to be sure of securing a place. Much more, including an almost-finalised agenda, is here.

DHACA Day XV – we are back to our usual location at the Digital Catapult Centre on 10th January where are building an agenda of some extremely interesting speakers. To check out the agenda development and to book in advance, go here.

(more…)

Regulation, safety and sustainable development: three short important updates

October 2, 2017 | by

Erik Vollebregt has just released a blog that should be read by anyone with a medical device or whose technology is likely to be classified as a medical device under the new Medical Devices Regulation (MDR – Regulation 2017/745/EU) which replaces the MDD in early 2020. It makes scary reading as to what will need doing to comply with the new regulations as approval under the MDD will no longer apply (no ‘grandfathering’). MedTech Europe has helpfully produced a flowchart describing the necessary steps. Advice from official sources given to this editor is that, as the MDR already applies in the EU, its continued application in the UK after Brexit is not in serious doubt, so UK companies should not delay.

The Digital Health & Care Alliance (disclosure; that this editor manages) and DigitalHealth.London are jointly running a digital health safety conference on 7th November. Key players in the UK are on the agenda (including the CQC, MHRA, HSIB, NHS Digital/England, Datix, Vitalpac etc.). This is a topic that requires the attention of all developers and providers of digital health, as new technology, being unfamiliar, is inherently risky. It is therefore really key for everyone involved to share experiences, understand the risks and carefully plan avoidance and mitigation.  The draft agenda and booking details are here (there is a small charge for lunch).

For those who have doubts about the benefits that mobile communications can bring at times, a read of the GSMA’s 2017 report on mobile’s contribution to the UN’s sustainable development goals will fill you full of optimism of what technology can do, for health and many other aspects of life. Beautifully presented and full of interesting facts: recommended! (If you’ve not enough time, the summary is here.) Hat tip to Prof Mike Short. 

Free individual advice and guidance to SMEs wanting to sell to the NHS

July 5, 2017 | by

Here is your opportunity as an SME to get advice on selling to the NHS. Specfically, DHACA and Kent Surrey & Sussex AHSN have joined forces to help you to prepare a more compelling and comprehensive value proposition as part of your market access strategy. (SMEs don’t need either to be in the KSS AHSN catchment areas, or members of DHACA, although the latter is free to join and has lots of useful digital health resources, so why wouldn’t you?) 

There will be two sessions, both of which you should be able to attend if you apply. These will be held at the Royal Society of Medicine (close to Oxford St and Bond St tubes). That on 20th July will be about 90 minutes. In that time you will hear and be able to discuss:

  • How current NHS finances and cash flow may impact on your service/product uptake
  • How to improve your value proposition for NHS audiences

This will help you prepare for the second stage, on 27th July, which will be an individual Innovation Surgery. These will last 1 hour and cover aspects from the market access briefing. They will be specific to your product as well as covering the technical and market potential of your product/service.

More details and how to apply are available in the DHACA Briefing and Surgery Flyer

Note that although the flyer says you need to email vivienne.gray3@nhs.net by the end of Thursday 6th July to apply, Vivienne will be happy to accept late applications, though do please get them in soon!

(Disclosure: this editor is Managing Director of DHACA)

 

Calling all digital health people in the North of the UK (and the South)

April 6, 2017 | by

Sadly the DHACA Day in Leeds on 27th April had to be cancelled because of competing events on that day – readers are reminded of the next DHACA Day now in London on 21st June – agenda still to be set.

Elsewhere, Nesta has updated its European Digital City Index, showing the position at the end of 2016
of the top 50 cities in Europe for start-ups. Not digital health-specific though very interesting, nevertheless. TechCity have produced a more detailed website exploring why the UK is the Tech Nation of Europe, which is excellently animated. Though with little mention of digital health it is nevertheless an excellent read, and resource…and something to make those of us who are involved in the UK digital scene proud of our achievements. And if you are a supplier looking for opportunities to capitalise on the UK’s standing, what better than to attend Healthcare UK and NHS Digital’s International Digital Health Opportunities event in London on 25th April?

If you are still feeling international though less interested in exporting, perhaps you might like to attend (more…)

Debate on Care Quality Commission’s position on online prescription services on Radio 4’s TODAY (UK)

March 4, 2017 | by

Friday’s BBC Radio 4 TODAY breakfast show has two segments discussing the Care Quality Commission‘s public warning on online prescription services and potential danger to patients. The first is a short interview of Jane Mordue, Chair of Healthwatch England and independent member of the CQC (at 00:36:33-00:39:00). The second, longer segment at 02:37:00 going to 02:46:30 features our own Editor Charles Lowe, in his position as Managing Director of the Digital Health and Care Alliance (DHACA), debating with Sandra Gidley, Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) English Board. The position of the RPS is that a face-to-face appointment is far preferable to an online service, whereas Mr Lowe maintains that delays in seeing one’s GP creates a need for services where a patient can see a doctor online and receive a prescription if necessary. The quick response allays anxiety in the patient and provides care quickly. Both agreed that a tightening of guidelines is needed, especially in the incorrect prescribing of antibiotics, and that there is no communication between patient records. Mr Lowe notes that GPs have always been comfortable with a telephonic consultation but are far less so with telemedicine consults via Skype. Here’s the BBC Radio 4 link available till end of March.

In the US with 24/7/365 telemedicine services such as Teladoc, MDLive and American Well, there is a similar problem with patient records in many cases except for history that the patient gives, but this is an across the board problem as the US does not have a centralized system. The prescribing problem is less about antibiotics, though MRSA/MSSA resistant superbugs are a great concern. According to Jeff Nadler, CTO of Teladoc during his #RISE2017 presentation here in NY attended by this Editor, Teladoc has a 91 to 94 percent resolution rate on patient medical issues. Of that 9 percent unresolved, 4 percent are referred, 2 percent are ‘out of scope’, 1 percent go to ER/ED–and 2 percent of patients are ‘seeking meds only’, generally for painkillers. Teladoc’s model is B2B2C, which is that patients access the service through their health plan, health system, or employer.