Shortlist announced for E-Health Innovation Awards

After an intense round of presentations and judging, the shortlist for the E-Health Innovation Awards 2005 has been agreed.

Winners have been chosen among the finalists listed below, but their names will not be revealed until the Awards ceremony and dinner on 21 April 2005. Compered by GP, writer and broadcaster, Dr Phil Hammond, the awards promise to be an enjoyable celebration of some excellent work by individuals and teams working both in healthcare delivery and the IT industry.

The awards, which are in their first year, are the result of a partnership between E-Health Insider and Intellect, the leading trade body for the UK-based IT, telecommunications and electronics industry. The awards highlight the application and use of innovative ICT solutions in the UK healthcare sector and reward the partnership approach of the public and private sector in delivering benefits to patients care.

Best use of e-health to deliver integrated care

• Overcoming Bulimia, University of Leeds Media Innovations Ltd
  
• Haematology Teleclinic, Sherwood Forest Hospitals
  
• Implementing an electronic patient record system for allied health professionals working in the community, Ethical Technology Ltd (Ethitec), Charnwood and NW Leicestershire PCT and Leicestershire Health Informatics Service

Best use of e-health to improve efficiency 

• Patientline bedside access solution for electronic records, Patientline and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
  
• Electronic prescriptions management service, Pharmacy2U and EMIS
  
• Increasing efficiency in radiology through PACS and speech recognition, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust and Philips Speech Recognition Systems

Best use of mobile technology

• ‘Blackberry Transplant’, Addenbrookes NHS Trust
  
• SMS text messaging in primary care, Sheffield University Health Service
  
• Early treatment of acute myocardial infarction, Formic Ltd and Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Most innovative e-health product

• EMIS Access, EMIS
  
• Historian – automated psychiatric history taking on the internet, North East London Mental Health Trust
  
• CQuins, National Cancer Action Team and Mayden Health

Best use of e-health to empower patients

• GePmail, GePmail Ltd
  
• t+ for diabetes monitoring, e-San Ltd
  
• Using EMIS Access to communicate with deaf-blind patients

The awards were judged by: (chair) Dr Glyn Hayes, retired GP and chair of the British Computer Society Health Informatics Forum; Gary Fereday, policy manager, NHS Confederation; Sharon Levy, informatics adviser, Royal College of Nursing; Kaye McIntosh, consumer journalist; Dr Penny O’Hara, clinical director, BT Global Health Business and Linda Davidson, director, E-Health Insider.

For details of the event, contact tammy.greeno@intellectuk.org or visit the E-Health Innovation Awards website.