EPR: the drama
A tweet way to track disease
Social networking sites could be used to help track flu epidemics and other diseases by collecting information on people who do not go to their doctor, this week’s Health Protection Agency conference heard. Researchers from City University, London, told the annual conference that sites like Twitter and Facebook could be a useful addition to traditional […]
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Informatica helps Wales track swine flu
NHS Wales is using software developed by Informatica Systems to monitor pandemic flu on a daily basis. The Primary Care Informatics Programme’s Data Quality Service is being used to track the spread of swine flu and other potential pandemics by collating data from more than 70% of GP practices across Wales. The service incorporates a […]
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Welsh GPs test admission risk tool
GP practices in Wales are testing a risk stratification tool which is to be made available across NHS Wales. The Predictive Risk Stratification Model aims to use Welsh data to identify patients at risk of emergency admission and enable better targeted care. Informing Healthcare, the Welsh IT agency, says 25 GP practices across Wales will […]
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Work on Open Exeter flu system stopped
The Department of Health has abandoned work on an Open Exeter pandemic flu system in favour of developing the National Pandemic Flu Service. Open Exeter, which enables web-based access to the NHAIS (Exeter) system, is already used by a wide range of bodies within the NHS and a pandemic flu application was in development. The […]
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Trafford buys flu intelligence from 21c
Trafford Primary Care Trust has implemented Pandemic Manager from business intelligence specialists 21c to equip itself in the event of the failure of the national flu response system. The PCT said it could use the software to help run its own local telephone triage systems as a contingency model if the National Pandemic Flu Service became […]
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Fit notes ‘to save GPs money’
Computer-generated ‘fit notes’ could save GPs more than £100m over the next ten years, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. The move to fit notes from the current Med 3 form is due to take place in April 2010 and is aimed at cutting the estimated £100 billion annual cost of sick leave. […]
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Hi-tech features in 150th CMO report
The chief medical officer’s annual report has highlighted the need for surgeons to be trained using simulation techniques. The report, published by Professor Sir Liam Donaldson yesterday, devotes a chapter to simulation and says that surgeons trained using simulation methods make fewer errors and carry out technically more exact procedures. However, it says that although […]
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Planning for pandemic flu
Clinical Solutions is helping to lay the foundations for coping with an outbreak of pandemic flu. Sarah Bruce reports.
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Teenage clicks
At last year’s BT e-Health Insider awards, NHS Choices won the best use of ICT in patient and citizen involvement category, sponsored by Fujitsu, for a new media sexual health initiative in the Humber region.
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