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August/ September 2004 |
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             Please click on the logos above of the UKeHA's Chairman's Circle Members |
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| News in Brief | UKeHA Update | |||||
| The Technical Solutions Implementation Group The Technical Solutions Implementation Group meets regularly under the chairmanship of Chris Jones. For details contact Chris on chris.jones@nhsia.nhs.uk Revamp for UKeHA Website The UK eHealth Association’s website is undergoing a reconstruction in the next few weeks. Updates will be sent as the new sections are put in place. The UKeHA will be present at the following conferences: eHealth – transforming healthcare access and delivery, 2 November 2004 at the Radisson SAS Portman, London, www.ibclegal.com/eHealth WAVE - 17 & 18 November 2004, Olympia, London. www.wave-conferencing.com Events: 13 – 14 October 2004 Enterprise IP Technology (eIPT) 2004, Olympia, London. For further information visit www.eipt.co.uk 11 November 2004 Delivering Successful Partnerships in Health, QEII Conference Centre, London. For further information visit http://govnet.co.uk/ health/ 12 November 2004 SPSS Users’ Meeting 2004, London. For further information visit www.spssusers.co.uk 29 – 30 November 2004 Telemed & eHealth 2004 – Citizen centred care: A meeting in association with The eHealth Alliance UK. For further information, visitwww.rsm.ac.uk/ academ/fmttelem.htm. 21 – 23 March 2005 HC2005 Shaping Sands, Shifting Services, Harrogate. For further information visit www.health-informatics.org/hc2005   |
Aidan Halligan talks at UKeHA Networking Lunch
The Networking Lunch, held on 9 September 2004, attracted over 90 people who came to hear Aidan Halligan talk about the National Programme for IT. Aidan gave his personal view on progress and the future direction for the Programme. Special Interest Groups formed A number of Special Interest Groups have been formed under the UK eHealth Association, including the newly formed Legal and Ethical Issues SIG, which is planning its first meeting later this year, is chaired by Ben Stanberry ben.stanberry@avienda.co.uk. More details will be made available shortly. In addition, the Board has approved the amalgamation of the Home Healthcare SIG and the Older Peoples SIG (a new name has yet to be decided) which will meet in October 2004. For further information contact Mike McCurry on treasurer@ukeha.org.uk. Finally, for information about the SME Special Interest Group contact Mike McCurry on treasurer@ukeha.org.uk ComMedica speeds up transfer of skin images  ComMedica Ltd’s web-based telemedicine software has been rolled out at St Mary’s NHS Trust in Paddington to form an electronic image-sharing link between St Mary’s Paediatric Accident and Emergency department and the specialist Burns Unit at Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust. The system is to be used for the instant referral of digital pictures of lacerations and burns. More patients will be treated at St Mary’s under expert guidance from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s burns specialists and plastic surgeons. The software will help Chelsea & Westminster Hospital to better determine which patients need to be transferred for specialist attention. St Mary’s NHS Trust has already installed ComMedica’s software for an electronic image-sharing link between St Mary’s and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery near Holborn, which has allowed speedier diagnosis and treatment of critical head injuries since September 2002.For further information, visit Comedica at http://www.commedica.com/show_news.php?id=120 Smart Homes Tunstall Group has developed two personal environmental controllers, Tunstall Intellec and Tunstall Lite, which enable people with limited dexterity or impaired mobility to operate home appliances and devices from one wireless portable device. The two products are designed for use by the elderly and the physically disabled, allowing them to remain living independently in their own homes by giving them complete control over appliances such as a computer; TV; radio; stereo; telephone; and heating and lighting.They also enable users to control the opening of doors, cupboards and windows as well as CCTV and speech intercom systems. Both devices are wireless and can be operated using an integral keypad, joystick or variety of switches depending on the level of mobility which include an eye blink switch. The Tunstall Lite can control up to 65 different functions and dial and recognise 25 phone numbers, whilst the Tunstall Intellec can operate over 2,500 different functions. Large picture keys make the remote controls easy to use and they can both also be programmed for voice annunciation for use by those with visual impairment. When a key is pressed, the unit sends an infrared signal to the target device.For further information, visit Tunstall at www.tunstall.co.uk Major Contract Win for Voxar Voxar, the leader in 3D for PACS (picture archiving and communication systems), has announced a major contract win to supply The Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s radiology department with a site license for twenty-two concurrent users of Voxar 3D, the company’s flagship 3D imaging software. The Voxar site license will be integrated into their PACS workstations and will allow radiologists to access advanced MPR and 3D reconstruction functionality wherever and whenever required. For further information, visit www.voxar.com. |
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| News in Brief | UK Healthcare News | |||||
