Hicom has won a contract to supply an information management system to the Rashid Centre for Diabetes and Research in Ajman (pictured)

A UK-BASED healthcare IT solutions company has found success overseas after being selected to provide a diabetes and obesity information management system to a leading research centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Surrey-based Hicom has been commissioned by Global Health Partner to provide the DIAMOND system for the Rashid Centre for Diabetes and Research in Ajman. The solution will be used across all departments to improve the care and treatment of diabetic and obese patients. Jonas Wohlin, business development manager at Global Health Partner, said of the contract: “Throughout the UAE the prevalence of diabetes is very high. However, the exact number of patients within the region is unknown as many people are unaware they have the disease. There is also a lack of comprehensive diabetes prevalence studies for the region. As a centre of excellence, the Rashid Centre will provide patients with the specialist diabetes care that is required and will also operate as a research facility providing valuable information and data on both diabetes and obesity.” Specifically designed for diabetes services, DIAMOND is a browser-based clinical information management solution providing an electronic patient record for diabetes care management within both private and state-funded healthcare environments. “One of the key drivers for choosing the system was its ability to capture and effectively analyse data in an easy way, which will greatly help with the research and development of the clinic,” said Wohlin. “It will also provide substantial long-term benefits as staff will be able to obtain patient information quickly and easily and track the development of the patient.”

BEST practice, best value procurement methods have helped the NHS to save more than £2m on orders of government-approved Safestick USB devices. Probrand was appointed sole supplier of the encrypted devices by the NHS re:source procurement hub and has since been able to deliver the savings by offering the USBs through its public sector-specific online hub. This has given purchasers cashable savings and shortened the process of procuring the equipment. “The collaboration is seeing the supply of Safestick USB devices, which provide ‘always-on’ AES256 encryption and exceed public sector information governance specifications,” said Probrand spokesman, Richard Hunter-Rice. “With mandation of data loss fines of £500,000 being muted, public sector organisations are reaching for tried and tested military-grade Safestick protection and making huge savings at the same time. With the streamlined e-procurement approach we offer, coupled with a department equipped to provide impartial guidance, the NHS is able to access the best-priced products ahead of the spending review. We are helping buyers stretch their IT budgets.”

IT companies helping to transform health services through the use of innovative technologies will be thrown into the spotlight with the launch this week of the E-Health Insider Awards 2010. Run by E-Health Insider in association with BT, the awards – now in their fourth year - aim to seek out and reward outstanding work within the UK healthcare IT sector. This year entries are being invited in nine categories including a new prize for suppliers and healthcare IT teams tackling major projects. Nominations will be judged by a team of experts chaired by Christine Connelly, director general of informatics at the Department of Health. Last year winners included a web-based way for patients to check worrying medical symptoms, an NHS trust that transformed the information provided to managers, and a national initiative to enable patient records to be transferred electronically from GP to GP. The deadline for entries into the 2010 awards is 4 June, with the winners due to be announced at a ceremony in Covent Garden in London on 6 October.

 

SOUTH Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) has launched an e-learning programme on carer awareness. The initiative - Think Recovery, Think Family, Think Carer – supports the outcomes of the National Carers’ Strategy, which was published in June 2008. The new e-learning programme allows staff to gain and update their knowledge on carer support and consists of 14 modules including those aimed specifically at carers of people with mental health problems, dementia and learning disabilities, as well as young carers and those from minority ethnic communities. It also aims to provide information and insight into the key stages in a carer’s pathway from recognition, screening and assessment to support plans and reviews. Commenting on the project, which was funded by NHS East of England strategic health authority and developed in partnership with a large team of experts from the trust, SEPT’s chief executive, Dr Patrick Geoghegan, said: “I always say we have the very best staff working in SEPT and that includes investment and support so they can deliver services to the very highest standards”. The programmes will be available to all staff at SEPT and NHS healthcare providers in the East of England.

 

epBlue ID helps with secure sample tracking

Eppendorf AG has announced the latest version of PC software for controlling its epMotion automated pipetting system. epBlue ID incorporates new barcode management functionality to provide secure sample tracking. Holger Eggert, spokesman for Eppendorf, said: “This latest version of the epMotion operating system has been specifically developed for users working in regulated areas where sample safety and the requirement to track and document each individual specimen are of paramount importance. The barcode management functionality of epBlue ID software will be of particular benefit in molecular clinical diagnostics, medical research, pharmaceutical development and quality control, forensic science and food testing.” All five different epMotion systems – designed for routine pipetting, cell culture, liquid handling, vacuum technologies and PCR set-up – are now available in a PC version with epBlue IDsoftware.

 

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