Practice Innovations (Jan 14, 2016).
The integration of various technologies into clinical services and the provision of tele-mental health can help practices run more smoothly and efficiently, increase access to needed treatment for individuals in remote areas, and expand the reach of the professional services psychotherapists offer. While this brings many potential benefits to practitioners and clients alike, the practice of tele-mental health also brings a number of ethical, legal, and clinical challenges. These are addressed and highlighted through representative case examples. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Open access. Telephone-administered cognitive behavioural therapy (T-CBT) has attracted international recognition as a potential means of providing effective psychological treatment whilst simultaneously lowering costs, maximizing service efficiency and improving patient access to care. A lack of rigorous exploration of therapist perspectives means that little is known about professional readiness to adopt such delivery models, or the work that may be involved in ensuring successful implementation.
This Future Hospital Programme case study describes how Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust transformed hospital communication and patient safety by introducing innovative mobile technology. Dr Mark Simmonds introduces an integrated, mobile and electronic ‘eObservations and eHandover’ task management system.
Objectives Effective communication is a vital part of good clinical care. Traditionally bleep systems have been used as the mainstay of communication. Mobile technology is increasingly seen as a quicker, easier and more reliable method of communication. Our objective was to assess the use of mobile devices within a typical National Health Service (NHS) hospital, discuss potential benefits and pitfalls, and develop suggestions for future improvements. Login using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library http://www.sssft.nhs.uk/library
Rising ownership of smartphones and tablets across social and demographic groups has made mobile applications, or apps, a potentially promising tool for engaging patients in their health care, particularly those with high health care needs. Through a systematic search of iOS (Apple) and Android app stores and an analysis of apps targeting individuals with chronic illnesses, we assessed the degree to which apps are likely to be useful in patient engagement efforts. Usefulness was determined based on the following criteria: description of engagement, relevance to the targeted patient population, consumer ratings and reviews, and most recent app update. Among the 1,046 health care–related, patient-facing applications identified by our search, 43 percent of iOS apps and 27 percent of Android apps appeared likely to be useful. We also developed criteria for evaluating the patient engagement, quality, and safety of mobile apps.
Clinically led improvement, enabled by new technology, is transforming the delivery of health care and our management of population health. Yet strategic decisions about clinical transformation and the associated investment in information and digital technology can all too often be a footnote to NHS board discussions. This needs to change. This report sets out the possibilities to transform health care offered by digital technologies, with important insight about how to grasp those possibilities and benefits from those furthest on in their digital journey.
More roadshows are to be held in Telford and Wrekin highlighting how technology and devices can help people to continue to live independently in their own home.
This type of support, known as Assistive Technology, is becoming increasingly important as Telford & Wrekin Council’s social care budget comes under increasing pressure due to cuts in Government grant.
People approaching older age are often unaware how assistive technology could help them remain independent and in their own home later in life.
The roadshows follow a successful initiative late last year called AT Home which saw hundreds of people seek more information from the Council.
Two £25 vouchers are up for grabs in the library’s ‘Making the Most of Information’ survey.
To take part, just visit http://goo.gl/AdN4ok by Friday 19th February.
Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in addition to usual GP care was no more effective than usual GP care alone at four months or at 24 months. It was also not a popular treatment for patients with mild to moderate depression who typically only used the programme once or twice. Indeed, more than four out of five patients did not complete the course.
Findings
The work demonstrates that the use of wearable AT device is increasing due to improvements in materials, battery power and connected intelligence such as smartphones. They will allow new devices to be introduced that are smaller, lighter and more usable.
Library Services do not currently have access to this journal, but you can request a copy of the article online and we will try to get a copy to you: http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Purpose
The aim of this work was to introduce an end-to-end process to improve the prescription, uptake and utilisation of assisted living technologies in order to improve outcomes for older and disabled people. Library Services do not currently have access to this journal, but you can request a copy of the article online and we will try to get a copy to you: http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
IT expert Professor Bob Wachter has launched a review of computer systems across the NHS. The review, ‘Making IT work: harnessing the power of health IT to improve care in England’, will look at places where IT has worked well and those areas that need improving. It will also look at different ways to implement IT in healthcare as the NHS works towards being paperless by 2020.
As a way of continuously improving the care it delivers Kent and Medway Partnership Trust have developed a Patient Portal which provides patients with 24/7 internet access to a wealth of information including, but not limited to: care plans, appointments and booking; information sharing; and notifications.
