2008: the year telecare grows up?
A large evaluation of assistive technologies across health and social care begins next year, Fiona Barr reports.
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DH telecare demonstrator trials to start work
Small scale trials for the Department of Health’s Whole System Long Term Conditions Demonstrator Programme are to begin in the New Year, ahead of the full implementation in the spring. The two year programme will officially start in April 2008 but the three selected areas, Newham, Cornwall and Kent, will begin testing the concepts involved […]
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GP practice asks if it should drop 0844 number
A GP practice in Worcester is asking patients whether or not it should keep its 0844 telephone number. Ombersley Medical Centre is running a poll to decide whether or not they keep the 5p per minute contact number. All 4,070 patients are able to participate when they come into the surgery, and the poll has […]
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60 Second Interview: Dr Nigel Masters
Joe Fernandez quizzes Dr Nigel Masters, a GP in High Wycombe, and inventor of a ‘pack years calculator’ for measuring cigarette exposure.
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Nottingham telehealth pilot underway
Nottingham City Primary Care Trust has begun piloting a new telehealth scheme to help patients with long term conditions monitor their health and help them better manage their conditions at home. The PCT has invested £30,000 in ten telehealth units from Tunstall which provide health checks around the clock including measurements for blood pressure, pulse […]
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Patients opting out of CRS away from pilot sites
A poll of over 200 GPs has found that almost 60% of them have been approached by patients wanting to opt-out of the summary care record, before the system has even been rolled out in their area. According to Pulse magazine, 59% of GPs surveyed said they had already been approached by patients requesting to […]
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Patients rate choice as a low priority
Choice finished near-bottom of a list of 82 priorities shown to patients in a study carried out for the health regulator, the Healthcare Commission. There were three statements in the inpatient importance questionnaire asking respondents whether they were offered a choice of admission date, choice of hospital, and information to make an informed choice of hospital. […]
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Mobile phone that monitors health developed
A mobile phone that will measure patients’ vital signs and will deliver the results straight to GPs is being developed by academics at Leeds University. The prototype ‘next-generation’ phone is being designed to allow patients to monitor their own health and receive advice from the comfort of their own home. Using a Bluetooth connection, the […]
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Two-thirds of GPs against sharing their medical records
A survey of GPs by Pulse magazine has found that only a third plan to advise patients to allow their details to be shared using the NHS Summary Care Record. The survey revealed that GPs are also cautious about sharing their own records with just a third saying they will allow full sharing, while four […]
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Electronic referrals lack detail, study warns
A study comparing the quality of data content and clinical value of electronic and paper referrals in dermatology has found that electronic patient referrals contain less detailed information about a patient’s condition than paper referrals. Writing for the British Journal of General Practice, Dr Lindsay Shaw, a dermatology specialist registrar and Dr David Berker, a […]
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