In NHS trusts across the country, a momentum has been building to engage patients in innovative ways.

NHS Patient Engagement – engage patients whilst entertaining them

Driven by a desire to enhance patient experience, healthcare providers have been moving away from outdated patient entertainment systems that charge patients to watch otherwise free television.

Instead, they have been making new systems work harder – in part by distracting patients with the media they are accustomed to at home, aiding in their recovery, but also in ways that educate and inform.

Such systems are being deployed in ways that provide insights to patients about their care, their condition, their procedures, and the exercises they can take to help to enhance their outcomes.

Media technology at the bedside is being used to capture patient feedback on services provided. It is able to direct patients to relevant services in the community that might be needed post-discharge.

And it is starting to lessen some of the pressures faced on busy wards – allowing patients to use their bedside screens to request assistance for bathroom visits, order their meals, engage with the chaplaincy service, or simply to ask for a glass of water, such that requests are fielded directly to the right members of staff, and not always busy nurses.

In more than 150 NHS organisations, patients can now access these services for free. But the opportunity can be scaled significantly further.

Some hospitals are achieving engagement benefits at-scale, trust-wide, or across their estate.

Many have also started to do this in pockets of best practice where budgets permit. Specific wards might have received dedicated funding from beneficiaries to make this happen, for example.

In other trusts, success may be hindered by ageing patient entertainment systems that are not used due to cost, and that provide limited content. And in some scenarios, there may be no provision for patient entertainment technology at all.

Now, with patient engagement such a strategic NHS priority the opportunity is to deliver content that entertains, engages, educates more equitably for all patients – and it is something more and more trusts are working to make possible.

An expansion of this technology could enable a significant boost for patient engagement. But it is not the only tool in the box.

Digital signage – engaging patients before they reach a ward

With effective patient engagement and communication required by both NHS policymakers and regulators, hospitals are looking to seize every opportunity.

A growing number are examining new ways to engage patients and visitors before they reach a ward, using technology in areas of high-volume footfall, where dwell time is a factor.

Effective digital signage in these areas is one means to achieve that. Digital screens in waiting rooms and reception areas is not a new concept, but the means by which content is being delivered and devices supported is changing.

Healthcare organisations under financial pressures might not be able to invest in new screens, or afford time from their busy teams to ensure that hardware and the content displayed is effectively maintained.

A new model is now being introduced where all of this is outsourced – in some cases even the cost.

Screens can be installed in busy areas where they can reach the most people with messages that engage audiences with messages around hospital and community services, public health issues, vaccinations, patient safety matters such as sepsis, site specific content, and clinical priorities that might contribute to a provider’s CQUIN targets.

Financial models to make this affordable, and potentially even revenue generating, are being introduced.

Hospitals can outsource the management of media provision and can intersperse NHS messages, with appropriate sponsored content. Such content would be fully approved by the trust and would be carefully focussed on products and services complementary to patient care – for example high street pharmacies and other health and wellbeing services. It could also include messages from relevant charities.

Trusts could choose for screens to be installed entirely free of charge. Some are already beginning to work with us to make this happen – with two acute trusts and around 50 GP surgeries taking advantage of a new digital signage service.

This is about innovative provision of technology, so that it can make an immediate difference without the need for financial burdens on the NHS.

Making more of WiFi as an engagement tool

A third technology tool that could complement these approaches is WiFi. Now in place across every NHS trust in the country, free WiFi was originally launched with the idea of exposing patients to self-help tools.

Hospitals are now looking to take that one step further, by directing users to a customised landing page that can provide key information to engage patients, families and visitors.

It can show key information about services available, and flag important public health messages, as well as messages relevant to the specific health needs of the local population.

An interconnected opportunity

Healthcare organisations may be able to harness one engagement tool to reinforce another. Digital signage might flag how visitors can access the WiFi, to avoid busy nurses having to answer such questions.

More than that, this is about engaging patients at the point of contact in the system – and making sure the technological enablement exists to support that reach, at that moment.

The post Three Ways NHS Patient Engagement could get a Big Tech Boost appeared first on .

Still, today, the life sciences industry’s readiness to implement and harness ISO IDMP standards still varies considerably. The same is true of companies’ relative maturity in supporting FAIR data principles, geared to making data more Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

These are goals that are actively promoted by Pistoia Alliance, a non-profit industry coalition working to lower barriers to innovation in life science and healthcare R&D through pre-competitive collaboration. Its IDMP-Ontology (IDMP-O) project aims to create a shared ontology (a representation of data properties and the relations between them), to encourage uniform adoption of the IDMP standards and, by extension, consistent information exchange.

With renewed momentum around EMA’s IDMP implementation in Europe, FDA’s own related plans in the US, as well as the cross-industry initiatives outlined above, MAIN5 recently partnered with Pistoia Alliance and data registry specialist Accurids to conduct new benchmark research to determine companies’ latest progress and planning around IDMP implementation.

Silos & poor standardisation still hamper bigger ambitions

Large pharma companies now generally have good awareness of the value of IDMP-based product data standardisation as part of wider process digitalisation ambitions, the survey confirmed. More than 70% of those surveyed identified IDMP’s value as an enabler of cross-functional data integration; only 11% saw compliance as the primary goal of IDMP projects.

Companies generally plan to integrate IDMP data from Regulatory, Manufacturing, Pharmacovigilance, Supply Chain, and Quality functions within the next three years. Research, (pre-) Clinical, and Commercial data integration will follow in the mid-term (within five years). This phased approach indicates that companies are initially prioritising data that supports regulatory submissions and compliance, followed by broader data integration to support product development and commercial strategies to maximise the benefits of IDMP.

As things stand, however, product data management continues to pose a challenge for companies across the board. The benchmark study identified particular issues with manual data collection, data silos, and a lack of data integration across systems. An unclear source of truth and insufficient use of trusted external sources were also flagged as barriers to harnessing product data more strategically.

