Connected Health makes a real difference to patient’s lives – Poots

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Toni Bunting

The Northern Ireland Health Minister has attended a ‘Connected Health Engagement Day’ which took place in Belfast yesterday and brought together stakeholders groups from across health, academia and industry.

Speaking at the event, the Health Minister, Edwin Poots, said: “Today is all about making a difference to the quality of people’s lives and it is encouraging to see people here from across the different sectors all wanting to work together.

“I have witnessed how Connected Health can improve patient care. It embraces the use of the latest technology in health care to give patients more freedom to lead a more independent life. The health sector can’t achieve these improvements without the help of colleagues in academia and industry, who will develop and market the necessary technology. Only by working together can we all achieve our goals and this is why events like today are important to create strong bonds and effective working relationships.”

Concluding the Minister said: “We need to maintain the momentum so that we can progress to identify new challenges and synergies. Today is all about moving the agenda forward, by developing a collaborative forum with all the stakeholders, where we can continue to bring our ideas and challenges and work together on delivering solutions.”

Moving forward it is hoped that delegates will form linkages to take forward joint projects in the development and use of technology to support health and social care.

The full department press release is available here

Posted in Health & Wellness, Northern Ireland, Policy, Research, telehealth | Leave a comment

Enterprise Minister attends mobile network operators event

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Toni Bunting

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has joined with three of the UK’s four main Mobile Network Operators to brief MLAs on mobile coverage in rural Northern Ireland. Read more

Posted in Broadband, Northern Ireland, Policy | Leave a comment

“Living with Long Term Conditions – A Policy Framework”

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Toni Bunting

Living with Long Term Conditions – A Policy Framework” has been developed to provide a strategic driver for the reform and modernisation of services for adults in Northern Ireland. It sets out clear principles and good practice for those who are planning and delivering those services. The report highlights the significant scope for new and emerging technologies to help people to self manage. The section on Technology, adaptations and equipment includes the following sub-sections which may be of interest to our readers:

 

Technology, adaptations and equipment

6.20 There is significant scope for new and emerging technologies, equipment and adaptations to make a positive contribution to the care of people with long term conditions and help them maintain or enhance their independence and social inclusion as well as providing reassurance for their carers.

 

6.21 Telehealth monitoring equipment can be used by people at home to help them self manage their condition allowing them to record their vital signs, manage their symptoms and control their condition more effectively. Technology can also be used by trained staff to monitor an individual’s condition remotely. Such systems can give early warning of a dip or deterioration in condition thereby alerting the individual and health and social care professionals to allow earlier interventions which may prevent potentially avoidable admissions to hospital.

 

6.22 Technology can also increase the options and choice available to an individual with a long term condition, for example remote consultations and tele-conferencing can minimise disruption by avoiding unnecessary travelling to appointments and improving access to specialists. In addition, a whole range of assistive technology and other support is available to help people to live independently, including sensors and medicines compliance aids, mobility equipment, computer software and other adaptations and equipment for the home or workplace which can help people manage their condition, maintain independence, remain in or rejoin employment and continue living at home.

 

You can access the full report here.

Posted in Northern Ireland, Policy, telehealth | Leave a comment

4th Annual Translational Medicine Conference

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Toni Bunting

Date: 10th & 11th May 2012
Venue: City Hotel, Derry/Londonderry, N.Ireland, UK

 

Recognised as a leading international conference in translational medicine, this year’s event will explore the interplay between inflammation and cardiovascular disease and the translation of these new concepts into the clinical domain. The conference targets academics, clinicians, researchers and bioindustry R&D managers with the aim of encouraging collaboration and communication to inform research and clinical interventions. In addition to focusing on the specific disease processes and areas outlined above, other topics covered will include:

  • Open innovation in bioscience
  • The increasing role of technology/apps in disease management
  • Leading trends in healthcare innovation
  • Regulatory and governance issues
  • Challenges and obstacles in translational medicine

Read more

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Emerging healthcare technologies for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Toni Bunting

University of Ulster experts are involved in an international research project that aims to use emerging healthcare technologies to provide personalised ‘in-home’ intervention strategies for children with autism spectrum disorder. The researchers are playing a key role in the EU funded MICHELANGELO Project by developing a clinical decision support system to be used in the autistic child’s home to monitor their behavior and help support their assessment and therapy. Read more

Posted in Northern Ireland, Research, telehealth, University Research | Leave a comment

Internet Buttons Webtool

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Toni Bunting

An free webtool called Internet Buttons has been developed by UPC, which simplifies the Internet for anyone who isn’t confident about using it. You can set up a page of personalised buttons for yourself or someone else that clicks through to your favourite sites or services.

