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 

👨‍⚕️ UK frontline healthcare operations software provider Agilio has acquired PraQties, a specialist primary care compliance solution from the Netherlands. Agilio previously acquired Netherlands-based GP scheduling software provider InterShift in October 2022.  

🏆 Cyber security luminary Stephen Khan is to receive a Hall of Fame award at Infosecurity Europe, taking place in London on 4-6 June 2024. Khan is chief business security information officer at Cognizant Technology Services and has previously held senior positions at firms including HSBC, Siemens and RBS. The Infosecurity Hall of Fame recognises the achievements of individuals in advancing information security.  

🤰 The University of Birmingham is conducting research into recommendations made that in the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Report on Birth Trauma, published on 13 May 2024. Research includes the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Midlands Patient Safety Research Collaboration which will be focusing on the use of digital healthcare platforms to objectively assess and spot risks for expectant mothers. 

👶 The charity Fertility Network has partnered with fertility clinic review platform Fertility Mapper to launch an NHS intrauterine insemination (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) eligibility calculator. The free tool aims to help users easily determine their eligibility for NHS-funded IVF and IUI treatments. Sharon Martin, interim CEO at Fertility Network UK, said the app was intended to “make navigating fertility treatment a lighter burden for all.”

📱 Use of digital pain assessment tool PainChek at Orchard Care Homes has been linked to improved wellbeing for residents living with dementia, in a study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Frontiers in Psychiatry in December 2023. The PainChek medical device uses AI facial recognition technology to identify muscle movements which indicate pain.

❓ Did you know that? 

The health sector experienced the most data breaches in 2023, according to a report from UK solicitors Hayes Connor, published in April 2024, which analysed last year’s data from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Hayes Connor found that the health sector was responsible for 17.42% of all breaches in 2023 with basic personal identifiable information breached 73.21% of the time. The analysis identified unauthorised access and data emailed to the wrong recipient as the top two reasons for health sector breaches.

📖 What we’re reading 

Professor Harold Thimbleby’s booklet Patient Safety — Stories for a Digital World outlines changes required in digital healthcare management and regulations to enhance safety and reliability. Available to download for free online.

🚨 This week’s events 

23 May 2024,  Glasgow, Scotland – Medical Device Manufacturing Centre Annual Conference 2024