EHI’s industry round-up 24.01.2011

E-Health event aims to support North West businesses

North West e-Health, a collaboration between The University of Manchester, Salford Royal Foundation Trust and Salford Primary Care Trust that produces innovative e-health tools for local healthcare, is running an event at University of Manchester’s Core Technology Facility on 11 February. The full day ‘Digital Health Innovation for Business’ workshop will help North West-based companies to find out about local e-health trends, meet e-health experts, and arrange free or reduced rate consultancy. The organisers are looking for a donation of £25, with proceeds going to the Northwest Lung Centre. Details and registration: www.nweh.org.uk

UKCHIP website improves registration and CPD

The UK Council for Health Informatics Professions has launched a new self assessment registration tool to improve the registration process on its website. The new registration works in three parts, allowing prospective registrants to complete an initial assessment that indicates the level at which they would be likely to achieve registration. If user decides to register with UKCHIP, their details are automatically transferred to the registration form. In addition, there is a new Continuing Professional Development module that will enable UKCHIP registrants to keep a record of their continuing professional development work.

SRC rolls out digital dictation at Whipps Cross

SRC is rolling out digital dictation at Whipps Cross University Hospital in London. The company worked on pilot schemes in orthopaedics and gastroenterology and is now offering the system to clinical teams across the trust, where it has been taken up in cardiology, diabetes, ENT, histopathology and neurology. The system, which is based on Winscribe software, is integrated into the McKesson Total Care patient administration system, using HL7. This allows documents to be generated and filled with patient details automatically when a secretary opens a dictation. Some consultants are also using SRC speech recognition to draft their own letters.

Ipswich extends Evolve project

Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust has started to extend its Kainos Evolve electronic document management and workflow project across the trust, a year after deploying the original solution. It is now processing all new patient registrations electronically. It is also able to send discharge summaries to GPs electronically within 12 hours, and plans to extend the eDischarge project to emergency care to meet its commissioner’s 24 hour target.

Pathway Software wins Chesterfield Royal contract

Pathway Software has won a contract to supply its Therapy Manager software to the physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, orthotics and dietetics departments of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It will be used by more than 100 clinicians in inpatient, outpatient and community settings. Michaela Wright, head of speech and language therapy, said the system would be “an integral part of our drive for continuous improvement in all therapy services.”

6PM signs deal with Surrey and Sussex

6PM will deliver its CareSolutions data warehouse to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. The warehouse will be used for the trust’s reporting and management information requirements, using data loaded from core clinical systems, including its Cerner Millennium electronic patient record system. Ian Mackenzie, director of business intelligence and technology, said the firm’s open and flexible attitude and Microsoft-based products had won it the contract.

Wolverhampton invests in digital pen technology

NHS Wolverhampton has announced plans for a major investment in digital pen technology from Destiny Wireless. More than 600 of its clinicians will be provided with the pens to record community contacts on patient activity records printed on digital paper. The data will be automatically entered into the PCT’s iPM electronic record system. The contract followed a competitive review process and visits to other organisations using the technology, including Derbeyshire Mental Health NHS Trust.

iPLATO available in Northern Ireland

iPLATO Healthcare has announced that its application services are now available to users in Northern Ireland. Quayside Medical Practice, a GP Surgery in Londonderry, played a crucial role in the launch project. Timothy Brown, its IT supervisor, said it was looking forward to using iPLATO Patient Care messaging for appointment reminders and health campaigns. "During the flu jab season, we usually send out about 1,500 letters to patients. Our practice has 12,000 patients so there will considerable savings made over a period of time," he added.

Carestream Health appoints business partner

Carestream Health has appointed Medray Imaging Systems as a business partner to act as distributor of Carestream products across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The agreement creates a one-stop shop for Carestream customers, who should now place all orders with Medray, which has a 30 year association with the Irish x-ray industry.

Binley’s uses mapping software

Pitney Bowes Business Insight has announced that Binley’s is using its MapInfo Stratus and StreetPro to produce thematic maps on binleysonline. The software uses QOF data to show disease prevalence across the UK and to identify the location of healthcare services. Kamal D’Nigel, GIS analyst at Binley’s, said: “By providing a more visually pleasing interface to our clients, MapInfo Stratus improves both the user’s experience and decision-making process by delivering a 360° view of our data through thematic overlays and interactive links on every map.”