| NPfIT call for Patients and Professionals Following the announcement of the creation of the Care Record Development Board (CRDB), the National Programme for IT is now seeking to appoint patients and health and social care professionals as CRDB members. The Programme is seeking 12 people through an open recruitment process and the emphasis will be on demonstrable commitment to the value of information and communications technology in improving patient centred care, together with practical experience of using IT in health or social care. Successful applicants will be asked to contribute 12 days a year. The Programme has made it clear that these are public appointments, rather than employment. For further information, visit the Health Informatics Community at http://www.informatics. nhs.uk/ or go to the National Programme for IT at http://www.npfit.nhs. uk/crdb/ Thumbs up for mobiles  Updated guidance on the use of mobile phones has been issued to hospitals by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The new advice is necessary to take account of developments in mobile technology and the growing communication needs of patients, visitors and hospital staff. The advice reinforces existing MHRA guidance that a total ban on mobile phones in hospitals is not necessary. It recommends measures that hospitals should introduce to balance the risks of mobile phones interfering with critical devices and the desire for better communication in hospitals. For further information visit Health Informatics Community at http://www.informatics. nhs.uk/ QMAS Training Site Now Online A new training website to help GPs and practice staff understand the new Quality Management Analysis System (QMAS), is now online at nww.qmastraining.nhs.uk (please note this link requires an NHSnet connection). QMAS is a new single, national IT system, which gives GP practices and Primary Care Trusts objective evidence and feedback on the quality of care delivered to patients. The training website will fully support practices and PCTs in their use of QMAS and will explain how to view QMAS web pages and enter achievement indicators; view feedback reports; navigate through the system; explore functionality; and find links to QMAS related documents and websites. Further information on QMAS and supporting documents are available from the National Programme for IT at www.npfit.nhs.uk  |
New Board Announced
 A new body to ensure NHS IT helps deliver better care and supports the Government’s top priority of putting the interests of patients first has been announced by Health Minister John Hutton. The Care Record Development Board (CRDB) will be chaired by Harry Cayton, the Department of Health’s Director for Patients and the Public. The board will bring together patients, public, social and healthcare professionals under one body. It will provide clinical and patient input into the development of IT by the National Programme for IT, replacing the National Programme’s Patient Advisory Board and National Clinical Advisory Board.John Hutton commented: “The new board has a vital role to play in improving the care for patients. It will ensure the NHS develops patient-centred care processes that are supported by the IT being delivered by the National Programme.The work of the board will enable wider consultation and input into the way the NHS Care Records Service is being developed.” For further information, visit the Department of Health at http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/ PressReleases/PressReleasesNotices/fs/en? CONTENT_ID=4085186&chk=ylTgyE NAO study into NPfIT The National Audit Office is carrying out a study into the National Programme for IT to examine the procurement processes used for placing the contracts; whether contracts are likely to deliver good value for money; how the Department is implementing the Programme, and the progress made by the Programme so far. In response to the study the National Programme has made the following statement: ”The National Programme will support better patient care by ensuring that doctors and nurses have the right information in the right place at the right time and that, through access to information, patients are given greater choice - it is a major programme that will affect everyone in the England. It is only natural, and it has always been expected, that such an important programme should be the subject of a NAO report. Having largely completed our procurement phase and being well into initial implementation this is naturally an appropriate time for such a report to be done and we welcome it.” For further information, visit the National Programme for IT at http://www.npfit.nhs.uk/news_310804.asp Help for Hard of Hearing  Researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and University College, London, have developed computer technology to help the hard of hearing. Called Synface (synthetic face), the technology only requires a standard telephone and laptop computer. With the software installed onto the computer the user simply needs to attach their telephone handset, and speak into the receiver as normal. The system works by recognising the different sounds in speech from the person at the other end of a telephone line and then recreates lip movements on a moving artificial face displayed on a computer screen. The user is then able to lip read real-time speech as well as listen in the usual way. Unlike videophones, the other user does not need to have their phone attached to a computer and can use their existing phone. The software has been trialled by 40 people who were recruited by The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and has been hailed a success. One 55-year old man from London who took part in the trial thought “the concept was absolutely brilliant” and it had enabled him to “understand 90% of what people are saying on the phone rather than 40%”. The trial is ongoing, but feedback received so far will enable Scientists to make minor adjustments before the technology is made available within the next five years. For further information visit Health Informatics Community at www.informatics.nhs.uk John Badham seconded to NPfIT  John Badham, national director of Essence of Care, part of the NHS Modernisation Agency's clinical governance support team, has been seconded to the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) as head of nursing. John will be working with deputy chief medical officer Aidan Halligan to ensure full nursing input into the design of electronic services in the NHS.For further information visit the National Programme for IT http://www.npfit.nhs.uk/news_280704.asp |
