eHealth updates - 24 January 2013

New policy, guidance and e-health initiatives from across the UK. For more information about the e-health theme see Quality and Safety e-Bulletin: e-health.

Some of the resources linked to are in PDF format - see how to access PDF files.

BBC Health: Could telehealth revolutionise NHS patient care? A BBC Inside Out South East broadcast on 21 January asked ‘Could telehealth revolutionise NHS patient care?’ A video focussing on telehealth in Kent includes interviews with patients and nursing staff.

BMC Health Services Research: Implementation factors and their effect on e-Health service adoption in rural communities: a systematic literature review. “Rural e-Health implementation is an emerging, rapidly developing, field. Too often, e-Health adoption fails due to underestimating implementation factors and their interactions. We argue that rural e-Health implementation only leads to sustainable adoption (i.e. it "sticks") when the implementation carefully considers and aligns the e-Health content (the "clicks"), the pre-existing structures in the context (the "bricks"), and the interventions in the implementation process (the "tricks").”

Deloitte: Primary Care: Working differently. Telecare and telehealth – a game changer for health and social care (PDF 4.9MB). This report explores the evidence base for the wider adoption and implementation of telecare and telehealth. It presents a number of examples of evidence-based good practice, illustrating the way such technology is starting to make a difference in supporting more people to have better health outcomes while remaining longer in their own homes.

DH: Jeremy Hunt challenges NHS to go paperless by 2018. The Health Secretary has said that patients should have compatible digital records so their health information can follow them around the health and social care system."This means that in the vast majority of cases, whether a patient needs a GP, hospital or a care home, the professionals involved in their care can see their history at the touch of a button and share crucial information."
RCN: RCN welcomes plans for a ‘paperless’ NHS.

DH: A review of the potential benefits from the better use of information and technology in health and social care. This study, commissioned by the Department of Health from Price Waterhouse Coopers, found that measures such as more use of text messages for negative test results, electronic prescribing and electronic patient records could improve care, allow health professionals to spend more time with patients and save billions of pounds. 

DH: National Mobile Health Worker Project: Final report. The findings of the project, a study on introducing mobile devices at 11 NHS pilot sites, show that significant increases in productivity and in contact activity can be achieved. Also the reduction of unnecessary journeys and in time spent travelling and data duplication can be reduced significantly. 

Holyrood: eHealth Scotland: Delivering the vision. This conference will take place on 1st March in Edinburgh. Key themes include informatics, patient access and involvement, the role of social media and improving safety standards.

Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR): Usability evaluation of an online, tailored self-management intervention for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients incorporating behaviour change techniques. This study undertaken in the Netherlands concludes that “the usability study identified several issues for improvement, confirming the need for usability evaluation during the development of eHealth interventions. The uncovered strengths and limitations of behavior change techniques may lead to optimization of eHealth interventions, but further insight is needed.”

JMIR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in high school using avatars in virtual worlds: an international feasibility study. The main aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in high school students by using avatars in massively multiplayer virtual worlds (MMVW). The study also analysed experiences, self-efficacy and concentration in response to training.

JMIR: Health professional learner attitudes and use of digital learning resources. The aim of this study was to examine usage and user experiences of an online learning repository (Physeek) in a population of physiotherapy students. The secondary aim of this project was to examine how students prefer to access resources and which resources they find most helpful.

King's Fund: Third Annual International Congress on Telehealth and Telecare. Innovation, Integration, Implementation. The King’s Fund is calling for papers for the International Congress on Telehealth and Telecare 1–3 Jul 2013. The deadline for submissions is 15 February 2013.

NHS Connecting for Health (NHS CFH): TPP SystmOne accredited for GP2GP record transfer project. TPP SystmOne has now being fully accredited by NHS Connecting for Health to send and receive patient records electronically as part of the GP2GP record transfer project. The GP2GP programme team has worked with TPP and nine sites in Derbyshire and, following a successful pilot, will extend the functionality to an initial 100 sites before implementing it for all users.

NHS Employers: HR and social media in the NHS. This guidance aims to help the NHS realise the benefits of social media and implement a more permissive approach to its use. 'HR and social media in the NHS' explains that social media is increasingly becoming central to the ongoing effectiveness of the NHS. It argues that there is a need for a more open approach alongside greater clarity on professional behaviour and the importance of confidentiality. The guidance provides examples to help human resources managers, leaders and communications staff use social media more effectively within their organisations.

NHS Health and Care: Browse Apps & Websites. This is an experimental prototype of an NHS website. It aims to be as simple as possible, and to place the needs of the public first. The Health & Care Online Tools Directory aims to make it easier to find the best and most trusted online tool for health and care needs. Tools listed here have been through a certification process that focuses on the clinical safety of the tool and its applicability to UK citizens.

Patient Information Forum (PiF): Take part in the first UK survey exploring health literacy and health information providers. The Patient Information Forum (PiF) is the UK organisation for consumer health information professionals. They are undertaking research on health literacy; developing an insight into how information producers and providers view it, what they understand about it and what strategies are in place to meet health literacy needs. If you communicate with patients or the public about their health, please take part. The survey will take a few minutes to complete. The survey is available until 1 March 2013.

University of Hull Centre for Telehealth: Telehealth evaluations. The Centre for Telehealth has produced two summary reports of joint NHS/local authority projects, and three NHS evaluations.

Vodaphone Global Enterprise: Evaluating mHealth adoption barriers: privacy & regulation. mHealth has gained more and more momentum but adoption barriers remain prevalent and particularly when scaling mHealth projects across borders, regulation imposes complexities. This guide evaluates data privacy, security, and regulation as a barrier to mHealth adoption and includes interviews with subject matter experts and best practices from around the world.
Live online Health Debate: Vodafone is also hosting a live online Health Debate to discuss the regulatory barriers to mHealth adoption with an expert panel and a live audience discussion. The event is on Tuesday 5 February 2013 at 2pm.

Welsh Government: £25m Health Technologies Fund for Wales. The three-year investment package consists of £5m in 2012-13, and £10m in the following two financial years (2013-14 and 2014-15). £5m has been allocated to high priority technology investments for 2012-13.