New telecare and telehealth purchasing framework to stitch up the UK market for four years

June 28, 2013 | by | 2 Comments

As flagged up in TTA last October, [start here and follow the links back] The Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) has now issued a tender for a telehealth and telecare systems framework agreement. It will run for four years and comprises three ‘lots’:

  1. A single online shop for products (and possibly services): “products included in the catalogue can be updated, increased or revised at any time in response to innovations in the market place and evolving client needs”
  2. Managed service provision: “a list of proven, specialist suppliers who are able to undertake this for [service commissioners]. This may include some or all of: service user assessment, equipment supply, service monitoring, and response…we intend to restrict the number of suppliers…to approximately 6” [Emphasis ours]
  3. Consultancy services: “a list of suitably experienced consultants who are able to provide specialist advice to commissioners on the topics of telecare and telehealth”

Editorial comment

The EU and UK laws on tendering for supplies and services are extremely burdensome on suppliers and commissioners alike but (more…)

June Telecare LIN newsletter published (UK)

June 26, 2013 | by

In a content-packed edition of this newsletter one 6-page item stands out for special attention. It’s Mike Clark’s ‘summary’ of telehealth, called Telehealth, how are we doing? which begins on page 17. Mike turns his laser-like attention on the UK’s telehealth issues including those arising from the WSD programme results and orders them into an easy-to-read logical sequence and draws some measured conclusions. It’s a pity it is not available as a standalone report for wider circulation. June Telecare LIN newsletter (PDF) plus separate news item list supplement (PDF)

One of the links in the newsletter is to the Department of Health’s 2013-14 Corporate Plan which includes a list of its achievements for 2012-13. Search it as much as you like for any telehealth-related keywords, you will not find any. It looks like DH has brushed it off its hands and moved on. Which, given its recent toxic-touch history may not be a bad thing.

Staying up at night with telemedicine (and telehealth)

June 19, 2013 | by | 1 Comment

Our readers have many things which keep them up at night, including that extra taco, but René Quashie of leading healthcare/life sciences law firm Epstein Becker Green adds a few more to the list. While muddling telemedicine (remote consults) with telehealth (vital signs tracking and monitoring), he outlines the legal pitfalls (and consequences) that both are facing: non-compliance with state prescribing and licensure laws (physical examination requirements); lack of highly developed protocols and guidelines (liability exposure); lack of greater coverage and reimbursement by payers (low credibility=low/no pay); HIPAA compliance in privacy and security (lack of protection against unauthorized data access). However, how many of these have already experienced accomodation by state regulators, or have started to modify to follow regulations?  Awake yet? This is only Part 1. Things That Should Keep the Telehealth Community Awake at Night (Part 1) (TechHealth Perspectives/EBG blog) Hat tip to reader Ellen Fink-Samnick of Ellen’s Ethical Lens.

Telehealth makes front page in UK newspaper

May 31, 2013 | by | 1 Comment

Rather to many people’s surprise the popular Daily Express newspaper featured a telehealth story on its front page on Wednesday. It appears to be an extension of the UK’s media’s current interest in the woes of hospital emergency departments and the simplistic ‘blame the GPs’ theme that has been fuelled by recent comments from the Secretary of State for Health. However, the article is positive about telehealth blood pressure monitoring: DIY test will save your life: gadget sends blood pressure results direct to your GP (online version). Interestingly, the article contains no reference to the 3ML initiative. One wag Tweeted “Oh no! I’m rubbish at DIY. I’ll surely fail the test”. Here’s a link to a picture of the front page so that readers can gauge the weight that the item received.

text4baby: positive study results (US)

May 22, 2013 | by

Results from a year-long evaluation provide evidence that text4baby benefits users. text4baby is a free mobile health information service of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) that provides pregnant women and new mothers with health and safety information via text message. The content includes messages about immunization, nutrition, birth defect prevention, safe sleep, etc. A survey developed by researchers from the National Latino Research Center (NLRC) at California State University San Marcos and the University of California San Diego, with support from the Alliance Healthcare Foundation, was administered to 631 text4baby users in San Diego. Findings indicate that text4baby is increasing users’ health knowledge, facilitating interaction with health providers, reminding them of their appointments and immunizations, and improving access to health services. More information and link to the study results. Heads-up thanks to Bob Pyke.

Med-e-Tel 2013 presentations available

May 17, 2013 | by

Copies of the presentations at Med-e-Tel 2013 (10-12 April 2013) are now available. Click on the ‘full presentation’ links to access the presentations. The Med-e-Tel Knowledge Resource Center also still contains the presentations from previous events (2002-2012). You can access the Resource Center here.

The Med-e-Tel 2013 proceedings, published as Global Telemedicine and eHealth Updates – Knowledge Resources, Vol. 6, 2013 (610 pages) are now also available for purchase. It contains 133 short papers of presentations that were submitted for the Med-e-Tel 2013 conference program. To order a copy contact info@medetel.eu.

