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

Nexer Digital has partnered with brands, including private health provider Bupa, to help them prepare for the upcoming European Accessibility Act. The company is working with businesses to deliver inclusive digital experiences that meet the requirements of the act, which is set to take full effect on 28 June 2025. Once in place, the act requires all companies operating in the EU to ensure that websites, apps and other digital tools meet accessibility requirements for all users.

Circle Health Group, an independent provider of private hospital services, is to fully adopt Schneider Electric’s Connected Services Hub and EcoStruxure Building Operation platform. The data-driven approach uses AI and remote monitoring tools to support digitised energy management, building operations and maintenance. Circle Health Group has already connected over 75% of its healthcare estates since the partnership was formed in 2017, and plans to connect a further 15% by the end of Q1 2025.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s ‘Warm homes for young lungs’ project is using its data to help identify families who may need vital health support. Using population health data from Graphnet Health’s platform the trust’s team is using the data collected to identify the region’s most deprived areas and families with young children prescribed Salbutamol and who have been admitted to hospital in the past 12 months. They can then change medication plans accordingly and deliver respiratory management plans and inhaler technique advice where appropriate.

PocDoc’s at-home cardiovascular test is now available to Well Pharmacy customers, as well as online. The test involves patients taking a small blood sample and taking a photo of the reading with their smartphone or tablet. The results deliver a comprehensive cholesterol profile, body mass index score, NHS heart age and 10-year risk assessment for heart attacks or stroke.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) Central has gone live with the Welsh Information Solution for Diabetes Management (WISDM) system. It is accessed via the Welsh Clinical Portal, a system allowing multiple services to access clinical notes, test results and information in one place. The new deployment was a collaboration between Digital Health and Care Wales Business Change, the WISDM project team and the BCUHB digital, data and technology team. WISDM was rolled out to BCUHB West in December 2023, and will be deployed across the rest of North Wales this year.

Did you know

A TalkTalk survey of more than 2,000 UK residents has revealed exactly how the nation feels about AI. According to the recent survey half of the respondents were already familiar with AI – with 18% saying they use it weekly and 15% agreeing they use it on a daily basis.

Younger generations were more likely to be using the tool regularly and be familiar with its use. AI’s use in customer service chatbots was noted as being one of the areas people are most comfortable with AI, with 39% stating this, while personalised shopping recommendations (42%), learning assistance (42%) and online browsing (49%) were also areas were users felt comfortable with AI being used.

While many sectors are thriving in the use of AI, the survey also highlights that the healthcare sector still shows room for growth in its use of AI.

What we’re reading

The King’s Fund has examined how digitalisation can improve women’s health within the NHS, highlighting the potential of digital tools to enhance access to fragmented services, empower women through better information and address health inequalities.

However, the authors underscore the importance of using digitalisation in the right way in order to improve women’s health and drive results. This includes the vital need for “meaningful collaboration” with women to be at the heart of the development and implementation of digital tools. It also calls for digital disparities among different populations of women to be addressed, as well integrated care boards playing their role in the work to ensure clear leadership and drive to implement change.

Additionally, the article says it is “imperative” for clinicians and health providers to be open to new ways of working and support women to feel empowered to advocate for themselves.

 Upcoming events

12 February, webinar – Ensuring data quality in AI: Practical and ethical challenges