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| News in Brief | Global News | |||||
| Mainstream Technology Med-e-Tel has reported that market research firm Frost & Sullivan has found that the European telemedicine markets are at a critical growth phase where vendors need to capitalise on growing opportunities and gain the early-mover advantage over competitors. However, they must first counter the resistance of patients and healthcare professionals who remain doubtful regarding the security and long-term viability of the technology. Such concerns are being addressed by improved data security standards and encryption techniques. Encouraging signs are now present about the gradual dissolution of resistance to telemedicine, thereby accelerating its mainstream acceptance. Governments have also become more open to funding healthcare technology that creates noticeable improvements in service quality at no extra cost or at reduced costs. For further information, visit www.medetel.lu or http://healthcare.frost.com. Key worldwide events include: 6 – 9 October 2004 7th European Health Forum Gastein “Global Health Challenges: European Approaches and Responsibilities”, Bad Hofgastein, Austria. For further information visit www.ehfg.org 14 October 2004 ICT in Healthcare, Brussels, Belgium. For further information visit www.tmab.be/ 26 – 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Conference, Vienna, Austria. For further information, visit www.echallenges.org 24 – 27 November 2004 MEDICA 2004: 36th World Forum for Medicine, International Trade Fair with Congress, Düsseldorf, Germany. For further information visit www.mdna.com/shows/ medica 2 – 3 December 2004 ATA Strategic Business Opportunities for Telemedicine:2004 Series, Arlington, USA. For further information visit http://atmeda.org/conf/ annualmeet.htm 9 – 10 December 2004 MEDTEL 2004/eESCC 9th Joint International Conference, Prague, Czech Republic. For further information visit www.medtel.cz 6 – 8 April 2005 Med-e-Tel 2005, Luxembourg. For further information visit www.medetel.lu or email info@medetel.lu 17 – 20 April 2005 ATA 2005:10th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Telemedicine Association, Denver, USA. For further information visit http://atmeda.org/conf/ annualmeet 28 August – 1 September 2005 MIE 2005:19th International Congress of the European Federation of Medical Informatics, Geneva, Switzerland. For further information visit www.mie2005.net |
HHS to Build New Health IT Infrastructure
 In the US, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson has released the first outline of a 10-year plan to transform the delivery of healthcare by building a new health information infrastructure, including electronic health records and a new network to link health records nationwide. At the same time, he announced a number of new action steps to help advance health information technology immediately. As he released the action report, ordered by President Bush, he said: “America needs to move much faster to adopt information technology in our healthcare system. Electronic health information will provide a quantum leap in patient power, doctor power, and effective health care. We can’t wait any longer.”The plan, prepared by the new National Co-ordinator for Health Information Technology, David Brailer, lays out the broad steps needed to achieve permanently current and available electronic health records (EHR) for Americans. EHR systems would also enable physicians and other health professionals to electronically tap into a wealth of treatment information as they care for patients.The report was released in Washington DC at a recent Secretarial Summit on Health Information Technology bringing together the nation’s technology and health leaders. For further information, visit ATSP Online at http://www.atsp.org/government/programs.asp? ContentID=1658 Alabama Nurses Go Interactive  Capstone College of Nursing, part of the University of Alabama, has completed the first interactive CD designed to give nursing students and nurses in the field realistic but safe practice in making decisions that affect life and death. The CD developed with the help of Media Solutions within the university’s Centre for Public Television and Radio is entitled “Nursing Clinical Decisions: Patient Outcomes”. The CD has video clips from nine cases in critical care and the emergency room. Viewers are shown a clip, provided relevant medical and nursing information, and prompted to decide on the next step in the patient’s nursing care. Depending on the viewer’s decision, these virtual patients may recover, become increasingly unstable, or die. The nine clips have 27 possible outcomes, depending on the decision made by the viewer. The need to make rapid, safe decisions is emphasised by the presence of a ticking clock and provides additional information about the patient’s deteriorating condition.For more information email cbryant@ur.ua.edu or visit Federal Telemedicine at http://cbloch.com. Italian Military use TeleHealth in Iraq
The Minister of Defence inaugurated the hospital earlier this summer at the Tallil Airbase, located approximately 310 kilometres southeast of Baghdad and 20 kilometres southwest of the city of An Nasiriyah.TelBios, the Italian company that developed the technology, also supplied the ground station, satellite capacity as well as telecommunications and medical equipment. A 24-hour-a-day satellite connection exists between the station in Iraq and the Celio hospital. Capacity has been built in so that the centre can eventually be connected with other hospitals in the TelBios telemedicine network. Given the fact that no local telecom facilities in Iraq are being used, satcom is the only technology that can make a broadband link available to such areas in such a short time. The telemedicine and communications equipment is kept in a shelter and can be transported on a truck. It includes a climate-controlled environment allowing operational deployment to any theatre in which military forces need to operate. For further information, visit the European Space Agency Telecommunications website at http://www.esa.int/esaTE/SEMH2R2VQUD_index_0.html |
