The problem of staff shortages in social care, paired with the developments in artificial intelligence technology, seems to point to a simple solution: implementing care robots. Jo Stephenson and Claire Acklam explore the legal implications of this. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details
The Emergency Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Lead for Digital Health at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (TGICFT) led the implementation of a digital service that has significantly reduced avoidable admissions to the emergency department (ED), improved experiences for nursing and residential home service users and staff, as well as improved use of resources locally.
Conclusions: People in Cornwall became more ready to adopt eHealth services, increasing both their personal ability to use eHealth and their methods of access. The implementation of Superfast may have contributed to this; we are certain that our other 2 interventions did not. This increased eHealth readiness did not cause a larger digital divide. The study illustrates the complexity of conducting a randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of interventions at regional, practice, and household levels. Our method may be of use to others.
Conclusions: Use of the app-based treatment program for SUI empowered the women in this study and helped them self-manage their incontinence treatment. They appreciated the app as a new tool for supporting their motivation to carry through a slightly challenging PFMT program.
with the support from BT and Simeon Yates from the University of Liverpool, we did some research.
Its aim was simple:
To better understand the specific reasons people in the UK give for being offline, in greater depth and granularity than currently available research.
Today we have launched our findings.
Conclusions: Many technology-based medication adherence and monitoring interventions have been studied across psychiatric disease contexts. Interventions that are useful in one psychiatric disorder may be useful in other disorders, and further research is necessary to elucidate the specific effects of individual intervention components
Findings suggest that combining an automated electronic health record system to identify at-risk patients with a tailored mHealth protocol can provide education to this population. While this intervention was insufficient to effect behavioral change resulting in better hypertension control, it does suggest that this FQHC population will engage in low-cost population health applications with a potentially promising impact
Avatar‐based virtual reality therapy is an emerging digital technology that can be used to assist the treatment of common mental health problems. This may be particularly appealing to young people who are highly familiar with digital technologies and may provide a medium to facilitate communication within face‐to‐face therapy.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
'Crisis cards' that you scan with a smartphone to download an app that provides support via an augmented reality human. Being trialled in Liverpool by a crisis service.
Aim: To describe telenurses’ experiences of difficult calls.
Design: A qualitative approach with a descriptive design was used to gain a deeper understanding of the telenurses’ experiences. Open Access Article
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An expert in cyber security at the University of York comments on new research from the University of Toronto on the security issues around data sharing by mobile health apps.
Patient care in England would be improved if more mental health services were given access to significant levels of dedicated funding to support digital innovation.
That is one of the recommendations made in Using digital technology to design and deliver better mental health services, published today by Rebecca Cotton, director of policy at the Mental Health Network, the voice for NHS-funded mental health and learning disability service providers in England.
Results: The research findings highlight various usability issues, including the complexity of the interface, difficulty in reading the text, and insufficient provision of instructions. These studies have also suggested solutions to enhance the usability of systems, including development of the technical skills of users, explanations of usability evaluation techniques for telecare monitoring systems, and engaging the appropriate users during the development of telecare monitoring systems. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Technological innovation offers opportunities to improve mental health care, however, little evidence exists regarding attitudes of inpatient staff and patients to such changes. We present a survey of staff and patients prior to introduction of a digital version of the National Early Warning Score (eNEWS) system for identifying physical deterioration.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
The Nurse Manager in the Mental Health and Vascular Wellbeing Team at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (NSCHT) led a programme of work to introduce a digital application (app) into the care and treatment plans for service users at high risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The app was designed to digitally link the nursing and medical staff with the service user, enabling care closer to home, empowering service users, families and carers to have greater control and input into planning their treatment and care and improving service user experience and outcomes.
Remote activity monitoring may work optimally for caregivers of persons living with ADRD in specific situations (e.g., earlier stages of dementia; wandering risk), which suggests the need for appropriate needs assessments that can better target such innovations. Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Social robots appear to have the potential to improve the well-being of older adults, but conclusions are limited due to the lack of high-quality studies. More RCTs are recommended with larger sample sizes and rigorous study designs. Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Conclusions: Mental health service recipients currently use general functions such as listening to music and calling friends to support recovery. Nevertheless, they reported interest in trying more specific illness-management apps.
