Healthcare IT news in brief

This week’s round up of healthcare IT industry developments includes new launches and a competiton for junior doctors to win video promotion for a good quality improvement idea.

Lexacom works with INPS

Lexacom, the supplier of digital dictation and workflow solutions, has announced that it is working with GP software provider INPS and that its Lexacom 3 software is now available for GP practices using the clinical system Vision, and any other healthcare provider using the Vision system hosted on AEROS. This means that Vision users can now use digital dictation from their document creation and workflow systems, without installing additional Vision hardware. 

Brother launches printers for community health workers

Brother UK has launched a portable printer range aimed at community health workers, who need to print documents on the move. The PJ700 range is a series of six A4/A5 mobile thermal printers that can be used from any location, with information sent to them via Google Cloud print, Brother’s own iPrint and Scan app, Bluetooth and Apple AirPrint.

Bristol Hospital strengthens ties with software scheduling specialist

BookWise Solutions has expanded its services in Southmead Hospital in Bristol by installing a unique software package in Dialysis Services within the renal department. BookWise Renal is designed to simplify the scheduling of dialysis slots and offer patients appointments close to their homes when possible. The hospital already uses BookWise Education scheduling software in its Learning and Research Centre.

Imperial College Healthcare offers guest wi-fi with WiFi Spark

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is now offering guest wi-fi connections with WiFi Spark. The company has enhanced the trust's existing wi-fi network for clinicians to offer wi-fi to hospital visitors and patients. A proprietary Spark gateway controls traffic and provides security, compliance and filtering, and two high-speed leased lines guarantee capacity for the expected traffic.

Scottish health boards complete FairWarning roll-out

All of Scotland's health boards are now using FairWarning patient privacy monitoring software to strengthen the security of their networks. Daniel Beaumont, health of information assurance and governance at the Scottish Government, said it had made a "large commitment and a big investment" in FairWarning four years ago, and this had now paid off by encouraging a complicance-driven culture across the healthcare network.

Hospedia supports benchmarking survey

A benchmarking survey initiated by Hospedia and run by the Picker Institute Europe has been used to gather near real-time information from 75 trusts and 70,000 patients across the UK since its launch in May 2014. The Confidence in Care Benchmarking Survey, which is run on the company’s bedside terminals, includes 12 questions adapted from the National NHS Inpatient Survey, and enables trusts to see how they are performing in comparison with counterparts across the NHS.

Health and Care Videos runs competition for junior doctors

Health and Care Videos is running a competition for trainee doctors in the South West. It is inviting them to send in ideas for a quality improvement project. The prize is the production of two videos to support the project, the use of up to five videos that are already held in the Health and Care Videos library, promotion and publicity, and a subscription to BMJ Quality. Entry is via a simple form.