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Industry Interview | |||||
 Richard Kitney (OBE) is Professor of BioMedical Systems Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College, London. Professor Kitney has worked in BioMedical Engineering for the last 25 years and founded ComMedica Ltd, where he is now Deputy Chairman and Technical and Strategic Director. Professor Kitney has recently joined the UK eHealth Association Board. Here he talks about his role on the Board of the UKeHA and eHealth developments in the UK and internationally.1. You have recently joined the Board of the UKeHA – what will your role entail and what do you hope to bring to the Association? Working with the UK eHealth Association (UKeHA), my role will primarily be to track the use of technology within healthcare systems. In particular, I will be looking at the area of information technology, and will be directly involved in monitoring the progress of the National Programme for IT. I have had many years of experience both on an academic and industrial level, and in particular will be able to bring my knowledge and experience of research and development within the healthcare industry to the UKeHA. 2. What do you see as being the core focus areas for the UK eHealth Association? At present, the core focus area of the UKeHA is the National Programme for IT. The UKeHA can act as a double bridge for both information technology and healthcare, and is helping to bring the two together as a vision for the future. 3. You have published over 300 papers in the fields of biomedical signal and image processing, medical informatics and the general application of computers to healthcare. What are your views on the future of telemedicine both in the UK and Worldwide? The term telemedicine is now being widened to include an extensive range of technology applications. In terms of a wider definition, the future of telemedicine is extremely important both in the UK and internationally. Key themes in the future will include molecular biology, engineering and physics. Today, traditional medical practice involves clinicians looking at the whole body, but over the next five to ten years, studying diseases at a cellular level will become more and more important. Information technology is central to this vision, which involves looking at a number of images. 4. What is your view so far of the National Programme for IT? Having been involved in the thinking behind the Programme for the last eight years, I take the view that the overall strategy for the Programme is well focussed, and in line with the thinking of the international field, with the UK leading the way. However, it is likely that there will be ongoing challenges with the implementation of the National Programme for IT. This is to be expected in the early stages of any project, and the clinical community therefore need to give the Programme time to correct any initial teething problems. The Programme is highly complex and we will really only start to see significant progress over the next couple of years. 5. Having been a member of both British Government and European Union Committees on the application of Information Technology to healthcare policy for the UK and to the EU, how does the UK’s National Programme for IT compare with similar healthcare programmes in Europe? The UK is fortunate to have a really comprehensive and well thought out National Programme for IT that is funded by the Government. The majority of European programmes are at an earlier stage. One important reason for this is that they don’t have the same level of funding available to them. Having said that, the UK has the same line of thinking as other EU countries, which is important. 6. Which countries do you think have been at the forefront in pioneering eHealth and telemedicine? Other than the UK, I think that the United States, Japan, France and the Scandinavian countries have been at the forefront in pioneering eHealth and telemedicine. The US has achieved a lot of work in terms of sequencing the human gene which has involved a number of eHealth concepts; whilst Japan has been highly innovative in pioneering the use of computers for virtual reality medical training. France and the Scandinavian countries strongly believe in healthcare investment and can see how technology will help make a real impact in the future. 7. In your view, what should practitioners of eHealth do to encourage the use of eHealth? Practitioners need to fully explain to clinicians and the medical science community the importance of eHealth and that the technology works today in ways it didn’t before - thanks to a number of new components. These components include the power of personal computers, which allow things to be done more cost effectively; the widespread use of web-based technology (private networks); and the development of International standards, such as DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine), for linking up medical equipment and data transfer. Finally, I think that practitioners and clinicians who support eHealth need to have more influence on the curriculum of medical schools to ensure a high quality of training at an early stage.  |
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ComMedica Ltd’s web-based telemedicine software has been rolled out at St Mary’s NHS Trust in Paddington to form an electronic image-sharing link between St Mary’s Paediatric Accident and Emergency department and the specialist Burns Unit at Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust. 
A new body to ensure NHS IT helps deliver better care and supports the Government’s top priority of putting the interests of patients first has been announced by Health Minister John Hutton. The Care Record Development Board (CRDB) will be chaired by Harry Cayton, the Department of Health’s Director for Patients and the Public. 
In the US, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson has released the first outline of a 10-year plan to transform the delivery of healthcare by building a new health information infrastructure, including electronic health records and a new network to link health records nationwide.