Shortlisted projects include Adult Safeguarding Enquiry cards, Integrated Community Services Team, Social Prescribing, Broseley Project for work using consumer smart technology to support health and social care needs of vulnerable people, night time carer support.
Measuring physical activity is complicated particularly in people with dementia, where activity levels are low and subjective measures are susceptible to inaccurate recall. Activity monitors are increasingly being used within research, however, it is unclear how people with dementia view wearing such devices, and what aspects of the device effect wear time. The aim of the study was to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of people with dementia wearing activity monitors.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
There is a clear public health need to reduce office workers’ sedentary behaviors (SBs), especially in the workplace. Digital technologies are increasingly being deployed in the workplace to measure and modify office workers’ SBs. However, knowledge of the range and nature of research on this topic is limited; it also remains unclear to what extent digital interventions have exploited the technological possibilities.
Open access. This study aimed to understand the attributes of popular apps for mental health and comorbid medical conditions, and how these qualities relate to consumer ratings, app quality and classification by the WHO health app classification framework.
More than £1 million is up for grabs for digital social care projects thanks to funding from NHS Digital.
The Social Care Digital Innovation Programme (SCDIP) aims to support local authorities using digital technology to design and implement social care.
Ten authorities will receive up to £30,000 to design a digital solution to address specific issues within their service.
This article summarises a new framework to improve the success of technology projects: the nonadoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread and sustainability (NASSS) framework. The framework is based on a narrative systematic review and empirical work, and addresses the different domains in technology projects and how different aspects of complexity may be handled in each of them.
Patients are having their observations recorded more accurately, thanks to the swift implementation of a new electronic observations system. 'VitalPAC' assesses and analyses patient vital sign data to identify deterioration in a patient's health and also has the potential to automatically calculate a patient's early warning score (EWS), prompting clinicians to respond in line with hospital protocol. The team responsible for implementation worked tirelessly to make it operational in a record time of four weeks.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the use of a speech generating app via a tablet, as implemented by a caregiver, to increase requesting in an adult with autism spectrum disorder. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Caregiver and professional responses to an anonymous online survey showed that focus individuals were rated low in terms of independent and self-management skills, with scheduling and planning and communication identified as desirable future AT functions. Overall, positive experiences of AT were reported, with AT use more than doubling in recent years. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Objective: The objective of this study is to understand the barriers and facilitators to effectively access and continuously use essential assistive products for people with intellectual disabilities. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
A new report is highlighting how technology, including social media, is helping patients in Staffordshire take control of their health.
The ‘Spotlight on Digital Health’ is now available on North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent CCGs’ websites.
Many people are now living with long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart conditions. These need to be monitored regularly and lifestyle changes often need to be made to help. This is increasingly being done through app-based technology using a patient’s own mobile phone.
A study using funding from The Good Things Foundation has provided insight into how local people use the technology available.
Open access. The development of digital health interventions (DHIs) for severe mental health problems is fast-paced. Researchers are beginning to consult service users to inform DHIs; however, much of this involvement has been limited to feedback on specific interventions post-DHI development. This study had two aims: 1. explore service user views towards DHIs for severe mental health problems; and 2. make recommendations for specific content within DHIs based on service user needs and suggestions.
Students with reading learning disabilities (RLDs) often face struggles in acquiring basic reading abilities, including oral reading fluency. The current study builds on previous work that compared peer-assisted instruction (PAI) to iPad-assisted instruction (IAI) on oral reading fluency, which led to the conclusion that a combined approach may be more effective than either approach alone.You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Pressure ulcer interventions are commonly assessed with measures of seating interface pressure, such as peak pressure gradients (PPGs). Decreases in PPG magnitudes may reduce pressure ulcer risk by decreasing tissue deformation and increasing tissue perfusion of at-risk weight-bearing tissues. Changes in PPG directions, which have previously been overlooked in the seating pressure literature, may provide a transient increase in blood flow to at-risk tissues, even if the PPG magnitude and location remain the same. The purpose of this study was to assess both PPG components in response to combinations of wheelchair tilt and recline angles. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
Open access. Telephone cognitive–behaviour therapy (TCBT) may be a cost-effective method for improving access to evidence-based treatment for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people.
