FEATURE ARTICLES

Integrated health services are seen as the answer to delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare – particularly for patients with long-term conditions. But that requires some key building blocks, argues Dr ROB BEARDALL.

SUZANNE CALLANDER reports on a US-based hospital which uses point-of-care Troponin testing as standard in its emergency department to more efficiently diagnose patients with myocardial infarction allowing for treatment to begin in a more timely manner.

In October 2012, the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association and Picker Institute Europe announced the findings from a study researching the views of people with MND about the choices and control when living with a life-shortening illness. Some of those affected wanted the option of assisted dying, as BORIS SEDACCA reports.

Ergonomic equipment design has an important role to play in helping ensure healthcare staff safety, and could help to reduce the instances of work-related illness due to musculo-skeletal disorders. KEN COOKSON, manual handling manager at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, provides expert insight into safe patient handling.

The greatest challenge to global public health is from the rise of antimicrobial resistance, warns Dr BHARAT PATEL, consultant medical microbiologist, Public Health Laboratory London. The issue will be high on the agenda at the Reducing HCAIs national conference.

At the recent Healthcare Innovation Expo, the Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt called on the health service to make better use of technology to improve patient care. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

With the introduction of the EU Directive 2010/32/EU, to ensure a safer working environment for all healthcare workers, The Clinical Services Journal reports on the cost savings that the Directive could bring and finds out where support can be gained to ease the implementation process.

DRÄGER, founded in 1889, is an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS reviews the Francis report and its recommendations on improving care quality across the health service.

FANIA PAGNAMENTA MSc, MA, BHs (HONS), RGN discusses the steps taken by one Trust, in partnership with industry, to address the issues of poor durability and performance of high-quality foam mattress covers.

The ‘ECMO’ programme has been an outstanding success over recent years in treating critically ill patients with impaired heart and lung function, particularly during the swine flu outbreak of 2011. Transfusion scientist BARRY HILL talks to one specialist clinician who has been at the forefront of this development.

Pressure ulcers have been referred to as one of healthcare’s overlooked epidemics. SUZANNE CALLANDER reports on the work being done by the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel to help standardise the care received by people who are considered to be at risk of pressure ulcers, or who already have such wounds.

At an educational symposium for clinical and biomedical engineers – Completing the Picture – Dr Michael Waller, a consultant physicist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, discussed the different imaging technologies available today. SUZANNE CALLANDER reports from the event.

SCOTT HORSLEY, senior theatre manager and decontamination lead for Vanguard Healthcare, discusses how the provider of mobile endoscopy services put HTM 2030 and CFPP 01-06 to the test as part of an evaluation programme to identify the gold standard in compliance.

Warming Update, an interactive webinar session, offered an opportunity for anaesthesiology professionals from around the world to share their knowledge on patient warming practices in the operating theatre environment.

Philips Healthcare recently hosted an innovation event at its research centre, in Cambridge, to explore the role of emerging technologies in supporting new ways of delivering healthcare services, which meet the Department of Health’s objectives on Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP). LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Around 250 medical equipment healthcare professionals – involved in areas such as procurement, maintenance, user training, and managing inventories – will gather at a dedicated electro-biomedical engineering (EBME) event, next month, to discuss topical issues in medical device management.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS provides an insight into the latest report from the Health Protection Agency on sharps related injuries. Surveillance shows healthcare workers continue to be exposed to serious risks of infection.

At a presentation hosted by the Royal College of Physicians, late in 2012, Professor John Wass spoke about the imminent release of a working party report from the RCP entitled Action on Obesity: Comprehensive care for all. SUZANNE CALLANDER reports.

With an ageing society, the number of hip and knee replacements is set to increase dramatically – along with the number of associated prosthetic joint infections. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.