Scannable QR codes have the ability to deliver medical device operator information as a short video, when needed, and at the point of need, to reduce adverse incidents
Despite being ‘everyday technology’, the Internet and telephone are under-utilised in helping meet the challenges of improving access to services. The Serenity Programme enables people to receive psychological therapy at home, using the telephone and Internet.
Users decide when and where they will use the Programme. The programme is delivered in North Wales in partnership with Mind (Aberconwy) and Parabl (http://www.parabl.org.uk/), a third-sector provider of mental health services.
The problem of developing and sustaining mutual trust is one of the main barriers to knowledge sharing on social media platforms such as blogs, wikis, micro-blogs and social networking websites. While many studies argue that mutual trust is necessary for online communication and knowledge sharing, few have actually explored and demonstrated how physicians can establish and sustain trusted relationships on social media. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
OF THE 700,000 people in the UK with autism, between 60% and 70% also have learning disabilities, while between 25% and 40% of people with learning disabilities also have mental health problems.These conditions are associated with stigma, discrimination and low self-esteem, which can make living independent lives or working in fulfilling jobs seem like impossible goals. In this context, assistive technology can have an important role by helping to foster a growth in independence. Login using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library http://www.sssft.nhs.uk/library
Older patients and people with long term conditions and mental health problems will be among the first to benefit from a major new drive to modernise how the NHS delivers care.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos today (Friday 22nd), NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens will launch the first wave of NHS Innovation ‘Test Beds’.
These collaborations between the NHS and innovators – including Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), IBM and Philips – aim to harness technology to address some of the most complex issues facing patients and the health service.
Frontline health and care workers in seven areas will pioneer and evaluate the use of novel combinations of interconnected devices such as wearable monitors, data analysis and ways of working which will help patients stay well and monitor their conditions themselves at home.
Open access. Various paper-based mood charting instruments are used in the monitoring of symptoms in bipolar disorder. During recent years an increasing number of electronic self-monitoring tools have been developed. The objectives of this systematic review were 1) to evaluate the validity of electronic self-monitoring tools as a method of evaluating mood compared to clinical rating scales for depression and mania and 2) to investigate the effect of electronic self-monitoring tools on clinically relevant outcomes in bipolar disorder.
We elves spend much of our time on the Internet. Maybe that’s why we’ve given research into Internet-based therapy a fair bit of coverage. We’ve shared positive findings (e.g. Jones, 2014; Steele 2013) as well as less compelling evidence (e.g. Bould, 2015; Dash, 2015). And we’ve also raised questions about the quality of the research (Cristea, 2014).
There’s growing evidence that some Internet-based interventions work for some people. They’re also relatively low-cost, but it doesn’t follow that they are necessarily cost-effective. A new systematic review looks at whether or not they are (Donker et al 2015).
The study brings together data from separate studies to undertake an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis to identify sociodemographic, clinical and intervention characteristics that predict dropout in self-guided web-based interventions for people with depressive symptoms. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Open access. E-mental health is a promising medium to keep mental health affordable and accessible. For consumers with severe mental illness the evidence of the effectiveness of e-health is limited. A number of difficulties and barriers have to be addressed concerning e-health for consumers with severe mental illness. One possible solution might be to blend e-health with face-to-face delivery of a recovery-oriented treatment, like the Illness Management & Recovery (IMR) programme. This paper describes the development of an e-health application for the IMR programme and the design of an early clustered randomized controlled trial.
A pilot scheme in Newham helping young people keep on top of their diabetes care has rolled out Skype appointments to all patients as part of a successful four year trial.
Since launch in 2011 the Diabetes Appointments via Webcam in Newham (DAWN) scheme, web-based follow up is used routinely for young people aged 16-25 years, and 480 webcam appointments have been carried out, reducing ‘do not attends’ (DNA’s) from 30-50 per cent to 16 per cent.
The service was set up with the Health Foundation’s SHINE award (£75,000) and is thought to increase productivity and patient throughput by 22% – 28%, saving approximately £27 per consultant appointment in clinician time.
