News
Latest news items relating to assistive technology and telecare. These items are sources from various websites related to ATT. For further information, please click on the links in the News item.
Advanced Care Technologies welcomed the Liberal Democrats Leader, Nick Clegg MP today at their offices at the University of Sheffield. He came to learn more about the technology currently being developed to support older people and improve their quality of life. Mr Clegg met the academics from the ACT programme to discuss the basis of the project, which aims to bring together businesses, users, academic and healthcare experts in assistive technology and healthcare.
Professor Tony Warnes, joint scientific lead of the ACT programme and who works in the Sheffield Institute for Studies in Ageing at the University said "We are very pleased to welcome Nick Clegg to the University and to be able to show him some of the innovative assistive technology being developed. Politicians and governments around the world are taking a keen interest in better ways of delivering better care and more support to vulnerable older people and I believe that new technologies will play a major part in this."
Nick Clegg said "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Advanced Care Technologies programme. I am interested to see for myself some of the innovative products which are being developed by the project in the care and support of frail older and vulnerable people. These are of course vital for supporting the growing needs of our ageing population."
The programme promotes innovative networks and partnerships between industry, user groups, the University of Sheffield and the NHS. The aim is to raise the level of awareness of assistive and telecare technologies across the region, whilst investigating the most effective applications to raise the quality of life for South Yorkshire's ageing population.
German telemedicine device specialist, Biotronik, has launched a new home monitoring device that will enable a continuous automatic daily data transmission of the patients cardiovascular status. This device is wirelessly conected to send information directly to the patient's doctor online. The system also works inconjunction with implantable defibrilators to ensure that life saving shock therepy can be delivered successfully, where nessessary.
An article on the device can be viewed in full by clicking here.
A network to help expand the use of telehealth and telecare has been funded by the Department of Health. This network is called the Whole System Demonstrators Action Network and will be run by the King's Fund and the Care Services Improvement Partnership. The programme was launch last May, providing £31 million funding for three piolets in Kent, Cornwall and Newham leading to the largest trial of telecare and telehealth techniques in the UK.
An article from eHealth Insider can be seen by clicking here.
The Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a new form of assistive technology, in which individuals can operate a computer, control a powered wheelchair and interact with their environments simply by moving their tongues. This thought that this technology could help people suffering from severe disabilities to return to rich, active, independent and productive lives.
The tounge operated technology is called Tounge Drive and was described on 29th June at the 2008 Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Annual conference in Washington D.C.
A detailed article on this new innovation can be seen in full be clicking on the like below:
A wireless electrode patch that can be worn by a patient and tracked from any internet connection in the world is being developed by vital signs monitoring specialist ST + D technology, funded by the Wellcome Trust
Currently this development is being trialled at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital and is expected to go onto the market next year
An eHealth Insider article on this innovation can be viewed by clicking here
A BBC article has reported on a research project that is going to be undertaken at Edinburgh University to investigate the impact of using a mobile phone to monitor long term conditions such as lung disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Please follow the link below to read this article in full
Intel Corp has won clearence from the U.S. Food and Drug administration to sell a personal in home health monitoring system for patients with chronic conditions called The Health Guide.
The article can be viewed in full by clicking on the following link
Intel gets FDA OK for personal health system - reuters.com
Another article on The Health Guide can also be view below:
E-Health Insider - Intel gets approval for telecare device
The work being done by Kent, other local authorities and the NHS will help inform the future of assistive technology (telehealth and telecare) in the health and social care arena. They are demonstrating that assistive technology can help people retain independence and improve their quality of life. Funding of £80 million has been allocated to local authorities over the next two years as part of the Preventative Technologies Grant to support even more people in their own homes.
The Government's White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, makes it clear that assistive technology is set to grow as health and social care services move to provide people with more independence, choice and control. The White Paper highlights the "exciting new possibilities opened up by assistive technologies" and makes a commitment to demonstrate how assistive technology can make a difference to people's lives through a series of pilot sites.
NHS Connecting for Health (NHS CFH) is contributing to the debate by exploring how assistive technology might be provided on a bigger scale but in a sustainable way for the longer term. The alliance aims to develop technologies that work together to provide an opportunity to improve quality of life, help reduce unnecessary hospital use and enable more efficient use of resources. Universal standards will also help improve safety.
Regular readers of the site will remember the last AAATE exhibition took place in San Sebastian, Spain, at the beginning of October 2007. This was the 9th European Conference for the Advancement of Assistive Technology (AAATE).
Full details of the 2008 Conference / Exhibition held in Milan this September are shortly due to be announced. Information of the 2007 conference can be found on the AAATE Website.
The Big Lottery Fund's Research programme is making up to £25 million available for high quality social and medical research projects across the UK.
Third sector organisations are able to apply for grants for up to five years from the programme, which will be administered by Momenta and supported by Third Sector First. Grants of between £10,000 and £ 500,000 are available, with up to £1 million for exceptional projects. Applicants who need extra support will be able to apply for development grants of up to £10,000 to help develop their research proposal.
Momenta have developed an online application process which can be accessed at http://www.bigresearchprogramme.org.uk/ Registered applicants will be able to access advice and support on the conception, design and management of research from Third Sector First.
For further information call 08450 711 068 or email mailto:researchprogramme@aeat.co.uk