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

🩺 Irish healthtech startup xWave Technologies has secured its first competitive UK tender covering eight NHS trusts in the northeast of England. Under the contract, the Dublin-based startup will supply its clinical decision support (CDS) software, xWave CDS, to GPs serving some three million patients, with the aim of improving referral processes for diagnostic tests.

🔎 Healthcare technology company NorthWest EHealth (NWEH) is piloting a new model for identifying participants for clinical trials. The method involves connecting NWEH’s FARSITE recruitment platform with the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) data service, providing secure access to 18 million anonymised patient records. This allows participants to be identified and referred quickly and securely, safeguarding their privacy. It’s hoped that the model will accelerate clinical trial recruitment and strengthen the UK’s position in medical research.

🤖 Digital health company Ada Health has partnered with Swiss insurer Groupe Mutuel to offer AI-powered health assessments and care navigation to some 1.4 million members. Ada Health’s technology has been integrated into Groupe Mutuel’s app, guiding the insurer’s Swiss customers to a variety of tailored services and resources based on their health requirements and insurance plan. Ada also helps highlight existing or unknown risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

🏠 Aston University has partnered with technology company Legrand Care to develop a predictive assisted living system designed to support older adults living independently at home. AI experts at Aston University will work with Legrand Care to develop a system that combines in-home sensor data with machine learning, data analytics and human behaviour science to monitor changes in individuals’ day-to-day movements and behaviours, which can be indicative of health concerns. It is hoped that the system will provide a blueprint for wider adoption.

⚒️ Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in Wales has completed upgrades to key infrastructure at one of its communications centres. The work was conducted by data centre specialist Secure IT Environments and included new environment monitoring systems and power supplies, fire suppression systems and new sensor-powered LED lighting. The upgrades are expected to bring numerous operational benefits to the health board, including improved energy efficiency.

❓Did you know?

One in five young people aged 8–19 in England experience a mental health difficulty, according to a new data map from charity Centre for Mental Health and mental wellbeing platform Kooth.

Titled Mapping the Mental Health of the UK’s Young People, the tool combines data from sources including the NHS Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023 survey. It found that rates of mental health challenges increase with age, with 157 per 1,000 children aged 8–10 affected, rising to 233 per 1,000 in 17–19-year-olds. 

Rotherham recorded the highest new referrals to mental health services at 182 per 1,000 children, while Herefordshire had the most hospital admissions at 309 per 100,000 children.

📖 What we’re reading

The report Assuring a Responsible Future for AI, published by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 6 November, explores the UK’s AI assurance market and how it can support safe, responsible AI adoption across public services.

The report outlines the role of AI assurance in building trust and managing risks as AI systems become more widely used. In the context of the NHS, it says that AI could enhance diagnostic speed and streamline treatment pathways, provided there is responsible oversight and enough investment to address ethical and operational challenges. 

The report also proposes the creation of a central AI Assurance Platform to equip UK companies with better tools for understanding and managing AI. It predicts that, with these improvements, the UK’s AI assurance market could be worth £6.53 billion by 2035.

🚨Upcoming events

28 November, virtual event – NHS IT Infrastructure 2024