EHI’s industry round up 22.12.2009

This month’s E-Health Insider industry round-up includes news about the benefits that trusts are seeing from deploying new technology, launches and partnerships between leading healthcare technology companies.  

Trusts reaps service desk accreditation benefits

The Primary Care Informatics Unit covering NHS Blackburn with Darwen and NHS East Lancashire says it has seen "tangible benefits" since achieving the National Service Desk Accreditation last year. The unit implemented service management software from Sunrise Software 18 months ago. Matt Dyson, IT section manager, said: "Jobs get resolved much faster since we no longer have to go through the national service desk, and we have been able to automatically allocate jobs to engineers via email."

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals cuts DNAs with Telephonetics VIP

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is using Remind+ from Telephonetics VIP in 60 departments. The system uses automated telephone calls in combination with SMS and email to remind patients to attend appointments. In six weeks, Remind+ was used to call 48,000 patients, 1,561 of whom said they would not attend, freeing up £157,000 worth of slots. The trust is now hoping to cut DNAs by 30%, saving £1m a year.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole deploys BI from Ardentia

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has deployed Ardentia’s data warehouse and Briefing Books to make data more accessible to staff, improve departmental reporting and give the trust a better idea of how its directorates are performing. Sarah Coombs, information business development manager at the trust, said the Briefing Books module had been well received by staff at all levels and was helping to boost overall performance.

National Hospital and iPLATO launch epilepsy service

The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery has launched a new service to support people with epilepsy in partnership with iPLATO Healthcare www.iplato.net. Mobile and Internet Support for People with Epilepsy will offer text messages reminding patients to take their medication, with optional alerts for carers, and an online diary to help patients monitor their overall condition.  UCB Pharma Ltd and the National Hospital Development Foundation will make the service free to National Hospital patients for a year. Other organisations and individuals should contact iPLATO Healthcare.  

In4Health delivers NHS constitution information  

The NHS communication channel In4Health is helping GPs in 16 Wiltshire surgeries to mount a campaign about the NHS Constitution. Information on patients’ rights and responsib8ilities is being shown on In4Health’s wall-mounted screens in surgeries, reducing the clutter that might have been caused by the five Department of Health posters created for the campaign.

Airwave launches Community Carer

Airwave has launched Community Carer, a system it says has been designed by clinicians to enable community-based staff to access patient records, fill in standard forms and use scheduling tools while away from their desks. The system works on a range of Windows-based mobile devices that can be combined with a mobile phone and tools such as satellite tracking.

Airwave launches training academy

Airwave UK has launched a training programme for the users of the Airwave national radio communications service, including ambulance services. The Academy courses will include both practical issues for radio users and a project and programme management module to help organisations get the most out of their investment in the network. The courses will be delivered live and online.

FirstDataBank partners with Protomed

Protomed has signed a partnership agreement with FirstDataBank (FDB) to provide its Multilex Drug Data File to enable safer and easier identification of medicines within Protomed’s Biodose Total Medication Management System. Norman Niven, chief executive officer of Promomed said: "The use of Multilex Drug Data File gives us the most up to date and complete drug data which in conjunction with the Biodose System enables the pharmacy to provide the best service to its customers."

COA Solutions announces partnership with Software Europe

Business applications software provider COA Solutions has announced a partnership with Software Europe Ltd). COA Solutions will now be able to provide its NHS customers with Software Europe’s employee expenses management system, expenses2010, which was developed with the NHS. The system enables employees to input travel and subsistence claims online, in line with Agenda for Change, and interfaces with the Electronic Staff Record, reducing the need for manual administration. 

Big Hand wins more work through framework agreement

BigHand has announced that The Buckinghamshire Adult Directorate of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust has selected it as its preferred supplier of digital dictation and speech recognition. The directorate used a framework agreement initially put in place by the Yorkshire and Humber Commercial Procurement Collaborative and now being used by other NHS procurement hubs around the country. The directorate is looking to improve the speed with which it can deal with clinical correspondence and notes and to reduce the time that clinical staff spend on administration.