Those actively striving towards more seamless data integration across and between functions felt that a lack of resources and issues with ‘ownership’ were the main barriers to achieving this (indicated by 44% and 41% of respondents), beyond a current lack of data standardisation (the main obstacle, cited by 56%). Surprisingly, the quality of data (and therefore its usefulness) was ranked below these factors (cited by 33%).

Growing IDMP-O interest

When asked if companies currently use IDMP as the master data model for their product information, many respondents were unsure how well aligned their existing model is. Just 40% felt confident that they possess an IDMP-compatible model, although 75% use IDMP to guide product information. This is one of the gaps addressed by Pistoia Alliance’s IDMP-O project, in that it allows the exact measurement of how compatible existing data models and ambitions are with IDMP.

Promisingly, 43% of the large pharma companies taking part in the benchmark research expressed a willingness to take IDMP-O into production within their organisations. Although an encouraging observation, many of the organisations that participated in the survey are inherently closer to IDMP-O than others in the industry, so the finding may not be representative.

Respondents were then invited to express, in their own words, where they anticipated deriving the most value from IDMP-O. Their open-ended responses confirmed good awareness of the ontology’s strategic benefits, including the associated scope to enhance the integration and exchange of product data – with regulators and industry partners, among other stakeholders.

Operationally, respondents recognised that the Pistoia Alliance ontology supports cross-functional alignment on data ownership, standardisation of data definitions, and adoption of a shared data model to enable system interoperability, and improve overall data quality. These factors pave the way for improved efficiencies in data management, decision-making, submissions, and compliance. (The IDMP-O can drive and facilitate master data management, automation, and AI – positively impacting analytics, and ultimately reducing costs.) There is still work to be done before companies can harness those benefits, however.

Promising signs of new progress

Where early enthusiasm around IDMP programs had waned in response to slow progress from EMA in Europe towards clarifying specific requirements, reigniting momentum behind IDMP-based projects should be a priority now – both among life sciences companies, and the supporting vendor community.

A raft of recent developments will help companies define concrete next steps and avoid potential rework. These include the EMA’s go-live of the Product Lifecycle Management portal (with Product Management Services and electronic application forms), as well as improved clarity on implementing SPOR services and integrating with EMA systems and processes.

Certainly, for companies with larger product portfolios, advanced technological capabilities will be needed to efficiently prepare data in bulk for what could be thousands of registrations. Manual updates per product by re-entering data in the PMS system is not feasible.

Defining the right strategy, implementing supportive system capabilities, recruiting and training a workforce to collect, transform, and submit data according to specific requirements is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning and execution.

Encouragingly, the survey does suggest that many companies are now actively working towards enterprise-wide integration of data and IDMP-related processes. Harnessing Pistoia Alliance’s IDMP-Ontology offers them their best chance of cross-functional alignment on data ownership, standardisation, and adoption of a common data model to enable interoperability and improvement of data quality in line with FAIR data principles.

All of this brings an opportunity to revolutionise how pharmaceutical data is managed and used, towards a more sustainable future for healthcare.

The full report, Accelerating Digital Transformation in Pharma with IDMP: An industry benchmark report on the status of IDMP standards implementation in Pharma and the role of the IDMP Ontology for accelerating digital transformation, is free to download at https://marketing.pistoiaalliance.org/hubfs/IDMP%20Pistoia%20Alliance%20Report%202024%20(5).pdf

About the Author

Michiel Stam is a management consultant and senior regulatory expert at MAIN5 with 15 years of experience in Regulatory Information Management (RIM) and IDMP. MAIN5 is a European consulting firm specializing in digitally-enabled change for Life Sciences R&D organizations. Its customized, high-value services and solutions span the product lifecycle – from regulatory affairs and data governance, to quality management and systems validation.

References

The IDMP benchmark survey of 18 pharma companies was conducted in Q3 2024 by Pistoia Alliance, MAIN5, and Accurids, and supported by the IDMP-Ontology project with participants from Abbvie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, and Novartis.

The post Has the Life Sciences Industry Finally got to Grips with IDMP? appeared first on .

The Labour government’s recently announced “AI Opportunities Action Plan’”sets out an ambitious roadmap to make the UK an “AI superpower”. The healthcare industry is positioned as a key beneficiary and the NHS is expected to play a central role, supported by initiatives such as a proposed national data library. While the plan holds real promise, it also raises significant concerns. The biggest among them: how will sensitive NHS data be handled, who gets access, and how do we ensure the public remains confident in a system increasingly shaped by a “hidden process” of AI?

Potential and pitfalls

There’s no doubt that AI can improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Initiatives by NHS England already use AI to identify patients at risk of frequent emergency visits, enabling earlier intervention. Nevertheless, scaling these solutions demands access to vast quantities of health data — a shift that risks undermining public trust and data security if not handled with the utmost care.

Unlike traditional healthcare improvements, AI demands a new kind of contract with the public — one where data is the critical input, and trust is the foundation. If people feel their data is being misused or commercialised without consent, they may withhold vital information, which could lead to undermining both diagnosis and care.

We’ve already seen how data misuse can damage trust. The now-defunct Care.data programme collapsed in 2016, joining a long lineage of NHS digital initiatives from the £12 billion abandoned National Programme for IT to the troubled NHS Digital Strategy—each faltering when reforms prioritized technical solutions over democratic engagement. We can’t afford to repeat these cyclical mistakes that have characterized NHS modernization efforts since the 1990s.

Ethical data use is non-negotiable

AI introduces new layers of complexity into healthcare decision-making. Lacking clear governance creates a danger that private firms might gain monopolistic advantages, using exclusive access to NHS data to train proprietary models. If there is no designated public service, appropriate level of government oversight, or direct benefit to the public, these systems can operate as black boxes making decisions without transparency or accountability.

