The AHSN Network has supported many innovators to help advance our health and care system. Find out more about successful innovations supported by the NHS.
Health Innovation Manchester has supported Diamond Electronics in understanding the NHS landscape, validate the need for the product and brokered introductions for gathering feedback. The ioniTOUCH keyboards have been presented and attracted interest from NHS procurement specialists, infection control, Laboratory and Informatics teams in the region. It was clear that the challenges faced by infection control teams regarding transmission of bacteria through frequently touched surfaces was incredibly important, and keyboards are considered a high risk, if not cleaned properly. Support has led us to enter a procurement framework and will enable us to gather more real-world feedback the keyboards have been placed in locations around Manchester. So far the response has been incredibly positive, keyboards being received well by users, especially in theatres and treatment rooms and we have received orders from clinical research laboratories and Dentists across the UK.
Life QI's journey started when an early partnership was formed in 2015 with the South West of England Academic Health Science Network, in England with an aim to deliver an online platform that assisted frontline health and social care staff in running quality improvement (QI) projects. Levels of improvement work varied across a range of organisations with limited accessibility to the data. Staff became increasingly frustrated with using multiple, clunky software applications to record their quality improvement and patient safety work which identified a clear gap in the market for an all-in-one solution.
Multi Disciplinary Team Meetings (MDTM) are a central part of the cancer pathway but are becoming increasingly resource-intensive and face many challenges.In your trust these meetings might currently be face to face, held weekly in meeting rooms. Chairing, attending and managing MDTMs may become increasingly challenging: the pressure of excessive case-loads, lack of time to discuss patients and an increase in costs, may result in insufficient attendance at your MDTM and an inability to securely access appropriate data. Patient information is not always available to the MDTM, resulting in a delay in or poor decision-making.
HCI transform pathways of care using digital patient information and platforms. They work with hospital trusts to redesign their pathways of care to include digital interventions that will make significant reductions in outpatient appointments.
Many have tried to change the way clinical teams work to be more efficient; but few have focused on optimising the supporting teams that provide the logistics which underpin the flow of patients throughout the hospital. Navenio has done just that. By looking at the teams working within a hospital, they have proven that knowing where people are, indoors in real-time, unlocks significant improvements in their workflow and efficiency. This improves patient flow and patient care.
MediShout uses digital and AI technology to provide a “logistical brain” to health and social care organisations. Currently, logistical issues (e.g. faulty equipment, no PPE, broken IT, estates and facilities issues) delay staff and prevent best care. MediShout solves this problem by integrating all logistical departments onto one App, where a single-interface lets staff instantly report any non-clinical issue. Staff can track the progress of their report whilst organisations get operational oversight of all issues. AI-algorithms allows organisations to predict future problems, like broken equipment.
Ill-served by inefficient, outdated communication, over 600,000 NHS professionals are currently using consumer messaging services like WhatsApp to supplement communication. But the arrival of GDPR regulations in May 2018 rendered healthcare institutions whose employees use these consumer tools to handle patient identifiable data liable for fines of up to 4 per cent of their annual turnover. Hospify is a GDPR and NHS IG-compliant messaging service designed to remove this liability in the UK and in Europe. Available for free in the Apple and Android app stores, Hospify puts a simple, affordable solution directly into the hands of healthcare professionals and patients.
Smart-ER is a software-based tool designed to improve the performance of urgent and emergency care services in NHS Trusts. It allows patients attending Emergency Departments (ED) or minor injuries units to provide information while waiting to see a clinician.