Gloucestershire telehealth: PCT oversold; GPs undersold (UK)

May 17, 2013 | by

A news item from the BBC (link below) takes the shine off the story of the Gloucestershire ‘big roll out’ of telehealth as it is generally presented (3ML PDF).

Dr Tim Macmorland, a GP in Churchdown, said the systems were ineffective. “I think it’s been handled poorly. It was rolled out to GPs without discussing anything about the system before it was implemented…We already knew it was working in the heart failure service, [see item here, paragraph 5. Ed.] but then we were asked to find patients who had these other chronic diseases for whom the system might work as well, and I don’t think it has to be honest, it’s been an absolute waste of money.”

For many years suppliers – and we – have been calling for an end to small scale pilots and for going straight for mainstream adoption. However, we may be seeing that in reality this is not possible, at least not with the approaches tried so far. Perhaps the ‘not invented here’ effect is stronger than we all supposed and telehealth adoption will only be achieved one doctor at a time.

BBC item: Gloucestershire health monitors investment a ‘waste of money’.

Wales: telehealth research participants sought

May 3, 2013 | by

The Institute of Rural Health and Aberdeen University are to research the effect of technology on patients interactions with their home carers, and are seeking input from patients using telehealth in the Powys and Betsi Cadwaladr health board areas. Recruitment is open until the end of June and seeks patients aged 60-79 years, who are visited by a nurse or other professional carer at least once a week and are using some sort of telehealth technology to help them to manage chronic pain or another medical condition. ‘Technology’ might include the use of internet forums, phone ‘apps’, or Skype links to carers. For further information please contact Sophie Corbett at the IRH on 01686 629480. (Info via Dispensing Doctors’ Association)

Telehealth gives patients the chance to take more control over their care

April 30, 2013 | by

More often than not Professor Stanton Newman has been the bearer of bad tidings…the Whole Systems Demonstrator Program (WSD) hasn’t delivered the hoped-for, definitive, glowing results and he has had to see them used for telehealth-bashing by some doctors and the GP press. In an article in the GP online magazine Pulse Today, he gets the chance to bust a few myths and to reaffirm his belief that there are good reasons why GPs should consider telehealth positively. Telehealth gives patients the chance to take more control over their care. (Requires free sign up to view if you have not done previously. Worth doing.) His comments are apt in view of the remote care monitoring directed enhanced service (DES) conditions (PDF) recently published by the Department of Health. Heads-up thanks to Mike Clark.

EU ahead of US on telehealth

April 8, 2013 | by

US law firm Epstein Becker Green analyses two key differences between the US and EU regulations affecting telehealth. First they identify the ability of health workers to treat their patients even when the patient moves to another EU state. Second is about getting health insurance companies to cover costs when health services are received abroad – it seems that insurance companies are required to do so under an EU directive whereas in the US cover is mostly state based: E.U. Way Ahead of the Game on Telehealth. Heads-up thanks to TANN England editor Chrys Meewella.

Depression warning for heart failure patients

March 25, 2013 | by

GP Online picks up on an American study (links to original) – the implication is that early identification of the onset of depression in people with heart failure could reduce a considerable number of early deaths. Depression warning for heart failure patients. Surely it shouldn’t be too difficult to get self-reported mood trends into electronic medical records and to flag up negative changes in a timely manner. It may be more cost effective than other forms of remote symptom monitoring…
UPDATE Tuesday 26 March: There may be a connection to social isolation – also associated with depression. Social isolation ‘increases death risk in older people’ BBC item.

O2: First Help at Hand, now Health at Home (UK)

March 14, 2013 | by | 3 Comments

Two major launches for O2 in two weeks… First Help at Hand and now, at the Healthcare Innovations Expo, Health at Home – no wonder there were no ‘health’ mentions at the earlier launch. According to the press release, Health at Home’s secure platform allows health care professionals to “monitor patients’ readings, set bespoke symptom surveys, provide educational materials and communicate with them directly. Patients are provided with a tablet computer connected to the mobile network and pre-loaded with the Health at Home software as well as relevant smart monitoring devices including pulse oximeters, weight scales and blood pressure monitors.” Data is uploaded to O2’s servers where it is accessible to the professionals and to the patients “to learn more about their condition and how to manage it”. The charge is per patient per month with no upfront cost. Press release (PDF). Health at Home website.

O2 being what it is, we assume that the in-tablet software is CE marked (as it sounds like it would be counted as a medical device) and that O2 has all patent issues covered with the likes of Bosch. It would be nice to have those points confirmed.

Adopting Simple Telehealth (Flo) SMS reminders in general practice (UK)

March 12, 2013 | by

Unlike its Pulse rival, GP Online is taking a more constructive approach to the matter of telecare, as evidenced by a (so far) two part series by Professor Ruth Chambers about how to use the Simple Telehealth (Florence, or Flo) SMS reminder system as part of a GP practice’s clinical pathway:
Adopting remote monitoring via telehealth in your CCG’s practices – part 1: hypertension
Adopting remote monitoring via telehealth in your CCG’s practices – part 2: inhaler reminders