This is particularly concerning as private investment in AI infrastructure ramps up. The recent £14 billion committed by companies such as Vantage Data Centres and Kyndryl echoes earlier watershed moments in NHS history—from the introduction of General Management under Roy Griffiths in 1983 to the Private Finance Initiative of the 1990s—where private sector logics reshaped public healthcare. These investments could profoundly shape the future of UK healthcare delivery, but only if guided by rigorous data ethics and transparency standards that learn from this complex history of public-private entanglement. Ethical, patient-centric data governance isn’t a barrier to innovation. It is the foundation that makes it sustainable.

Patient control and trust in AI is key

The success of AI in the NHS hinges not only on accuracy and efficiency but on public trust. Patients must be empowered to control their data at every step of the process to understand what information is collected, why, and who has access.

Europe is already moving in this direction through initiatives like the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) under eIDAS 2.0, which puts data control back in the hands of individuals. The NHS has the potential to do the same, evolving the NHS App into a fully-fledged digital health wallet where patients can grant, and revoke, access based on need and explicit consent.

This is where decentralised technologies, like the W3C Solid protocol, come in. Developed by web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Solid enables individuals to store their personal data in secure “Agentic Wallets” retaining full control over how it’s accessed and by whom. It’s a technical model designed to resist the extraction-based data economy that has dominated the tech world for the last two decades.

Far from slowing progress, this approach enhances it — by improving data quality, reducing systemic risks, and increasing patient engagement. It mirrors what we already know about good healthcare: outcomes improve when patients feel informed, respected, and in control.

Proven success in the UK

This isn’t a theory. A data-sharing pilot in Greater Manchester that gave clinicians secure access to patient-held records has improved care for vulnerable groups, including people with dementia. This model of secure, patient-controlled data sharing should serve as a blueprint for national policy.

Brigitte West, Product Director at DrDoctor, rightly pointed out that Labour’s plan is “much-needed recognition that AI can be used for operational reasons – so that clinical staff can spend less time on admin and more time delivering care.”

But to fully realise this, AI systems must be designed not just for efficiency but for fairness, accountability, and trust.

Avoiding the trap of “Big Data” thinking

There’s a long-standing temptation in health tech to centralise everything — to build ever-larger repositories under the banner of efficiency. But in reality, centralisation can restrict access, increase security risks, and lead to long-term dependence on external vendors.

Decentralised, standards-based systems like Solid allow for more scalable, secure, and flexible data use. Each patient’s data lives in their own secure wallet, and clinicians access only what’s necessary with explicit consent and clear audit trails. This design dramatically reduces the risk of mass data breaches while increasing transparency and control.

It’s time to move past the idea that innovation means building bigger silos. Real innovation means rethinking the structure altogether by creating a system where data works for people, not the other way around.

A future built on trust

For AI to succeed in the NHS, it must be understandable, explainable, and accountable. Patients need to know how AI arrives at recommendations and be able to trust solutions. Clinicians need the ability to interrogate and challenge its decisions in real-time without negative impacts to patients. That’s how we ensure AI complements, rather than replaces, human expertise in healthcare.

Labour’s “Plan for Change” could indeed deliver a modernised healthcare system. But it must be built on a foundation of trust, not just technology. As we move forward, the term “national data library” must be more than a metaphor — it should reflect a distributed, accessible, user-controlled system where data is borrowed with permission and returned with respect.

Just as the NHS revolutionised access to care in the 1940s—emerging from the crucible of war and the Beveridge Report’s vision of combating the ‘five giants’ of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness—we now have a chance to revolutionise how data underpins that care while remaining faithful to those founding principles that have weathered decades of political contestation. If we get it right, we can unlock the full potential of AI in healthcare — while staying true to the NHS’s founding values of fairness, equality, and public good.

By Davi Ottenheimer, VP of Trust and Digital Ethics, Inrupt

The post NHS Data and AI: Building Innovation on Trust appeared first on .

The scaphoid bone has an avascular blood supply that means, depending on the location and size of the break, there is a real risk of bone death where blood supply is cut off. This leads to a loss of wrist function and dexterity, which can have significant financial implications for those who rely on their flexibility of wrist movement that the scaphoid supports.

This is why MRI and CT images have become the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosis. However, limited resources and long imaging waiting lists mean clinicians across the UK instead rely on X-rays in the first instance. If a scaphoid fracture is suspected, clinicians will typically request four X-ray views, versus two for other wrist injuries, but even that is not a guarantee that the fracture will show as the scaphoid bone can be easily hidden by other carpal bones in a 2D image.

It is easy to understand how scaphoid fractures can be easily missed then, particularly in overstretched A&E departments where there may not be sufficient scanner time or radiology cover to diagnose ‘minor injuries’ quickly. Clinical teams usually adopt a conservative approach therefore: Initially treating the injury as if the bone is fractured, with splinting recommended to protect it from further damage, and a follow-up appointment with the fracture clinic in 7-10 days’ time. By this point, if the patient is still experiencing pain, new X-rays will likely reveal initial bone healing more clearly than the original scaphoid break.

It is a sensible approach but one that ultimately causes several problems:

Firstly, where clinicians are concerned about the possibility of a scaphoid fracture but unable to confirm it during the initial visit, splinting the wrist while awaiting further imaging or specialist review means patients can find themselves unable to work unnecessarily, with significant financial implications due to lost earnings.

Scaphoid fractures are usually slow to heal because tiny blood vessels supplying nutrients to the site are often damaged at the time of injury. This means that even though the results of both surgical and non-surgical interventions are very good following diagnosis, both approaches require considerable time in plaster, with knock-on impacts for patients and their dependents, including inability to drive, work and earn normally. Should surgery ultimately be required, it is easy to see how treatment delays of just a couple of weeks can have a real impact on patients’ lives.