The service is offered by the Diabetes team at Newham University Hospital, Barts Health and supported by East London NHS Foundation Trust and Newham Clinical Commissioning Group
Many offenders treated for psychiatric disorders while incarcerated are paroled to counties where psychiatric care is limited, leading some correctional departments to offer psychiatric treatment via videoconferencing (“telepsychiatry”). However, the effectiveness of telepsychiatry for offenders with psychiatric disorders has not been rigorously evaluated. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library http://www.sssft.nhs.uk/library
Despite advances in schizophrenia treatment, symptom relapses and rehospitalizations impede recovery for many people and are a principal driver of the high cost of care. Technology-delivered or technology-enhanced treatment may be a cost-effective way to provide flexible, personalized evidence-based treatments directly to people in their homes and communities. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library http://www.sssft.nhs.uk/library
Trialed at Royal Bedfordshire and supported by the Royal Free, RemindMeCare addresses many issues faced in the dementia care process, such as calming strategies based on knowledge of the person with dementia, reminiscence therapy using highly bespoke images to optimise engagement, response recording and music playlists that are automated and specific to the individual.
Launched at Cisco/UCL’s IDEA-London, RemindMeCare uses the power of the internet to digital explore a persons past experience sourcing images from the internet specifically related to personal past experience, which enhances engagement and recall, improves person centred care and therapy.
This summer the results of research into whether a ‘brain training’ App could help people with schizophrenia were published, and they quickly made national and international headlines. The University of Cambridge’s study, led by Professor Barbara Sahakian, found that a specially developed iPad game called Wizard helped improve the memory of people with schizophrenia, and in doing so might allow them to live more independently - or even get back into education or work.
The King’s Fund has looked at some examples of innovative technology-enabled care that are already being deployed in the NHS and internationally to transform care. Now, we examine the technologies most likely to change health and care over the next few years.
A new campaign launches today (4 January 2016) encouraging parents to get “Sugar Smart” and take control of their children’s sugar intake.
PHE launches new sugar smart app.
The Change4Life campaign follows revelations that 4-to-10 year olds consume over 5,500 sugar cubes a year, or around 22kg - the average weight of a 5-year-old.
A new Sugar Smart app has been launched to help parents see how much sugar there is in everyday food and drink. The free app works by scanning the barcode of products and revealing the amount of total sugar it contains in cubes and grams.
This randomised controlled trial tested the effectiveness of the reminder message sent to outpatients. Results showed if the message included the specific cost to the NHS of not attending then the patient was more likely to attend or rearrange their appointment – rather than miss it.
'A new report published by Age UK warns that moving public services online without providing sufficient support for those who are 'offline' could leave some of the poorest older people without vital support.'
The purpose of this paper is to explore the wider potential of digital tools, technologies and approaches to support ‘transformation' – that is the fundamental redesign of local services so that they deliver better outcomes, in a more targeted and timely fashion, at less cost – building on existing exemplars.
Open access. Smartphones are used by patients and clinicians alike. Vast numbers of software applications (apps) run on smartphones and carry out useful functions. Clinician- and patient-oriented mental health apps have been developed. In this article, we provide an overview of apps that are relevant for mental health. We look at clinician-oriented apps that support assessment, diagnosis and treatment as well as patient-oriented apps that support education and self-management. We conclude by looking at the challenges that apps pose with a discussion of possible solutions.
Doctors who use the computer heavily during a consultation can leave patients feeling dissatisfied, a small observational study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens [study findings may not be transferable to local NHS]
A new campaign called AT Home begins next week to encourage people to think about how new technology and devices can help people to continue to live independently in their own home.
This type of support, known as Assistive Technology, is becoming increasingly important as councils like Telford & Wrekin’s social care budget comes under increasing pressure due to cuts in Government grant.
Doing nothing is no longer an option when it comes to clinicians embracing digital technology and information.
That was the clear message from Beverley Bryant to the Sustainable Healthcare Conference staged at the King’s Fund.
'Digital technology can radically improve care, transform the relationship between clinician and patient and place power in the hands of the people to take more control of their wellbeing. But universality, equity and quality must be at the heart of how we adopt, build and scale these technologies. We must ensure that no-one is left behind.'
Blog post. Scouring the Web to learn new ways to instill better health habits? Trying to find the best health app to lose weight or reduce stress? Or maybe you’re posting on Twitter and Facebook to try to build a supportive community for your healthy goals. Online and mobile health interventions are getting easier to come by but psychologists say that while social media and Internet-based treatment programs can be beneficial, there is a need for rigorous methods to help guide the development and evaluation of these programs and apps.
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