EMEA News

A report on the NHS digital transformation says both bodies need to move on from the track record of failed IT programmes.

The Meaningful Connections Community platform will provide networking opportunities, online training and resource tools.

The aim is to use the technology to track daily patient data and “plan interventional strategies in real-time to avoid complications of the disease,” according to findings from the Future Economy Lab workshop.

US-based diabetes software app, Glooko has announced a partnership with the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) / Diabetes Technology Network (DTN), to launch an online medical education programme for clinicians who treat people with diabetes in the UK. The programme focuses on diabetes health tech, and includes online courses for healthcare professionals (HCPs), with the intent to increase knowledge, training and usage of web-based programmes, telehealth, mobile apps and remote monitoring. WHY IT MATTERS The programme will help clinicians keep their knowledge base current on the mounting numbers of new diabetes technologies that manufacturers make available to people with diabetes. It was inspired after discussions with the National Health Service England (NHSE), as part of its effort to ensure that all healthcare professionals learn uniformly about technology. According to Diabetes Facts and Stats: 2015, currently, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK is estimated to be 3.5 million and expected to rise to 5 million by 2025. THE LARGER CONTEXT A new report from Research2Guidance (R2G) has predicted that the digital diabetes market will be worth €1.3 billion by 2024. Competitor in the digital diabetes space, Omada has launched a digital diabetes prevention program, claiming blood sugar and weight improvements after 12 months. In Dubai, specialist clinic, GluCare Integrated Diabetes Center officially opened in October. The clinic claims to be “the world’s first healthcare provider” to “employ remote continuous data monitoring” for diabetic patients. ON THE RECORD Professor Pratik Choudhary, Professor and honorary consultant in diabetes and Chair of DTN UK, said: “As diabetes technology becomes increasingly widespread in routine clinical practice, we need to train all levels of our diabetes and wider health workforce in what these technologies are and how to use the large amounts of data they generate. “Use of these technologies has transformed how we deliver care, especially during these challenging times. We firmly believe that the collective efforts that we’re cultivating with world-class digital health companies like Glooko will create more value and positively impact outcomes that matter to people with diabetes.”

Software company Genpact UK has been paid £1.5m for an AI tool that will be used to process the adverse reactions of the COVID-19 vaccines.  

The software glitch is the latest in a long line of tech issues to have affected the UK contact tracing app. 

Global health leaders debated over the role and potential contribution of technologies in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak during a panel discussion entitled: ‘How can digital tools help tackle a pandemic?’ at the Barcelona Health Summit, which was held last week (29 October 2020).

Also, Swiss medtech company launches COVID-19 antibody test.

HealthcareITNews takes this month to celebrate the contributions from digital tech leaders across the UK and Europe, while also reflecting on why black patients are more likely than white patients to use digital health tech