Finally, requiring all patients to attend follow-up appointments in fracture clinic has significant resource implications for a healthcare system already under pressure, not least in terms of clinician time and additional imaging requirements.

Accepting all of the above, how then can we improve diagnosis for these patients? How can we prevent patients with sprained wrists taking unnecessary time off work, while supporting those with scaphoid fractures to access faster treatment and limit injury-related loss of earnings?

One potential solution lies in a new imaging technology – already proven in the veterinary industry – which promises to bring affordable, more-detailed 3D imaging to the point of care in hospitals and clinics around the world.

This next-generation technology builds on the foundations of digital tomosynthesis (DT) imaging, which is widely used for breast imaging across the NHS. With traditional DT, a conventional X-ray tube moves through a range of angles to derive 3D data – providing better diagnostic information than 2D X-ray but, restricted by its limited depth resolution capabilities, creating difficulties localising some structures and elements.

Adaptix’s unique 3D X-ray technology ‘sweeps’ in two dimensions, enhancing the Z resolution relative to conventional DT. Images are quickly reconstructed – in under 20 seconds – providing  slice-by-slice images that can be analysed extremely quickly. This allows for slice thickness adjustments over regions of interest – a particularly important feature when looking for ‘tricky’ fractures, such as those to the scaphoid bone.

The result? A high-resolution 3D image that provides far greater definition and clarity than 2D X-ray techniques, at a cost and radiation dose similar to traditional X-ray. What is more, the compact design of the technology and low-radiation dose, mean it can be brought directly to the point of patient care – reducing time spent moving between hospital departments and allowing clinicians to obtain imaging ‘in clinic’ if needed.

It is an exciting development that promises to improve both health outcomes and clinical management alike: Providing faster, more-accurate diagnosis; reducing the need for expensive MRI or CT imaging; supporting clinicians to plan workflows, clinics and surgeries more effectively; and helping patients get the treatment they need more quickly, without unnecessary time off work and speeding their return, mitigating any financial losses resulting from their injury.

By Mark Thomas, BSc (Hons), PgC, HCPC Reg. 

Mark spent the first 10 years of his career working as a Radiographer in human healthcare both in the UK and Australia. Later, he focused on CT, managing the Neuro CT Service in Oxford in his final position. In 2008, Mark joined Toshiba/Canon Medical as a CT Specialist, and spent the next 15 years initially providing training, before managing the UK Clinical CT Team. With a strong team Mark drove the adoption of new technologies pushing clinical boundaries, maintaining high clinical integrity and importantly customer satisfaction. Mark’s background gives him real clarity on the future and opportunity for inclusion of Digital Tomosynthesis Imaging in a modern, forward thinking Imaging Service.

The post Reducing Misdiagnosis and Helping Patients Back to Work appeared first on .

Following a four-month procurement, the five-year contract with Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) will enable an important part of the organisation’s digital transformation. Once deployed, technology provided in the agreement will equip professionals in Ireland’s forthcoming new children’s hospital with the ability to instantaneously access imaging and reports as they deliver care for patients.

For the first time Children’s Health Ireland will have a single secure repository for all non-radiology DICOM images, reports and other key diagnostic information. Medical images will no longer be restricted to storage on individual devices on which they are captured, but will be consolidated into an accessible vendor neutral archive (VNA) and integrated with CHI’s electronic health record. CHI estimates more than a petabyte of non-radiology imaging will be managed with the new system during the term of the contract.

A new picture archiving and communication system, or PACS, specifically for ophthalmology will also be deployed, and will be configured to address discipline specific needs, whilst creating new efficiencies and enhanced worklist visibility.

Dr Cliodhna Byrne O’Shea, applications programme manager in the Department of Digital Health at Children’s Health Ireland, said: “Once implemented in our future children’s hospital, imaging technology provided by Sectra will be revolutionary for our professionals as they support Ireland’s youngest patients, and will be a key enabler of continuity of care.

“The VNA will mean that all non-radiology imaging and key related information will be catalogued correctly going forward, and linked back to the patient record. New interoperability will be a game changer for clinicians, with connected imaging devices providing instantaneous access to imaging during clinics. This will save countless hours for our professionals, who will no longer need to walk across a hospital to find imaging stored on a device or hard drive.

“Additional specialist functionality will also help to move away from disparate systems in ways that will make life so much easier for our staff, allowing full control over worklists, ordering, and scheduling.”

Patients and families will also be able to more easily gain access to their own imaging. Whilst parents will be able to securely send images and videos to healthcare professionals – for example footage of stutters and communication issues for review by speech and language therapists.

Sectra is known widely in Europe and in geographies around the world for deploying enterprise imaging solutions that help healthcare organisations to enhance both clinical collaboration and patient access to in-demand diagnostic expertise.

Jane Rendall, Sectra’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: “Interoperable technology may be the requirement in this contract, but there will be a very human story to tell in its delivery. Healthcare professionals, patients, and their families will benefit from this initiative at Children’s Health Ireland – an exemplar in Ireland’s healthcare digital transformation. This is an exciting initiative that expands Sectra’s footprint in Ireland, and we look forward to working with teams to ensure technology delivers against their workflows and needs.”

The post Children’s Health Ireland to Transform Diagnostic Imaging Access with Sectra appeared first on .

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a potential solution for many of the issues encountered with COVID-19 pandemic. As research into this technology and its medical applications has increased, it now seems that AI could help prevent and manage the next pandemic. Here’s a closer look at how that might happen.

1. Outbreak Predictions

Any effective medical response hinges on early intervention. AI could facilitate such timely reactions by predicting disease outbreaks before they occur.

