Online support helps patients with rare illness
Internet support forums for people with rare diseases can be extremely beneficial, especially if they have just been diagnosed, a new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research claims. Researchers from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania monitored messages and users in an e-mail listserv for sufferers of […]
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Remote monitoring for heart patients in Newham
Newham University Hospital NHS Trust has officially launched a telemedicine service that allows patients to self-monitor their conditions from their homes. The Service Transformation Redesign and Innovation Project (STRIP) consists of a touch-screen connected to a web server on the NHS site, and allows staff to monitor the vital signs of a patient remotely. The […]
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MHRA to let patients report side-effects online
The DH have implemented changes to the way that adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are reported and publicised, including allowing patients to report reactions by submitting electronically through a new website and making drug reaction data available online. The new forms, which are being set up at www.yellowcard.gov.uk, will allow medication users to report any ADRs they encounter, as part […]
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Robot cat gives patients happy felines
Researchers in Georgetown University, Washington DC, have found that stroking a robotic cat is more beneficial to health than petting a toy; and that such a machine could even remind patients to take medication. Alexander and Elena Libin, a husband-and-wife team of robotic psychology researchers, found that the NeCoRo robots (below), manufactured by Japanese company […]
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Surgeon tags patients with WiFi to improve safety
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital is claiming to have the world’s first pilot of wireless active tagging system for patients, with links to electronic records containing digital photographs and a new easily-updatable electronic operating list. The system was introduced as part of a pilot three weeks ago to save time on verifying pre-operative checks, and to improve patient safety. […]
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GPS helps dementia patients stay independent
The London Borough of Ealing is piloting a scheme that tracks mild dementia patients using GPS and mobile phones, allowing carers to find them if they get lost. The system, which was developed in partnership with Dr Frank Miskelly, from nearby Charing Cross Hospital, involves dementia sufferers wearing a GPS-enabled mobile in a secure holster […]
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Doctors should see patients by e-mail, researchers say
Research published in the BMJ today has found that doctors and patients are both missing out on the benefits that e-mail can bring to healthcare provision due to lack of infrastructure and motivation. Dr Josip Car from Imperial College and Professors Aziz Sheikh from the University of Edinburgh, found that e-mail could increase access to care, particularly […]
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SMS reminds patients of upcoming appointments
A new system that sends GP appointment reminders to patients over SMS which partially integrates into existing electronic appointment record systems is being piloted in North London. iPlato’s Patient Care Messaging (PCM) system runs over Orange’s gateway services and has a server system hosted in NHSnet. It collates data from each clinical system and then […]
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Virtual surgery on real patients helps training
Virtual reality training and testing for surgeons that is actually based on scans of real patients may soon become commonplace thanks to an EU Framework-funded project tested in the UK. The Integrated Environment for Rehearsal And Planning of Surgical Interventions (IERAPSI) initiative consists of Tempo Reality, a simulator that combines sight and touch and, and Tempo Review, a 3D […]
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UK Doctors Still ‘Out of Office’ to Patients Online
Email may be the most powerful new communications tool since the telephone. But despite its clear potential in health, the BMA remains sceptical and few British doctors have yet embraced email communications with patients. Stephen Pincock reports on why most doctors remain ‘out of office’ online. Ask the British Medical Association about its view on […]
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