Leontina Postelnicu

Dr Eric Topol led a review looking at the implications of digital technology deployment for the existing and future NHS workforce.

New recommendations aim to advance the sharing and access of health data across borders in the European Union.

Kas will be speaking at HIMSS Liège and the HIMSS & Health 2.0 European conference later this year.

Representatives from more than 80 countries will discuss the latest trends, opportunities and roadblocks in healthcare IT.

Also: Sensyne Health announces three-year research alliance with the University of Oxford Big Data Institute; local authorities in England are invited to apply for a share of £1m in funding for digital innovation in social care.

Also: Allscripts introduces new EMEA VP, MD role; NHS App programme director joins NHS trust; England explores the use of predictive analytics in reducing deaths from suicide; Eurostat releases new data on finding health information online.

New project looks to create European AI-on-demand platform. A new AI4EU project aims to support the development of the “first European on-demand AI platform” with a €20m budget over the next three years. French company Thales is coordinating the roll-out, with a view to expand membership of the project, which is currently bringing together 79 organisations from 21 countries. According to Thales, this will include the creation of a Europe-wide ethics observatory to drive discussions and development of “explainable, verifiable AI”.  Partners will reportedly make AI tools, algorithms and use cases available on the platform, providing help to SMEs, start-ups, entrepreneurs, venture capital firms and others, as the European Commission unveiled the plan to launch the initiative in an AI strategy released in April last year.  “We are very proud that the European Commission has placed its confidence in Thales to coordinate the AI4EU project, which will help Europe to build recognition as a player in the global race to develop the best digital technologies and AI in service of society,” said Thales Chief Technology Officer Marko Erman. ... Scottish NHS board rolls out Orion Health Medicines. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the largest NHS organisation in Scotland, has implemented Orion Health Medicines at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow,  and is now using it across 11 hospital sites, aggregating data from multiple IT systems to provide a list of medicines patients are prescribed across care settings. “Because Orion Health Medicines captures the medications the patient had at admission, and the medications they have at discharge, the system can automatically highlight to the GP what has changed. Previously, stopped medication might be omitted from the discharge letter, meaning it wasn’t clear to the GP whether this medication had been deliberately stopped. “The GP might phone the hospital to seek clarification, which took time for both the GP practice and the hospital staff. With the Orion Health system, the immediate discharge letter clearly states that a medication has been stopped, including the reason for this,” said Alaistar Bishop, Programme Lead at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, one of Scotland’s 14 regional NHS Boards. The system was reportedly piloted at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in November last year and Inverclyde Royal Hospital in January. … Researchers create online calculator to predict risk of breast cancer. According to a study by Cancer Research UK, published in Genetics in Medicine, researchers have developed an online calculator to predict risk of breast cancer by combining information on family history and genetics with weight, alcohol consumption and other factors. They have taken into account 300 genetic indicators for breast cancer. Some GPs are reportedly testing the tool, and researchers say it could in the future help tailor breast cancer screening according to a person’s risk, and help them make decisions regarding preventative therapy. University of Cambridge Professor Antonis Antoniou, lead author of the study, said: “This is the first time that anyone has combined so many elements into one breast cancer prediction tool. It could be a game changer for breast cancer because now we can identify large numbers of women with different levels of risk – not just women who are at high risk. “This should help doctors to tailor the care they provide depending on their patients’ level of risk. For example, some women may need additional appointments with their doctor to discuss screening or prevention options and others may just need advice on their lifestyle and diet. “We hope this means more people can be diagnosed early and survive their disease for longer, but more research and trials are needed before we will fully understand how this could be used.” ... Boots UK buys health tech company Wiggly-Amps. Boots, the largest pharmacy health and beauty chain in the UK, has acquired Norfolk-based health tech company Wiggly-Amps. The company has created a digital solution to enable patients and their GPs to better manage prescription requirements, which Boots UK intends to use to strengthen its digital offerings. “It’s an exciting time for the future of pharmacy and today’s announcement is just one of the ways we are strengthening the development of our digital healthcare ambitions,” said Richard Bradley, Boots UK Pharmacy Director. Wiggly Amps has developed hardware and software solutions for healthcare, and its existing team will now operate as a separate entity to Boots UK under a new name, Engage Health Systems.Their Engage Touch patient check-in touch screens, Engage Consult online consultation platform, Engage Web GP websites, DORIS and Encompass will be delivered through this company, while their panic alarm system will be delivered through Little Green Button, also operating as a separate entity. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Yesterday, the Walgreens Boots Aliance also announced a new partnership with Microsoft for a cloud-based consumer health initiative.

Chief Information Officer Adrian Byrne will provide an update on University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust's journey as a Global Digital Exemplar.

NHS England chief digital officer Juliet Bauer is joining video GP consultation provider LIVI, which launched in the UK last October after signing partnerships with two NHS GP federations. The announcement follows the publication this week of the NHS long-term plan that outlined key milestones for the digital transformation of the health service in England. Bauer was appointed as NHS England director of digital experience in 2016, taking up the role of first chief digital officer the following year to oversee a portfolio of digital services.  Bauer will now join LIVI in April and take up a “global product role”, according to the company. LIVI, launched in Sweden in 2015, is known as Kry in the Nordic markets. Since October, more than 13,000 patients have reportedly signed up to use the service through its partnership with the NHS NICS GP Federation. In a statement, Bauer said: “I am delighted to be joining LIVI at such an exciting time for digital health. Technology has the power to deliver a step-change in clinical care and patient experience. I am looking forward to helping LIVI expand their outstanding service to deliver on the NHS’ long term plan, as well as supporting their growth globally”. The Health Service Journal [paywall] has reported that Tara Donnelly, CEO of the Health Innovation Network, will replace Bauer on an interim basis starting from 4 February. Twitter: @1Leontina Contact the author: lpostelnicu@himss.org

WHAT HAPPENED A pan-European network focusing on robotics is aiming to reduce barriers to adoption by creating a platform for healthcare and technology providers to collaborate. The Digital Innovation Hubs in Healthcare Robotics project is bringing together 17 partners from 10 countries, including Germany, France, the UK and Switzerland, who will connect their regional networks and expertise, led by the University of Twente in The Netherlands. The European Commission is investing €16m in the project, which started this month and is expected to run until the end of 2022, covering clinical services, hospital logistics, and home and care-based robotics, aiming to “stimulate (...) innovation in all aspects of healthcare”. WHY IT MATTERS Digital innovation hubs, a response to concerns around the slow uptake of digital technologies, are described by the Commission as “one-stop-shops” supporting the digitisation of companies and of public organisations. Despite representing over 90 percent of all businesses in Europe, only one in five EU SMEs are "highly digitised", according to the Commission. University of Twente Professor Stefano Stramigioli, coordinator of the pan-European network, said commercial companies would receive more than €8m through the project, supporting their efforts to develop and deploy digital technologies in healthcare.  SMEs and midcaps based in Europe will be able to apply for funding in open calls up until the spring of 2021, starting this summer.  ON THE RECORD “The route for embedding medical innovations in clinical practice is tough, time-consuming and requires substantial investments," Stramigioli said. "It involves clinical testing, developing efficient production methods, reaching investors, establishing a company and handling distribution, just to mention a few steps. With DIH-HERO, we can make sure that these strengthen and supplement each other where possible.” Twitter: @1Leontina Contact the author: lpostelnicu@himss.org