Recognizing the early signs of a disease and modeling how it might grow requires a complex understanding of multiple trends and how they interconnect. This kind of analysis is challenging for humans and conventional statistical models, but machine learning excels at it. Some AI applications have already achieved up to 95% accuracy in predicting outbreaks.

In addition to high accuracy, pandemic-predicting AI models work far faster than traditional means. Consequently, world health officials could monitor health reports in near real time with this technology to identify emerging epidemics before they spread. Professionals could then allocate resources to contain the disease before it reaches a tipping point.

2. Transmission Risk Identification

Similarly, machine learning algorithms can highlight areas or practices that may heighten transmission risks. Other models could identify potentially risky populations, such as frequent travelers or asymptomatic carriers. In both cases, AI reveals where change may be necessary to stop the spread of a disease.

A pre-COVID study found that AI monitoring stopped multiple outbreaks at hospitals by detecting possible pathogen transmission routes. During COVID-19, a different AI model nearly doubled the identification rate of asymptomatic travelers to inform safer border and travel policies. Similar applications in the future could help contain diseases before they become pandemics.

It’s not always outwardly clear what behaviors, environments or populations make pathogen transmission more likely until it’s too late. AI makes it easier to determine these risks ahead of time, informing healthier practices to minimize the spread of future infections.

3. Resource Distribution

While early recognition and preventive sanitation measures are crucial, effective interventions also require appropriate resource allocation. Health officials can only stop an outbreak if they know where to deliver which medicines, staff or technologies to enable the greatest possible help. AI clarifies these decisions.

Many health systems have already adapted to become remarkably effective in this regard. Health and Human Services was able to distribute nearly 200,000 monkeypox vaccines within weeks to stop the disease from becoming a COVID-level pandemic. AI can take things further by predicting high-risk areas to reveal which locations demand the most attention.

High-priority areas and treatments may vary between different diseases, making conventional practices fall short. AI can adapt its predictions according to new data, letting it inform health departments of the most up-to-date trends for more reliable triage and resource distribution.

4. Streamlined Vaccine Research

In cases like COVID-19, where there is no existing vaccine, AI can accelerate research and development to enable needed breakthroughs in minimal time. While this does not necessarily prevent pandemics, it does help medical professionals slow or even stop the spread faster.

The COVID-19 pandemic itself highlighted the potential of AI in this area. Pfizer and Moderna both used AI to help find and test potential drug candidates. As a result, they reduced vaccine development times from years to months without jeopardizing patient safety or regulatory assurance.

As more agencies and researchers employ these tools, machine learning will become increasingly reliable and efficient at aiding vaccine development. Other AI models could streamline clinical trials by facilitating data entry or highlighting ideal participant populations, further accelerating the process.

5. Staff Shortage Mitigation

Another barrier to effective pandemic responses that COVID-19 emphasized is the need for additional medical staff. AI can address this obstacle thanks to its ability to automate administrative tasks, enabling limited workforces to perform more work.

One health care system was able to handle 7% more surgical cases despite closing 20% of its operating rooms because of AI-driven efficiency improvements. When AI handles much of the nonmission-critical, data-heavy work, hospital staff can focus on direct patient care. Such a freeing of resources could prove vital in responding to an early outbreak.

Reducing workloads would enable even highly workforce-constrained areas to take on a greater patient volume. As a result, responses would be more ready to manage a sudden outbreak, helping control the issue before it spreads too dramatically.

AI Could Revolutionize Pandemic Preparedness

While many of these use cases are still in the early stages of development, AI’s potential in pandemic prevention is hard to ignore. This technology has already proved itself to some extent throughout the world’s COVID-19 response, and additional research could take the possibilities further.

As these five applications illustrate, AI has many uses in a pandemic outbreak preparedness and response. Health care systems may be able to stop future pandemics from happening by investing carefully in these areas.

By Zac Amos, ReHack

The post Can AI Help Prevent the Next Pandemic? appeared first on .

In today’s dynamic healthcare landscape, where scientific information evolves rapidly and access to medical experts is crucial, the need for highly trained MSLs is paramount. Yet, while the vast majority of MSLs want training, only two-thirds report that these opportunities are available to them, and almost 40% state that they lack time for professional upskilling.²

Current Pain Points in MSL Training

In addition to a lack of time, MSL training is plagued by a range of issues, including geographical barriers for global companies, which can make it challenging to deliver consistent training if opting for in-person delivery. Traditional in-person training also comes with substantial cost barriers and logistical hurdles, as well as the risk of information overload if delivered as multi-hour or multi-day live events. In turn, this can reduce MSL engagement and negatively impact knowledge retention.

Further, with rapidly evolving scientific information, data, and guidelines, there is a clear need for continuous learning and knowledge reinforcement. However, considering how busy MSLs are with other priorities, this can be challenging if opting for a traditional approach to training.

Finally, accurately measuring and demonstrating the effectiveness of training in terms of its impact on MSL performance and knowledge retention can prove a challenge.

Training Needs for MSLs in Today’s Evolving Landscape

For training to be effective, the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) identified that it needs to be:³

• Practical and able to be used immediately.
• Technology-based, flexible, and available whenever, wherever the trainee wants to access it.
• Available in multiple formats.
• Consumable as individual, low-commitment offerings but placed within a larger framework.
• Collaborative and engaging, with learning enhanced by mentoring, gamification, accountability partnering, collaborative case study reviews, and more.
• Relevant and streamlined to reduce the cognitive load and improve the learning experience.

With these points in mind, the importance of leveraging digital tools and cutting-edge technologies becomes evident.

Digital Tools for MSL Training

Luckily, there is no shortage of digital tools available for MSL training. Some important examples include:

1. Asynchronous e-Learning Platforms
   These ‘over-time, anytime’ platforms offer versatile learning opportunities for MSLs: from hosting on-demand videos, podcasts, and written materials to interactive infographics and posters, digital journal clubs, quizzes, online case studies, and more. Adding a well-maintained resource center to serve as a knowledge repository/central information hub further helps ensure consistent and accurate information dissemination.

