News in Brief: digital self-management evaluation, AI tech assessment, suppliers integrate

It’s been a busy week for the health tech community, here’s a catch-up on some of the top stories over the last few days.

Study finds improvement in anxiety through digital self-management support for autistic adults

A study from Cornwall Partnership NHS and the University of Plymouth has found that anxiety, self-injurious behaviour, memory, and orientation have been reduced in users of Brain in Hand’s technology.

The study included adults with autism or those waiting for an autism assessment in seven NHS sites across England and Wales.

The findings said that offering early support for people currently on the waiting list for an autism assessment can have a positive psychological outcome and help maintain their overall well-being.

Brain in Hand, a self-management system with built-in support, aims to empower users to take more control over their health and mental well-being. It combines practical solution-based coaching with digital tools and a 24/7 on-demand human support service.

Professor Rohit Shankar MBE, leading the study from the University of Plymouth, said, “If we are to level the playing field for autistic people, we need to consider these types of innovative approaches that inform, enable, and empower people to manage for themselves.”

Radar Healthcare to integrate with Nourish Care

Radar Healthcare has recently announced plans to integrate its software with Nourish Care.

The two systems will collaborate to allow care services to report incidents directly to the Radar system from the Nourish app. The new work has entered into beta testing this month.

Nourish currently works with 2,500 service users in the UK and overseas in residential homes, learning disabilities services and mental health services. Steve Lawrence, Head of Propositions and Partnerships at Nourish Care, said of the collaboration: “Key partnerships such as this allow us to respond to the ever-changing needs of our users and the thousands of people Nourish Care supports.”

The Nourish app will allow healthcare workers to record incidents, including a resident fall, which will then be captured by the Radar Healthcare platform for analysis and reporting purposes.

Essex resident benefit from NHS blood pressure monitoring programme

Mid and South Essex ICS has recently announced that it has over 50,000 residents participating in the BP@home programme.

National research has shown that for every 50,000 patients that monitor their blood pressure remotely at home, the NHS can prevent up to 500 heart attacks, and close to 750 strokes over a 5-year-period.

Dr Pete Scolding, Assistant Medical Director of Mid and South Essex ICS, said: “It is a phenomenal achievement to see that over 50,000 local people have participated in the BP@Home programme. I am delighted that we have reached this milestone in such a quick period of time.”

Collaboration between Brainomix and NCIMI announced 

Brainomix has announced a collaboration with the National Consortium of Intelligent Medical Imaging (NCMI) and three NHS sites to optimise and validate its automated cancer tracking tool e-ACT.

The tech, e-ACT, measures the size of lung tumours to detect changes in size. The tool will now be evaluated to compare with observations of medical specialists; preliminary data indicates that “e-ACT is at least as good as specialist doctors in measuring the size of tumours at a single point in time”.

The collaboration between the two, and NHS sites in Truro, Bath, and Leeds, aims to further Brainomix’s understanding of how their technology can impact patient care for those suffering from cancer.

CEO and Co-founder of Brainomix Dr Michalis Papadakis said: “With this new collaboration we have an opportunity to elevate the level of validation and refinement using a broad and robust dataset, which will bring e-ACT closer to a tool which improves clinical decision-making and further personalizes care for cancer patients.”

London Northwest University Healthcare NHS Trust launches friends and family test SMS service 

London Northwest University Healthcare NHS Trust has launched a new friends and family test (FFT) SMS service, to give service users a chance to offer feedback.

The automated FFT means service users will receive an SMS within 48 hours of being discharged asking them how positive their overall experience was with the trust. The patient can also opt in for an automated voicemail if they prefer using a landline, and users will be able to use their keypad to give a rating or record a message.

The feedback service is anonymous and will now be rolled out following a successful trial. It is already in operation for adult A&E at Northwick Park and Ealing Hospitals, Daycare and Outpatient services.

FTT for the maternity services will be rolled shortly, with plans to include other clinics such as gynaecology and children’s services. The data collected from the feedback will be used to influence future plans and decisions regarding patient care and policies.