Northern Ireland to invest in telehealth
Northern Ireland health minister, Paul Goggins, has announced a £1m investment in telehealth and telemedicine initiatives across the country. The announcement follows a telehealth seminar in Northern Ireland, hosted by the Belfast Boston Connection earlier this month. Goggins said: “We live in remarkable times and we have technologies that have the potential to bring […]
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Revised plan for ‘sealed envelopes’ published
Sealed envelopes are likely to become available from 2008/9, according to the latest briefing paper from NHS Connecting for Health which outlines plans to allow patients to make clinical information invisible if they choose. The revised plans for sealed envelopes mean that patients can opt to have sensitive information “sealed” or “sealed and locked” from […]
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GPASS accidentally prescribes Viagra to smokers
A glitch with the Scottish GP system GPASS could have resulted in smokers trying to quit the habit being mistakenly prescribed anti-impotence drug Viagra by doctors. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said the error was due to a computer glitch at two city GP practices, according to a report by BBC Scotland. The Health […]
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Wearable patient monitor transmits over WiFi
A new wireless monitor which is worn by the patient has been developed by German medical equipment manufacturers Dräger Medical. The Infinity TeleSmart system (below) has similar functionality to a full-sized monitor but still can be worn on the patient’s body. Like a normal telemetry device, it is attached to the patient’s skin with plasters and collects data such […]
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N3 Internet gateway fails across NHS
Users of the NHS broadband network across England were left unable to access the internet for about two hours on Tuesday due to a problem with the internet gateway. The failure left NHS users unable to access the web-based version of Choose and Book or web-based clinical knowledge sources. The fault is believed to have […]
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The next wave
Ben Toth explains how the user’s relationship with the internet is changing, in the first of two articles on healthcare and Web 2.0.
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Thousands call NHS Direct in poisoning fear
Thousands have been in contact with NHS Direct fearing they may have been contaminated by the radioactive material used to kill former spy Alexander Litvinenko. An NHS Direct spokesperson told E-Health Insider that since Litvinenko’s death on Thursday, they have had almost 700 calls and 5000 people visiting their website. “So far our figures for calls, […]
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INPS surgeries to use iPlato text messaging
Primary care software supplier INPS has announced that surgeries across England that use its software will also have the opportunity to use iPlato’s patient alert text messaging system, thanks to a strategic alliance between the two companies. The Vision SMS system, which incorporates iPlato’s patient care text messaging system into INPS’s general practice software, is to be used by a number […]
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iBleep PDA paging made available to all trusts
A new software system called iBleep, designed to simplify communications with doctors at night, is set to be rolled out across the NHS in April next year. The iBleep Rapid Response system is a web-based application, accessed over a PDA, that provides a wireless system for communication between hospital-based doctors and their wards, allowing voice contact […]
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New GPS telecare bracelet to go on sale
Canadian mobile technology specialists Medical Intelligence Technologies Inc. has signed a letter of intent with British telecare specialists Tunstall for UK distribution of its GPS-enabled Columba telecare bracelet. The Columba (right) is a watch size bracelet combining a hands-free portable telephone, an intelligent alert system and a global positioning system (GPS). When necessary, it transmits the […]
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