IT underpins NHS reform in Queen’s speech
The government is planning to introduce a health bill to Parliament that will require further investment in IT and new information services for the public, the Queen’s speech has confirmed. The National Health Service Reform Bill will give the NHS its first, ever written constitution, drive forward the government’s quality and choice agendas, and strengthen […]
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EU internet access reaches 60 per cent
60% of households across the EU had internet access in 2008, according to a survey. Across the 27 countries within the EU, household internet access ranges from 25% in Bulgaria to 86% in the Netherlands. Searching for health information remains a popular online activity, accounting for 28% of usage across the 27 countries surveyed. This […]
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Choice figures stick again
The percentage of people who recall being offered a choice of hospital remains at just one under in two patients, according to the latest National Choice Survey. The Department of Health’s July survey of 93,000 patients shows that 46% remembered being offered a choice of hospital. Provisional findings for September show that 46% of patients recalled […]
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Wikipedia can omit key drug information
New research warns that consumers who relay on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia for drug information may be putting themselves at risk. The research compared the completeness of drug entries on 80 drugs to those on a dedicated, peer-reviewed drug data site, Medscape Drug Reference (MDR) The research in the December issue of the Annals of […]
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Digital dictation becomes software as a service
Digital dictation specialist WinScribe has launched software as a service option – with the first UK NHS installation now up and running. WinScribe claims its OnDemand SaaS is cost effective and overcomes some of the headaches of installing software on site. Rather than pay licence fees for individual users, which can be as high as […]
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Better search: a cure for cyberchondria?
Search engines may need to be redesigned to stop people turning into “cyberchondriacs”, a study by Microsoft Research has suggested. The study found that general search engines can lead people to escalate medical concerns – so that, for example, they start by searching for “headache” and end up looking for “brain tumour.” It also found […]
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Asian HIV/Aids Database launched
A new UN-backed website has launched providing details of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the Asia Pacific region, bringing together a host of resources on the disease for researchers, healthcare providers and government officials. The site, described as a hub for information on HIV/AIDS, is endorsed by the UNIADS programme, Unicef, World Health Organisation and Asian Development […]
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PRIMIS+ moves to NHS Information Centre
Responsibility for the data quality organisation PRIMIS+ is to move from NHS Connecting for Health to the NHS Information Centre from the beginning of next year. PRIMIS+ has a four year contract with CfH to provide data quality and information management training and support to NHS staff, but the contract will be transferred to the […]
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IMS Maxims buys CSW assets
IMS Maxims Plc today announced it has acquired certain assets of CSW Group Limited, the Oxford-based health software developer currently in administration. IMS says it is now working closely with BT, to ensure a smooth transition of support takes place, for both the eSAP and CHIA solutions which were developed by CSW and deployed in areas […]
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Choose and Book slot availability improves
Problems with slot availability on Choose and Book are beginning to fall, with availability issues affecting between 12% and 13% of patients, compared with 20% three months ago, according to the e-booking team. Dr Stephen Miller, national medical director for Choose and Book, said slot availability issues have fallen over recent weeks but work still […]
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