2. Mobile Learning and Microlearning

Mobile apps and micro modules—short, focused learning modules—are ideal for providing on-the-go knowledge reinforcement and just-in-time learning. Having this option available alongside other, more comprehensive tools enhances accessibility and convenience for busy MSLs.

3. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Holovision Technology

VR, AR, and Holovision technology represent novel tools that can be used to create a variety of immersive training experiences, both for MSL- and external healthcare provider (HCP) education. Examples include simulation of patient or HCP interactions, including objection-handling, as well as disease state, mechanism, and clinical data visualizations. These technologies are also ideal for case-based learning.

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Tools

AI-powered learning paths can be used to tailor education to individual needs and preferences. For example, AI chatbots can provide instant answers to MSL queries, and AI avatars can be used to enhance case-based learning. While still in its infancy, there are vast opportunities for AI-based MSL training.

Benefits of Digital MSL Training

Leveraging digital technologies for MSL training comes with numerous benefits, including:

1. Increased Accessibility and Flexibility

Digital platforms eliminate geographical barriers, allowing MSLs to access the same high-quality training irrespective of location or time zone. This ensures consistency in knowledge and skills across global teams. The asynchronous nature of virtual training technologies means that MSLs can access training materials at their convenience, without the need to travel to a central location for training. This flexibility is crucial for MSLs—who often spend substantial time out in the field—to fit learning into their busy schedules.

2. Enhanced Engagement and Knowledge Retention

Interactive training modules that incorporate simulations, quizzes, and gamified learning experiences are known to increase engagement and improve knowledge retention compared to passive learning formats. The digital learning format also allows for the incorporation of videos, animations, and interactive visuals, which further enhances the learning experience and caters to different learning styles. In addition, by leveraging novel tools such as VR, AR, and holovision technology, MSLs can practice real-world scenarios, such as objection handling or presentations at medical conferences, in a safe and controlled environment, leading to enhanced learner confidence.

3. Improved Training Effectiveness and Performance

Digital platforms can track MSL progress over time and identify areas where they need additional support much easier than what can be done with traditional learning approaches, allowing for more personalized learning and continuous support. Likewise, data analytics can be used to assess the overall effectiveness of the training, enabling easy identification of potential areas for improvement.

4. Up-to-date, Consistent Information

Digital platforms and centralized knowledge hubs allow for the rapid dissemination of new scientific information, clinical trial data, and treatment guidelines, ensuring that MSLs are always up-to-date with the latest developments. The use of digital tools also ensures that all MSLs in a company receive the same consistent messaging, regardless of their location.

5. Enhanced Collaboration and Communication

Through the use of online forums and discussion boards, MSLs can seamlessly share best practices, ask questions, and collaborate with colleagues on their own schedules. Virtual meetings and webinars can be added as needed to enhance knowledge-sharing and collaboration further.

6. Reduced Training Costs

Lastly, digital training largely eliminates the need for physical training materials, travel, accommodation, and venue rentals, thereby significantly reducing training costs. Digital platforms can easily be scaled to accommodate large MSL teams, making them a cost-effective solution for global pharmaceutical companies.

Implementation Considerations

Before implementing a new digital training course, life science companies should first evaluate and select the appropriate digital training platform and technology based on their specific needs. Depending on the technology chosen, there may be a need to proactively promote user adoption and address potential resistance to digital training. After its launch, it will be key to conduct ongoing evaluations of the program and technology to optimize the training. Companies may also want to consider working with a single, one-stop provider for all training needs—technological, strategic, and content—to further streamline the process.

By Natalie Yeadon, President & CEO Impetus

References

1. https://themsls.org/what-is-an-msl/
2. https://www.onemsl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/One-MSL-Global-Survey-2022-Findings-Report-MSLs.pdf
3. https://medicalaffairs.org/training-medical-science-liaisons-msl/

The post The Future of MSL Training – How Digital Technologies Are Shaping Success appeared first on .

Diagnostics delays in the UK

An ageing population is identified as the most significant driver of increased healthcare needs, since it is often accompanied by long-term conditions such as diabetes, breathing difficulties, or depression. It is estimated that by 2040, 9.1 million people in England will be living with major illness, an increase of 2.5 million people compared to 2019.^[ii]

Early and efficient diagnosis is critical to enable early treatment and reduce avoidable admissions. The Darzi report highlights that underinvestment in diagnostics extends the stay of patients in hospital, lamenting that, “Despite the first clinical use of MRI taking place in an NHS hospital, the health service has far fewer MRI and CT scanners than comparable countries. Moreover, many of the machines are old: this means that they are less powerful and so take longer for each scan and that more time is lost due to breakdown and maintenance.”

Why go mobile?

One solution to expand diagnostic capacity is to increase the use of mobile diagnostics services. Most imaging types now have mobile versions, including ultrasound, X-ray, MRI, CT and PET. These have multiple advantages. Hospitals that do not currently have the capacity to set up new diagnostic centres can immediately benefit from high-quality equipment by bringing a mobile unit on site. This also minimises transfer time between departments or even hospitals, meaning the patient receives a faster diagnosis. Mobile diagnostics services can be deployed according to demand and need, helping the NHS and private healthcare providers in the most pressurised hospital or in remote areas.

However, mobile diagnostics units require a significant capital commitment, and, in addition to the cost of obtaining the equipment in the first place, providers may need to upgrade the equipment periodically. This is where specialist financiers can support, enabling investment by spreading the cost over an agreed period, and in alignment with the expected benefits. Specialists bring in-depth understanding of the industry and the technology, so they can offer a solution that is a better fit than standard financing terms.