Background: Spinal bracing is one form of conservative treatment used in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting
Aim: The aim of this review was therefore to evaluate the effect of brace treatment on balance in subjects with AIS.
Method: The search strategy was based on the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO). PubMed, Scopus, ISI web of knowledge, Ovid, the Cochrane library (CENTRAL) and Google scholar databases and also the reference lists of relevant articles were searched for articles of clinical trials with level of evidence of three or more of AIS that underwent spinal bracing treatment.
Sense of presence (SoP) has recently emerged as one of the key elements promoting the effectiveness of virtual reality-based training programs. In the context of wheelchair simulators (WSs), the effectiveness of the simulation has been sought using different perception and interaction devices, providing the end-users with different levels of SoP. We performed a scoping review searching scientific and grey literature databases with the aim of assessing the extent of published research dealing with SoP and effectiveness of WSs. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please be clear which article you are requesting.
A summary of findings from the UTOPIA study, which looked at local authority use of telecare and assistive technology for older people in adult social care. The study which was carried out between April 2016 and May 2017, involved an online survey of English local authorities and selective interviews with telecare managers and stakeholder. Key findings cover the strategic aims of assistive technology and telecare; how it is being deployed (assessment process, installation, responding to alarms, and reviews); and evidence collected to monitor whether strategic aims are being met. Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
We've added 10 new Be Aware updates following your suggestions:
Musculoskeletal ; Osteoporosis ; Nutrition and obesity ; Falls ; HR ; Research Methods ; Information Governance ; Bladder, bowel and pelvic healthcare ; Rheumatology ; Medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency (circulated email)
Conclusions: High interest in mental health apps does not automatically translate into high use. Our results of low but similar rates of mental health app use at diverse clinics suggests DMH patients with largely psychotic disorders are as interested and engaged with apps as those in a private insurance clinic treating largely mood and anxiety disorders. Results from our study also highlight the importance of understanding how actual patients are using apps instead of relying on internet-based samples, which often yield higher results due to their likelihood of being selected.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal (Dec 27, 2018). DOI:10.1037/prj0000337
Objective: A growing body of literature indicates that mobile health (mHealth) interventions that utilize smartphones for illness management are feasible, acceptable, and clinically promising. In this study, we examine how individuals with serious mental illness use a mHealth intervention—FOCUS—to self-manage their illnesses. Additionally, we explored participant perceptions of the intervention’s impact on their subjective illness experience.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Conclusions: Qualitative findings suggest that many, but not all, clients will be interested in using technology to support mental health needs. The variability in type and quality of technology owned by participants suggests the need to design for a range of functionality in the development of mental health tools. Findings also suggest thinking broadly about using existing platforms and widely available tools to support consumers in mental health recovery.
Conclusions: The importance of evidence in eHealth has not been discussed as rigorously as have the diverse evaluation approaches and evaluation frameworks. Further research directed toward evidence-based evaluation can not only improve the quality of intervention studies but also facilitate successful long-term implementation of eHealth in general
Conclusions: The results suggest that adding M-CT to TAU is not effective and cost effective compared to TAU alone. Adherence rates were similar to other studies and therefore do not explain this finding. The participants scarcely booked additional therapist support, resulting in 17.3 minutes of mean total therapist support. More studies are needed to examine the cost effectiveness of internet-based interventions with respect to long-term outcomes and the role and optimal dosage of therapist support. Overall, more research is needed on scalable and cost-effective interventions that can reduce the burden of recurrent MDD.
Conclusions: This study offers evidence that AI can serve as a cost-effective and accessible therapeutic agent. Although not designed to appropriate the role of a trained therapist, integrative psychological AI emerges as a feasible option for delivering support.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore psychiatrists’ perspectives on this paradigm through the prism of new clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). Our primary objective was to assess the acceptability of these new technologies. Our secondary objective was to characterize the factors affecting their acceptability.
