Survey exposes unsafe security practice
Measures taken by doctors to safeguard confidentiality, especially electronic records, are severely deficient and fuel the concerns of those trusted to police data security, say the authors of a letter to the British Medical Journal. The signatories to the letter draw their conclusions from a survey of 32 surgical trainees invited to complete a questionnaire […]
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Free software for dentists estimates tooth decay risk
A researcher at a university in southern Sweden has developed a free piece of software that can calculate the risk of a dental patient developing tooth decay based on statistics such as number of cavities, use of fluoride and diet. Gunnel HÄnsel Petersson, at MÄlmo University College, won a £2,300 prize from the Patent Money […]
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Wheelchair data put on electronic patient record
Ethitec, manufacturers of patient record system Tiara9 and the Equipment Loans Management System (ELMS), has developed a new module that merges the two systems together by holding wheelchair assessments and specifications on the electronic patient record. The data entered on the new module, which as well as model and size statistics can explain why the […]
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Patient records on spine to be accessed via PDA
Oracle, who are providing infrastructure for the NPfIT for the NHS data spine, have signed a partnership deal with Medify Solutions, a based mobile services provider based near Newbury, to provide the ability to access patient records over PDAs. The MedifyRemote system will not just allow access to records on the data spine, but theoretically […]
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‘ID card’ devices to protect lone NHS staff
NHS staff working alone in the community are to be issued with mobile communication devices designed to help them call for help discreetly if they are in danger. The device chosen is the Identicom made by South Yorkshire suppliers, Connexion2. It looks like a standard ID card and can be clipped on clothing or worn […]
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PACS data stores to get central funds
The Department of Health has announced that it will centrally fund the capital and revenue costs of five Cluster Data Stores which are key components of the ambitious plan to roll-out digital Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in England’s NHS. The move is designed to alleviate ongoing concerns about the affordability of the (PACS) […]
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MPs told ETP plans may jeopardise patient choice
Pharmacist representatives have told MPs that plans to allow GPs and other prescribers to nominate a patient’s pharmacy for electronic transmission of prescriptions (ETP) will jeopardise patient choice. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) is lobbying the Department of Health and the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) to change the system so that choice of […]
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First ETP pilot goes live under the national programme
Ling House Medical Centre and Co-operative Group Pharmacy in Keighley, West Yorkshire, have become the sites to use Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions (ETP) under the National Programme for IT. A limited initial ETP service, which uses the Patient Demographic Service of the NHS Spine, went live on 21 February allowing patient prescriptions to be electronically […]
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NHS turns to online training on MRSA
An online training course about MRSA (methycillin-resistant Staphyllococcus aureus) infection now has users in over 300 NHS primary care and acute trusts, according to its publisher, the Training Foundation. The course entitled “MRSA – you can make a difference” is motivational programme designed to help trusts combat the increasingly high-profile threat of so-called “superbug” infections. […]
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Scotland procures cardiac surgery information system
NHS Scotland has awarded the procurement of a tailored national cardiac surgery information system from Belfast firm Tomcat, which will be used for clinical reporting, scheduling and patient communication. As well as replacing the five existing legacy systems with one modern one for recording surgery, Tomcat has also been asked to design and install a […]
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