HTN 100

HTN News in Brief

In our news in brief this month we feature 3D printing technology helping rehabilitate spinal-cord injury patients, how Bolton has used technology during COVID-19 and a health tech startup that has received €2.5 million to develop a respiratory monitoring device. We also highlight a new appointment at Draper & Dash to support its growth plans and NHS Digital have announced a social care research programme. 

Predictive healthcare data analytics specialist appoints new Chief Revenue Officer

Draper & Dash has appointed David Bolton as Chief Revenue Officer to direct its global go-to-market strategy.

Orlando Agrippa, CEO, Draper and Dash, said: “We are very pleased to welcome David as a member of our executive team. With his impressive track record in global sales, customer success, and technology such as cloud-based solutions, I am confident that he will help to guide our go-to-market organisation and continue our successful health transformation. David’s wealth of experience in creating customer success and maintaining lasting relationships in the US, UK, Australia, Middle East and other key territories aligns perfectly with D&D, as we bring predictive, healthcare data and analytics to healthcare providers and systems across the globe.”

David said: “I am thrilled to join Draper & Dash at this exciting time. D&D has a clear strategy, solid momentum, and is challenging the industry to think differently about how data leads to answers.”

Adult social care datasets to support research into coronavirus trends

A research initiative will focus on social care data with an aim to explore trends within care settings at a local and national level.

It will use data recorded by care workers, including COVID-19 status information. The dataset will include information on location, type of care provision, and key demographics of care receivers, to identify current and historical trends.

James Palmer, Programme Head for Social Care at NHS Digital, said: “This collection will provide controlled access to a range of existing data to support service planning, outcome monitoring and research during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Robin Wells, Membership Secretary for the Care Software Providers Association, said: “The availability of timely and accurate data is crucial to planning for any further COVID-19 waves. Many of our members digital care management systems collect this data on a real-time basis, thereby providing a rich source of anonymised data which is essential to accurate planning and saving lives. In a sector dominated by paper-based systems the value of this data collection clearly demonstrates the important contribution that digital systems can bring to improving the overall quality of social care.”

NanoVation receives €2.5 million grant to develop a respiratory monitoring device

Medical startup NanoVation has been awarded a €2.5 million grant as part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 EIC Accelerator program. The company is developing a new respiratory monitoring device, based on its proprietary nano-sensor technology. The device targets monitoring and management of patients with various respiratory conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The wireless wearable medical device supports continuous monitoring of patients’ breathing. Dr. Gregory Shuster, CEO and co-founder of NanoVation, said: “Lung function changes indicating a worsening condition can appear up to three weeks before reaching an acute state that often leads to hospitalisation and a lengthy rehabilitation. The residual lung damage will impair quality of life, or in the worst-case lead to death.”

“Our pioneering device aims to enable identification of the early signs of deterioration in lung function, and enables early treatment. The cost of preventive intervention and treatment ranges from tens to hundreds of dollars, while they minimise unnecessary hospitalisations, which would cost between $10,000 and $40,000 for an individual in the US and between €3,000 and €10,000 in Europe, and translate into billions of dollars annually for the entire health system.”

Bolton utilises technology from Tunstall Healthcare

Healthcare providers across Bolton have utilised technology from Tunstall to support remote health monitoring, and to assist with caring for the elderly or vulnerable.

Paul Beech, Head of Strategic Commissioning, Bolton CCG, said: “We’ve introduced various initiatives to proactively support the health and wellbeing of care home residents, but the COVID-19 crisis meant it became critical to look at ways we could use technology to deliver more care without face to face contact.”

In April, Tunstall’s ‘triagemanager®’ and ‘myKiosk™’ systems were deployed in Bolton’s care homes. Both enable closer monitoring of the health of vulnerable residents, whilst reducing the need for clinical staff attendance. It can also help clinicians to effectively prioritise residents’ care, as the system identifies those most in need of interventions.

The company said: “By alerting clinicians to symptoms such as rising temperature at an early stage, care staff and clinicians can enable faster interventions. This can help to avoid the need for more complex care, improving outcomes and for COVID-19 patients, enabling them to be isolated and treated as soon as possible.”

Joanne Dorsman, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The systems give us objective information to support effective clinical decision making. This remote monitoring approach is helping us during the pandemic, but will also enable us to provide more proactive care over the longer term, improving the wellbeing of residents and helping to reduce the pressure on primary and secondary care.”

PhD student uses HP 3D printing technology to help rehabilitate spinal-cord injury patients

A biomedical engineering PhD student at the University of Glasgow has teamed up with HP and Autodesk to design and produce a 3D-printed headset, using HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, to improve the recovery of spinal-cord injury patients.

The headset is electroencephalography (EEG), a medical monitoring method to record electrical activity in the brain, with the headset designed to allow those who have suffered spinal injuries to recover at home.

The device is designed to specifically help restore hand function. It leverages Functional Electrical Stimulation – low energy electrical pulses to artificially generate body movements in individuals who have been paralysed due to central nervous system injuries.

 

Related