The idea is that it removes all the complicated bits of the internet and makes it easy to keep going back to the places you want to. As stated on the website, “21% of people in Ireland never use the Internet. And whilst 77% of 16 – 29 year-olds access the Internet almost every day, just 21% of people aged 60 – 74 do. Internet Buttons hopes to overcome this digital divide that exists between generations.”

Check it out here.

Posted in Broadband, companies, Republic of Ireland | Leave a comment

Go for Life FitLine

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Toni Bunting

A free telephone support line getting Cork’s older people more active has gone live. The Go for Life FitLine (1800 303 545) gives people the help and support they need to ‘get off the couch and to start feeling great’. FitLine is already in place in Co Louth, South Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Fingal and the World Health Organisation recently endorsed it as a great way to encourage and motivate people to be active. Read more on the HSE’s website.

Posted in Health & Wellness, Republic of Ireland | Leave a comment

The ‘electronic skin’ patches that can tell when you’re ill

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Toni Bunting

This recent piece from The Independent looks at ‘electronic skin patches that monitor a patient’s health while at home’. The tiny patches, reportedly ‘about as a thick as a human hair’ contain tattoo-like sensors that wirelessly diagnose health problems. Read more

Posted in Consumer Health, Pointer to the future, Sensors, telehealth | Leave a comment

Queen’s University study indicates why women face higher risk of care home admission

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Toni Bunting

New research from Queen’s University Belfast, published today in the journal Age and Ageing, has investigated why women are 40 per cent more likely to be admitted in to a care home than men.

The study found women were often married to older partners who cannot provide care for them due to their age-related frailty.

Read more

Posted in Long-term conditions, Northern Ireland, Research, University Research | Leave a comment

Rigney Dolphin Finalising Cleveland Clinic Collaboration Agreement

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Toni Bunting

Business and Leadership reports on Waterford-based Rigney Dolphin’s announcement that it is in the process of finalising a collaboration agreement with the Cleveland Clinic to provide a range of patient management, patient outreach and tele-health services across the United States and Europe.

Posted in companies, e-health, Republic of Ireland, telehealth | Leave a comment

Competence Centre in Connected Health for NI

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Toni Bunting

A ‘Competence Centre in Connected Health’ (CHIC) has been formed in NI to ‘target market focused research in areas such as e-Health, digital health, telehealth, telemonitoring and home based care’.

 

The centre will ‘manage collaborative research projects that are industry-led’, and ‘address commercial opportunities evolving from global healthcare reform’.  It will initially be based at the University of Ulster. Foundation funding will be from Invest NI who plan to invest £5M over a 5 year period.

 

CHIC are currently seeking to develop relationships with suitable companies in order to understand potential collaborative and research themes. They are also seeking a number of early public-private research opportunities to begin to address areas such as collaborative working, technology adoption, clinical engagement, product development and relevant IP models. Further details and contact information are available on Momentum’s website (Note: Momentum is the trade association for the ICT industry in Northern Ireland).

Posted in Consumer Health, e-health, Long-term conditions, Northern Ireland, Research, Sensors, telehealth, University Research | Leave a comment

Connected & MHealth Ecosystem – Awareness Event

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Toni Bunting

On their website, the European Connected Health Alliance (ECHAlliance) are advertising a ‘Connected & MHealth Ecosystem – Awareness Event’ on 15th March 2012. Unfortunately no further details are currently available with regard to the programme, location or whether this event will be open to non-members. Read more

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Minister Poots to speak at NIMAC conference on Connected Health

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Toni Bunting

DHSSPS press release issued today on Health Minister Edwin Poots departure for Finland where he will speak at the Northern Ireland and Massachusetts Connection (NIMAC) conference on Connected Health. Read more

Update: The Information Daily (formerly eGov Monitor) reports on Mr Poots visit to the Finland conference – ‘Connected Health Technology Is Key To Improved Service For Patients: Poots Tells Helsinki Conference‘

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Sensormind shortlisted for ITLG-’Irish Times’ Innovation Awards

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Toni Bunting

It’s great to see a start-up in the ‘telecare’ space, shortlisted for the fifth annual ITLG-Irish Times Innovation Awards. Passive monitoring company Sensormind was shortlisted in the Software and Services/Cloud category. The finals will be held in Silicon Valley next month. Read more at the Irish Times.

Posted in companies, Republic of Ireland, Sensors | Leave a comment

Launch of Ireland’s first national electronic GP referral system

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Toni Bunting

The Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD, will today launch Ireland’s first national electronic GP referral system.  The new system is already in use with over 4000 patients referred into breast, prostate and lung rapid access services in the designated cancer centres last year through the electronic process. Aiming to eliminate the use of GP letters and faxes for the purpose of referring patients, the new system is already increasing efficiency and improving the experience for the patient. Read more

Posted in e-health, Republic of Ireland | Leave a comment