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

♥️ AI diagnostics company Cardiomatics and UC and Cornell University have published a study demonstrating AI’s potential to expand heart rhythm monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa. Using AI to analyze ECG data remotely, researchers showed how AI-driven diagnostics could help bridge healthcare gaps in regions with limited infrastructure. The findings were published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology and highlight AI’s role in supporting heart health services for underserved populations.

💰 Eight companies have been awarded grants of up to £5,000 to develop new healthcare solutions as part of Anglia Ruskin University’s Arise Innovation Hubs’ ABOVE program. Funded by Essex County Council, ABOVE grants support Essex-based SMEs and nonprofits working on medtech projects, including virtual reality (VR) therapy, AI-driven diagnostics and NHS demand management tools. Recipients include Aerial Icon, Elixir AI and C-Prio Ltd.

🫁 AI technology designed to help catch lung cancer earlier will be rolled out across the NHS in the North East and North Cumbria after a successful bid for national funding. The Annalise.ai tool will be added to X-ray kits at Imaging Network member hospitals, following a successful bid for funding supported by the Provider Collaborative. The bid was also supported by the Northern Cancer Alliance with funding awarded through NHS England’s AI Diagnostic Fund, which provides £21 million to 12 imaging networks covering 65 NHS trusts.

🚀 Scottish tech company Novosound has unveiled what it says is the world’s first ultrasonic blood pressure monitor, a wearable device designed to measure blood pressure via smartwatches or rings with the accuracy of traditional monitors. Built on its Slanj software platform, the technology has been successfully tested in real-world settings and recently presented at the IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium. Supported by a £2 million funding round, Novosound plans to showcase its technology at CES 2025.

🤖 The Royal Free Hospital has introduced robotic surgery for liver, bile duct and pancreatic procedures, enabling more precise, minimally invasive operations. The Da Vinci robot has been in use at the Royal Free Hospital since 2016 and has primarily been used to treat patients with kidney cancer. The robot offers surgeons magnified 3D views and greater precision, and is expected to reduce infection risks and speed up recovery times.

❓Did you know?

The latest Cancer Registration Statistics show the NHS diagnosed over 11,000 more cancers in 2022, reaching a new record high level, with almost 950 people a day getting a diagnosis in England.

More cancers were diagnosed in 2022, with 346,217 new diagnoses, an average of 948 a day, compared to 329,664 in 2021, an increase of 5%.

The data also shows that mortality rates from cancer are continuing to reduce – in men the rate fell from 345 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 to 299 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. Similarly, for women, the rate fell from 237 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 to 212 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022.  

📖 What we’re reading

NHS Confederation’s response to the 2024 Autumn Budget, published on 30 October, offers a detailed breakdown of the Chancellor’s £22 billion health and social care funding boost. 

Authored by Jonathan Barron and Skeena Williamson, the report notes that, while NHS England’s budget increase of 4.7% this year and 3.3% next year are front-loaded to address pay deals and existing deficits, it leaves limited room for major service improvements.

They also highlight the government’s shift to a two-phase Spending Review, with the next phase in spring 2025. NHS Confederation argues that for the NHS to truly meet productivity and service goals, the government needs to consider more comprehensive capital reform and establish clearer fiscal protections for preventative spending, which they say is vital for sustainable growth in health and care services.

🚨Upcoming events

5-6 November 2024, Reading, UK – EHRcon24