We report the first use of wireless continuous temperature monitoring for daily wear and home use in patients with diabetes and neuropathy. The wearers found the socks to be no different from standard socks. The temperature studies conducted show that the sensors used in the socks are reliable and accurate at detecting temperature and the findings matched clinical observations. Continuous temperature monitoring is a promising approach as an early warning system for foot ulcers, Charcot foot, and reulceration.
This information can be used to contribute to evidence-based practice when using apps for intervention. A feature-matching checklist was developed in order to guide SLPs in selecting apps based on the features of the app to facilitate language intervention. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Conclusion: Positive effects were found on aspects of QoL and fall incidents in the bathroom. The lower caregiver appreciation of work circumstances in the AHT group confirms the importance of intensive support and guidance of personnel during the implementation of AHT. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
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Bethan Davies on a qualitative study of service users' experience about the acceptability, use and safety of the BlueIce app for young people who self-harm.
This POSTnote introduces robotic technology and the main ways it has been developed for use in social care. It reviews evidence on the impact of robotics on the costs and quality of social care and its workforce, and explores the main ethical, social and regulatory challenges to its use in social care.
Persons with severe mental disorders (SMDs) experience dramatically reduced life expectancy compared with the general population. We consider the role of digital technologies for addressing this serious public health concern. In this clinical review, we apply the multilevel risk model recently introduced by the WHO to conceptualise how digital technology can support efforts to reduce excess mortality risk at the individual, health system and social determinants of health levels. In particular, digital technologies show promise for targeting preventable physical health conditions in persons with SMDs.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Open access. E-mental health holds promise for people with severe mental illness, but has a limited evidence base. This study explored the effect of e-health added to face-to-face delivery of the Illness Management and Recovery Programme (e-IMR).
The scheme involves a dementia-friendly mug and plastic tumbler playing pre-set messages to patients not drinking regularly enough. They can be programmed with personalised messages from patients’ families and help ward staff keep a check.
Although evidence exists for the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in preventing depression, little is known about its prevention through online interventions. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of online interventions in preventing depression in heterogeneous populations. Open Access Article
A new resource on CQC’s website, which will see pages added as new topics are addressed, explores the use of technology in care, looking at the benefits of innovation and updating previously published information on surveillance.
This article reviews currently available appropriate technologies which have been used in mental health, in order to reduce confusion and delay. Confusion (for example when and where to refer) can lead to error and waste. Similarly delay impacts quality and accessibility of the whole range of mental health services. As most secondary care mental health services use electronic patient records, it is arguably easier to apply technology in this speciality. However, consideration needs to be given to confidentiality and data security. Doctors of all specialities will be exposed to ‘new’ technologies over the next decade, and need to be aware of the direction of travel and its implications. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Recent advances in smartphone technology have revealed new opportunities for the diagnosis, monitoring and provision of mental health care. Such digital approaches have the potential to enhance our understanding of the course of mental disorder, enable early diagnosis and generate new treatment targets. However, issues relating to mobile phone ownership, misuse of clinical data, commercial devices and the ethics of such approaches need to be overcome if smartphones are to be routinely used in mental health care. This article reviews the potential as well as the challenges posed by the use of such technologies in mental health settings. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Digital health interventions present an important opportunity to improve health care for people with psychosis or bipolar disorder, but despite their potential, integrating and implementing them into clinical settings has been difficult worldwide. This Review aims to identify factors affecting implementation of digital health interventions for people affected by psychosis or bipolar disorder.. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Psychotherapy is a complex intervention, consisting of various components and being implemented flexibly in consideration of individual patient’s characteristics. It is then of utmost importance to know which of the various components or combinations thereof are more efficacious, what their specific effect sizes are and which types of patients may benefit more from different components or their combinations. Open Access Article
This Housing LIN case study report summarises the findings from recent research conducted on the lived experiences of home adaptations, funded by the Centre for Ageing Better. It draws on the views of both people in later life and practitioners to explore their home adaptations journey, including triggers, access, installation and outcomes.