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  

🙂 My Possible Self has joined a partnership with East Warrington Primary Care Network to offer new NHS support to help people improve their mental wellbeing. People seeking help to improve their mental wellbeing will be able to access extra support from the NHS via a doctor-approved self-help app with valuable information about key local services.

👀 Medisoft successfully implemented their mediSIGHT specialist ophthalmology software at Dorset County Hospital in October, following an initial pilot in January. During this latest phase, they delivered the Eye Casualty, Glaucoma, and Oculoplastic modules, and received incredible feedback from the ophthalmology department. Mr Usama Faridi, consultant ophthalmologist at Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust, said “I am thrilled to incorporate mediSIGHT into my clinics. It’s evident that the system will streamline them [our clinics]. The training provided was exceptionally smooth and beneficial.” 

🏞 There is a persistent shortage of primary care doctors in the rural United States. Specialists, like OB-GYNs and endocrinologists, are even harder to access. According to the National Rural Health Association, there are only 30 specialists for every 100,000 residents in rural areas, compared to 263 per 100,000 in urban communities. These shortages mean that many patients must routinely drive long distances to see their doctors, or simply go without care. Sanford Health, a large health care system based in Sioux Falls, S.D., have ramped up their telehealth offerings in an effort to bridge this gap. With hundreds of miles between them and their patients, they’re using virtual appointments and remote monitoring technologies to make sure everyone is able to access care. See Stat’s short documentary series on rural health. 

👨‍🔬 Global talent solution company The IN Group has boosted its capabilities in the life sciences recruitment industry with the acquisition of BioTalent. BioTalent, a global leader in life sciences recruitment, has offices in the UK, US, and Europe. The company has specialist teams covering areas including biotechnology, digital health, and pharmaceutical, with a focus on research and development, regulatory, quality, medical, clinical as well as data science and AI.

🧑‍💻 Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan saw Digital Heath and Care Wales (DHCW)  systems and services in action during visits to DHCW’s Cardiff office and Neath Port Talbot (NPT) Hospital this month. On the visits, the Health Minister saw first hand how a new digital ward concept is transforming time-consuming documentation processes for healthcare staff and patients. Key to this are two digital systems, the Welsh Nursing Care Record (WNCR) and e-Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA), which are being rolled out across Wales. They are saving time and improving efficiency, bolstering patient safety and quality of care, and saving money for Health Boards.  

❓ Did you know that? 

The Topol Digital Fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative in digital transformation, providing health and social care professionals with time, support and training to lead digital health transformations and innovations in their organisations. This year, cohort 4 included social care fellows as part of the fellowship for the first time and now cohort 5 is open to prospective applications from across the sector. Designed to equip fellows with new skills and knowledge, cohort 5 is open to applications from all staff working in social care. Applications close on Monday 20 November. 

📖 What we’re reading 

Many health organisations have indicated that they’re wary of potentially harmful bias in AI outputs. To assuage these fears and provide ongoing value to healthcare’s ultimate beneficiaries — patients — AI innovation must continually incorporate a range of different perspectives, from clinicians, data specialists and C-suite executives to countless others according to a blog in Forbes. 

🚨 This week’s events 

1-2 November, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes – Global AI Safety Summit  

3 November, NatWest Conference Centre, London – AI in Healthcare Transformation Forum