NHS TRUST INTRODUCES TRANSLATION TECH

Kettering General Hospital NHS FT has begun using a live translation service within its video consultation platform to improve accessibility for non-English-speaking patients.

The move will also allow the trust to make up to 90% cost-savings on traditional translation services.

The trust deployed the eClinic video consultation platform from the patient communications provider, Healthcare Communications, in August 2020 to reduce the number of patients visiting the hospital during the pandemic.

The platform integrates with the trust’s patient administration system (PAS) and enables patients to attend appointments remotely on a browser, using a smartphone, laptop or tablet.

AI BASED COUGH ANALYSER IN SPANISH

Spain-based Interactive patient tool, Mediktor has partnered with pharmaceutical company, Sanofi to create an AI-based cough analyser web in Spanish.

To identify the type of cough that the user suffers, they have to send an audio recording of their coughing to the electronic device and the solution will distinguish between the various types of cough that exist.

Available on CuídatePlus portal, the solution can also guide the patient, to find a specific solution for the type of cough identified. This partnership follows Spain calling for harsher restrictions ahead of the festive period as infection rates rise.

AI TOOL TO OPTIMISE WFH SETUP

Health tech startup, Vitrue has launched a new AI tool to improve the health and productivity of the remote workforce. VIDA, uses computer-vision AI to conduct an in-depth assessment of employees’ work from home set-up, via their webcam.

The tech analyses shoulder positioning, screen-to-eye distance, screen height and lower back support. It also assesses wellbeing factors such as natural light, clutter and the presence of plants. 

Once complete, algorithms generate a bespoke report for each team member designed to inform positive behavioural changes. The report features recommendations to help them avoid musculoskeletal issues and practical advice on how to change their desk set-up and exercises proven to improve posture.

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BIRMINGHAM SELECTS ENSONO

Global hybrid IT services provider, Ensono, has been selected by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS FT (UHB) to help the trust manage PIONEER, a health data research hub for acute care.

Working alongside Microsoft, HDR UK, the University of Birmingham and Ensono has developed the secure cloud based infrastructure for a data research hub that will link data from various services across the West Midlands, enabling an individual’s acute care journey to be traced across healthcare providers.

PIONEER will allow the teams across UHB’s sites to understand the individual patient journey better by providing a comprehensive picture of data from every interaction of a patient with acute care providers.

CURBING COVID-19 IN NURSING HOMES

Ireland-based property tech company, ZiggyTec has launched its nursing home ventilation system, ResiFresh, in an attempt to curb COVID-19 transmissions amongst those most at risk of contracting the virus.

The ventilation monitoring system informs care-workers when windows can be closed and when they need to be reopened in order to ensure healthy air quality for residents and provides real-time data on air quality, health and safety equipment.

The technology operates by recording all data on the ResiFresh secure Cloud Platform, which is accessible through a standard web browser. This platform provides care home management with invaluable data for monitoring air quality in each room and providing an audit trail. 

RESEARCH INVESTMENT IN LUNG CANCER DETECTION  

The Universities of Southampton and Leeds have collaborated with healthcare, diagnostics and informatics companies to test the best way of detecting cancers at an early stage,

Linking to the NHS England Targeted Lung Health Checks programme, the research collaborators include the Lung Cancer Initiative at Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation, Roche, Oncimmune, Inivata and BC Platforms.

The research, part of the Government’s Early Diagnosis Mission to diagnose three-quarters of cancers at an early stage by 2028, is able to proceed thanks to approximately £3.5 million-worth of funding from UK Research and Innovation’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), part of a total investment of £10 million in the programme overall.

CHECK POINT SELECTED BY NHS SCOTLAND

Cybersecurity solution provider, Check Point Software Technologies, has announced that it has been chosen by NHS National Services Scotland, to secure and streamline the management of its public cloud data.

The move will also provide threat prevention for vital public services such as Scotland’s ‘Test & Protect’ and vaccine management services.

NHS Scotland has been transitioning healthcare data and services to Microsoft’s Azure public cloud for the past 18 months. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for security that expands on demand.

Deryck Mitchelson, chief information security officer, NHS Scotland said: “Right now we are building our vaccination management systems, and our cloud-first approach gives us the agility and scalability we need to roll it out nationally while being sure that data and services are secured.”