eHealth updates - 4 April 2013

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

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

British Medical Journal (BMJ): Cost effectiveness of telehealth for patients with long term conditions (Whole Systems Demonstrator telehealth questionnaire study): nested economic evaluation in a pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial. This study of the Whole System Demonstrator data on telehealth costs has found that telehealth does not seem to be a cost effective addition to standard support and treatment. Quality adjusted life year (QALY) gain by patients using telehealth in addition to usual care was similar to that by patients receiving usual care only, and total costs associated with the telehealth intervention were higher.

Care Opinion: Care Opinion is part of Patient Opinion but covers adult social services (together with all NHS services) in England. The site gives service users, their families and carers the opportunity to publish their personal experiences of the care system.

CCIO Annual Nursing Conference: This conference will be held on 13 June 2013 in London. The conference will include workshops, key note sessions and an exhibition floor all concentrating on the theme of using information to drive safety and quality in nursing care. The CCIO Leaders Network is partnering with the National Nursing Informatics group and the Royal College of Nursing.

Daily Mail: New NHS 111 helpline will launch in only one area. The NHS 111 hotline service will go live in only one area of England after grave concerns were voiced about its safety. The advice line is designed to be a cheaper replacement for NHS Direct - with non-emergency callers with health problems being giving guidance on whether they should visit their GP or attend a hospital.
RCN: RCN condemns ‘chaos’ surrounding NHS 111.

DH: Fundamental review of data returns: consultation response. This document forms the government response to the consultation on the fundamental review of data returns, which aimed to ensure that all data is collected and processed efficiently, and any burden on information providers is kept to a minimum. It provides a summary of the responses received and highlights the key themes from the consultation. It also sets out further actions to be taken.

EMIS: EMIS Web most widely used GP system. EMIS has announced that over 2,000 GP practices have now upgraded to EMIS Web, making it the most widely used GP system in England. A total of 2,007 GP practices have moved to EMIS Web, with orders placed for a further 1,200. Also, 2,564 practices have joined the EMIS GP familiarisation service, as a first step to upgrading to the system.

General Medical Council (GMC): Good medical practice. This updated edition of core guidance for doctors sets out the high level principles of good practice expected of all doctors. It includes guidance on doctors’ use of social media and advises that doctors who identify themselves as such in publicly accessible social media, should also identify themselves by name.

GP Online: GP Online has a series on telehealth in Clinical Commissioning Groups by Professor Ruth Chambers.

• 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.
• Adopting remote monitoring via telehealth in your CCG’s practices – part 3: smoking cessation.
• Adopting remote monitoring via telehealth in your CCG’s practices – part 4: weight loss.

HSCIC: Data flows transition manual. The major re-organisation of health and social care bodies that took place on 1 April 2013 resulted in significant changes to the current data flows. To support transition arrangements the Information Centre has developed a manual which describes the practical steps bodies need to take to ensure information flows for purposes other than direct care are handled safely, securely and lawfully.

Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR): The effect of program design on engagement with an internet-based smoking intervention: randomized factorial trial. Participant engagement influences treatment effectiveness, but it is unknown which intervention design features increase treatment engagement for online smoking cessation programmes. This study explored the effects of 4 design features (ie, factors) on early engagement with an Internet-based, motivational smoking cessation programme.

JMIR: Long-term engagement with a mobile self-management system for people with type 2 diabetes. “In a growing number of intervention studies, mobile phones are used to support self-management of people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, it is difficult to establish knowledge about factors associated with intervention effects, due to considerable differences in research designs and outcome measures as well as a lack of detailed information about participants’ engagement with the intervention tool.”

National Audit Office (NAO): Digital Britain 2: Putting users at the heart of government’s digital services. “There is scope for greater use of online public services, according to research by the National Audit Office. In addition, the government’s aim of making public services ‘digital by default’ is broadly acceptable to most citizens and small and medium-sized businesses. However, according to the spending watchdog, there are still significant numbers of people who cannot go online or do not wish to do so.”

NHS Commissioning Board: Securing excellence in child health information services: IT operating model. This operating model aims to ensure the safe transfer of commissioning responsibilities from PCTs to ensure that all existing information systems and associated support for child health information, including the Personal Child Health Record [“Red Book”], continue to exchange data with partners and share information with parents and carers. These changes come into force on the 1 April 2013. The new arrangements as described in the operating model will be kept under review.

NHS Networks: Quality standards for teledermetology: using 'store and forward' images.
This guidance document was developed using the best available evidence in order to help commissioners of store and forward teledermetology services to ensure quality services which reassure patients of the security of their data.

Primary Care Commissioning (PCC): Teledermatology commissioning guide (PDF 1.1MB). Commissioners of store and forward teledermatology services need clear quality standards to guide them. For example, images need to be of good quality and patients need to be sure that their images are securely sent and stored. This document, developed using best available evidence, provides commissioners with the required standards.

Telecare LIN: Telecare newsletter, March 2013 (PDF 2.7MB). This newsletter from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) Knowledge Transfer Network and the Telecare Learning and Improvement Network provides an update on 3millionlives and raising awareness for telecare, telehealth and digital technologies.