Custom solution for London cancer hospital

In one example, Fairford Medical Ltd deployed equipment and technology finance from Siemens Financial Services to provide mobile MRI scanning for a London cancer hospital.

Fairford Medical Ltd, a family-owned Managed Equipment Services provider, launched in 2016 and has since supplied rental contracts for medical imaging equipment in mobile and relocatable forms for NHS and private healthcare clients across the UK.

One customer, a prestigious cancer hospital in London, required a high-quality MRI mobile unit while rebuilding and replacing its onsite scanning centre over a 9-month period. Fairford did not yet have a unit suitable to the hospital’s technological or spatial requirements and therefore needed to custom-build the solution.

Matthew Bradfield, Managing Director, Fairford explains, “We recognised a growing market demand for these types of high-spec mobile imaging solutions, so we wanted to invest in upgrading our fleet.” At the time, Fairford was technically a new-starter and therefore wanted to preserve cash flow and avoid a significant capital outlay. The company turned to Siemens Financial Services (SFS) for a tailored leasing solution.

Affordable investment in mobile diagnostics

As Bradfield explains, “We wanted to use equipment from Siemens Healthineers and who better to understand the nature and purpose of a particular model than SFS. That integration was a huge benefit throughout the process.” As Fairford wanted to keep monthly payments manageable, SFS suggested a hire purchase arrangement. Under the agreement, Fairford paid the VAT upfront and had fixed low monthly instalments, enabling a transparent payment plan. At the end of the arrangement Fairford will automatically own the equipment outright.

The company built a relocatable trailer in Holland, equipped with a MAGNETOM Aera 1.5T MRI from Siemens Healthineers. The scanner enables a higher throughput of patients per day and accommodates a large variety of patient sizes, shapes, and conditions without compromising on image quality. “Since installing the unit, the hospital has been able to support patients during renovations,” adds Bradfield. “Not only do we have a happy customer, we already have multiple requests for the mobile scanning unit once this contract ends.”

Sally-Anne Whybrow, Sales Manager – Public Sector and Healthcare Finance at Siemens Financial Services comments, “The success of the mobile unit thus far demonstrates the growing demand for the solutions that Fairford offers. Finance from SFS helped the business to expand faster and we hope to continue to support Fairford’s expansion in the future.”

This is a story of how one business leveraged private finance to grow faster, but it also demonstrates the power of financing and of private healthcare providers in alleviating some of the burden on healthcare services. Mobile imaging centres can make a real difference and specialist finance providers are well placed to enable a broader rollout of mobile services.

By Sally-Anne Whybrow, Healthcare Business Development Manager, Siemens Financial Services

We’ll be at UKIO on 2-4 June at Stand A11, so if you’d like to connect in person and learn more about how we can help support investment in diagnostics, meet us there.

Learn more about the range of healthcare finance solutions here. SFS has also produced a Healthcare Leaders Briefing Series that explores the priority investment areas for transformative healthcare. Read the reports and sign up to receive updates here. 

[i] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66f42ae630536cb92748271f/Lord-Darzi-Independent-Investigation-of-the-National-Health-Service-in-England-Updated-25-September.pdf

[ii] https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/news/25-million-more-people-in-england-projected-to-be-living-with-major-illness-by-2040

The post Extending the Reach of Mobile Diagnostics with Smart Finance appeared first on .

The Highland Marketing advisory board has welcomed a new member – Dr Jason Broch, a GP and director with a strong track record in the NHS and IT-enabled transformation.

Dr Broch brings a wealth of experience to the board, which debates issues in digital health and advises the specialist health tech agency and its clients on policy, procurement and implementation.

He is a GP partner at the Oakwood Lane Medical Practice in Leeds and medical director and chief clinical innovation and information officer at Leeds Health and Care Partnership, which unites organisations from across the city to improve health and wellbeing.

“What drives me is trying to make the experience of the NHS better for staff and for patients,” he says. “Most of what we do is communication, whether that is consulting with patients or with colleagues.

“Digital has a huge role to play in bringing together fragmented services, removing duplication during handovers, and improving the experience of care for patients. I’m also interested in using data for quality improvement and for population health management.

“And also in how we can be clear about what we are trying to achieve, collectively, and how we can deliver maximum value for patients with the resources available to us.”

Dr Broch is joining the Highland Marketing advisory board at a difficult but potentially exciting inflexion point for health tech.

The NHS is facing huge demand and financial pressure, and the government has embarked on a rapid reorganisation of its central and commissioning bodies, which have important roles in delivering infrastructure, national systems, and data collection and analysis.

Yet the government is also committed to a shift from analogue to digital as part of its 10 Year Plan for Health, which will also seek to shift care from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.

Dr Broch says: “I am optimistic. Yes, we have had the pandemic, and there are questions about funding and capacity, and we need to address inequalities. But there are things that put us in a good position for the future.

“We have electronic health records in place, we have more data than ever before, so we can start measuring the things that really matter to people, and there is a lot of new technology coming on stream.

“There are still issues that we need to address around infrastructure, and integration, and taking people with us, but I think we are on the cusp of real change.”

Highland Marketing is an established research, PR, marketing and sales acceleration agency with more than 20 years’ experience in digital health. Its advisory board is comprised of experts working in NHS health tech and leading suppliers.

“I think the best way to learn and to challenge yourself is to be part of conversations,” Dr Broch adds. “When you look around the table, there are lots of people with different expertise, so being part of that feels like a huge opportunity.”

Mark Venables, chief executive of Highland Marketing, said: “We are very pleased that Dr Broch has agreed to join our advisory board. Primary care is a critical sector of the NHS. It is also one that digitised early and has continued to innovate.

“That means it is vital that the primary care perspective is considered when further digital developments are being discussed, planned, and implemented.

