Digital Health Coffee Time Briefing ☕ 

Your morning summary of digital health news, information and events to know about if you want to be “in the know”.   

???? News  

???? A new Advanced Wellbeing Accelerator programme is being launched to help early-stage health and wellbeing businesses grow by providing them with specialist R&D, innovation and growth support. The programme, which is match-funded by Sheffield Hallam University and Barclays Eagle Labs via the Government’s Digital Growth Grant, will be delivered through the University’s world-leading Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) based at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. 

????‍???? Alcove, a leading provider of innovative technology solutions and services for elderly care, is thrilled to announce a significant milestone in its partnership with the London Borough of Richmond and London Borough of Wandsworth. The care technology service is called ‘Gloria’ and is designed to enhance the quality of life for adults and unpaid carers, and has recently marked its 1000th technology referral. The Gloria service is a pioneering solution that leverages cutting-edge care technology to provide comprehensive care and support for adults enabling them to maintain their independence while staying connected to family, friends and their unpaid carers. Through this partnership with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the London of Borough of Wandsworth, Alcove has been able to make a substantial impact on the lives of local residents. 

???? New research shows the economic impact and clinical benefits of Cognetivity Neurosciences’ CognICA, compared to standard cognitive tests for dementia screening in primary care and initial patient triage in memory clinics in the UK National Health Service (NHS). The study showed an initial saving of over £40 million per year if deployed in both primary and secondary care. 

⌚ It’s an understatement to say Parkinson’s is a complicated disease. The movement disorder’s symptoms can vary from person to person and change over time for the individual. Now the Apple Watch is emerging as a viable tool for patients to navigate the disease day to day, much like a continuous glucose monitor helps people with diabetes manage their daily lives. After nearly a decade of research — since the watch debuted in 2014 — the FDA has cleared three apps from independent developers to track symptoms and potentially help patients and their doctors decide on treatment, according to a report in STAT news. 

???? The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new publication listing key regulatory considerations on artificial intelligence (AI) for health. The publication emphasises the importance of establishing AI systems’ safety and effectiveness, rapidly making appropriate systems available to those who need them, and fostering dialogue among stakeholders, including developers, regulators, manufacturers, health workers, and patients. 

❓ Did you know that?  

Within a decade, Kazakhstan has moved from a paper-based health information system to embracing a rapid implementation of digital interventions for managers, clinicians, and patients. Digital data and digital processes have become vital for health financing, patient pathway management, quality control and health-related government services. Since 2013, when the first national eHealth development strategy was adopted, the country has implemented institutional reforms and strengthened legislation, as well as introduced digital tools at all levels of the health-care system.   

???? What we’re reading 

Clinical prediction models follow a standard development pipeline, according to an article last week in Nature Medicine: model development and internal validation; external validation; and clinical impact studies. External validation studies should be followed by real-world studies evaluating the deployed models’ usefulness. However, the latter are rarely performed. Instead, external validation ends up being the de facto test for evaluating machine learning (ML) models before deployment. 

???? This week’s events 

25-28 October, in London, Wandsworth Halloween Beer & Cider Festival 2023 

26 October, in London, Healthtech Entrepreneurship Panel 

27 October, in London, International Conference on Telerobotic Surgery and Surgery Procedures (ICTSSP)