“Dr Broch will bring that perspective to the advisory board’s discussions and provide vital insight for our clients, who work in all areas of health tech and med tech.”

The post Dr Jason Broch joins the Highland Marketing Advisory Board appeared first on .

This period can reduce the profitability of drugs as the market opens up to other companies focusing on manufacturing generic drugs, driving down the price. However, it also makes life-saving medications accessible to a wider population, particularly in low-income countries who rely on medicines that are off patent or ‘generic’. This balance is crucial. Patents encourage investment in new drug development, while their expiration makes life-saving medicines more affordable.

This raises an important question: how can manufacturers manage patent cliffs to sustain their business and continue providing life-saving medications?

Managing product lifecycles to avoid patent cliffs

Pharmaceutical companies use several common strategies to manage the challenges of patent cliffs. One approach is to time new product launches to coincide with the patent expiration of existing products, maintaining a steady income.

But this strategy is fraught with challenges because of the unpredictable nature of drug discovery and development. Developing a new drug is a high-risk, high-cost endeavour, with only 1 in 500 drugs making it to market. The extensive research, clinical trials and regulatory approvals required often take over a decade and cost billions. Aligning product launches with patent expirations, while ideal, is easier said than done.

Another strategy is to further develop the existing drug to extend its lifecycle. For example, companies can develop new formulations or delivery systems for existing drugs, such as shifting from an oral tablet to an injectable form to reach more patient groups. Constant reinvention also allows companies to provide high-quality, best in class products.

A different approach involves expanding the use of an existing drug to treat a new patient group, which can result in additional approved indications. For example, the diabetes drug Ozempic was further developed and studied in other patient groups, eventually launching as a treatment for obesity, which helped secure extended patent protection.

Logistics after patent expiration

As drugs reach the end of their patent life, a thorough review and adjustment of logistics becomes essential to adapt to the new reality of increased competition.

One key consideration is likely changes in shipping volumes in line with new market conditions. The intense competitive landscape post-patent expiration puts even greater pressure on finding cost-effective solutions that do not compromise product integrity. Manufacturers might look for lightweight, durable packaging that maximises cargo space as this will help reduce shipping costs without sacrificing product protection.

While high-performance solutions are vital throughout a drug’s lifecycle to maintain product quality and patient safety, packaging choice may also be guided by stability data and risk assessments depending on the stage of the product being shipped.

For example, a product being newly introduced to the market may have little stability data available or may be shipped on a relatively unknown tradeline. In such cases, a solution with real-time monitoring is crucial for immediate intervention should the unexpected occur, helping maintain temperature control, product efficacy, and cost-effectiveness. This approach can also accelerate time-to-market and provide a competitive edge.

In contrast, a mature product approaching patent expiry may have a well-established shipping history and extensive stability data so its behaviour during transit is far more predictable. In this instance, a solution with real-time monitoring and extended autonomy, for example, may not be necessary but the focus may be instead on improving logistics efficiencies.

Another key consideration is partnering with trusted distribution partners with efficient logistics operations and a large enough fleet size to ensure timely delivery and reduced transportation costs. For example, regions with many generic manufacturers may experience increased competition, requiring even more efficient and cost-effective distribution solutions. Collaborating with logistics partners that can adapt to these regional challenges and offer flexible, scalable services becomes vital in sustaining profitability.

Preparing for unexpected events, such as the disruptions in the Red Sea, is essential. In a post-patent environment, the focus should shift to building resilience in the supply chain to handle increased competition and potential shocks. This means finding alternative transportation routes and using advanced risk management tools to keep the supply chain robust and adaptable to real-time changes in demand and transport conditions.

Additionally, managing inventory levels at distribution centres becomes critical to prevent stockouts or accumulating excess stock. By carefully analysing sales data and market trends, companies can adjust their distribution network to better match demand fluctuations after patent expiration. This helps keep products available when needed without overstocking, which would tie up valuable resources.

Looking ahead, technologies like IoT, blockchain for traceability and AI for predictive analytics will significantly enhance logistics operations, making pharma distribution more robust and reliable. Using data analytics to simplify processes, cut costs and boost performance will be especially important in the post-patent cliff landscape. These advancements will help companies better navigate the complexities of increased competition and market pressures, helping them stay competitive and efficient.

As the pharmaceutical landscape evolves, efficient logistics, particularly cold chain logistics, will become increasingly important. Currently, about one in three medicines requires cold storage[i], and this proportion is expected to rise. Nearly half of all new medicines in the next three years will require cold storage and distribution[ii].

Manufacturers need to bear this in mind and use the coming decade to prepare for the patent cliff. By establishing robust, adaptable cold chain processes now, companies can help future-proof the drugs’ cost-efficiency and product integrity when these reach the end of their patent life.

Beyond the patent cliff

As medicines approach the end of their patent life, pharmaceutical manufacturers must make critical decisions on how to manage these patent cliffs. The goal is to continue providing quality medications while sustaining their business to be able to support the next generation of life saving medicines

In this context, improving logistics is one reliable and effective method for navigating this challenging period. The end of a patent may appear daunting, but it doesn’t have to mark the end of a product’s lifecycle. With smart logistics and innovative strategies, it can be an opportunity for a fresh start.

By Diane Onken, Head of Sales, Americas at Envirotainer

References

[i] Pharma’s Frozen Assets: Cold chain medicines – IQVIA whitepaper, 2023
https://www.iqvia.com/-/media/iqvia/pdfs/library/white-papers/iqvia-pharmas-frozen-assets_final.pdf

[ii] Outlook for medicine use and spending through 2027 – IQVIA infographic, 2023

https://www.iqvia.com/-/media/library/scientific-posters/fip-global-outlook-poster-vertical-orientation_final.pdf

The post Managing Patent Cliffs in the Pharmaceutical Industry appeared first on .