Category Archives: Health Tech

Health, Health Tech, Healthcare Tech, Sport, Sports Tech

North Wales firm CryoClinix moves into photobiomodulation

North Wales firm CryoClinix has announced its worst kept secret, that being its aggressive European move into photobiomodulation, more commonly called Red Light Therapy.

After attending the PBM 2024 in London recently, David Morris announced at the conference that CryoClinix, after engaging with a number of medical representatives from major football clubs in the UK, Europe and also the Saudi Pro League, that commercial strength Red Light Therapy is now available to their client base in Europe to purchase. The client base already taking pre-orders include football clubs, players, spas and wellness centres.

David Morris, Chief Revenue Officer of CryoClinix said “after talking to some of the world’s leading exponents of photobiomodulation, it was clearly evident that from the countless doctors and professors with whom we talked to, that red light therapy would accelerate rehabilitation via the company’s own devices given their strength. As a consequence, CryoClinix has announced its sales channel expansion from the US into Europe, focussing predominantly on the sports and spa sectors.”

Red light therapy from CryoClinix can be applied by one of two methods, firstly by a simple 15 minute treatment inside a pod, or for those persons that wish to use the modality when travelling, a full body pad is used. Morris continues “quite simply no other company offers the quality or the complimentary product range that we do. We are certainly not the first to market in Europe. We have observed the market increase over the last 3 quarters, and firmly believe that our products are the most powerful, providing the best photobiomodulation treatment for the patient.

Already our pods are used extensively in the US, relied upon by a number of teams from the NFL, NBA and countless clinics. Our products are powerful using commercial LED lights so we actively encourage the European market to aggressively compare our specifications to what’s currently available and ask some key questions around competitor technology.” Clients in Europe that are using photobiomodulation include spas, recovery centres and domestic residences – predominantly high net worth individuals, all of which see value in the technology to improve their energy levels, sleep and general all round wellness.

“Because the treatments are whole body, it affects over 30 trillion blood cells via the strength of our 17,000 commercial strength LED lights (yes 17,000) which are located the closest to the skin within the industry for maximum penetration. Our lights omit 630 and 660 nanometers (nm) and 850nm near infrared beams, resulting in a very impressive 100 mW/cm^2 rating.” Red Light Therapy is frequently used to boost the body’s mitochondria – often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell. Mitochondrias main function is to generate the energy necessary to power nearly all types of cells in the body. They are vital to our survival, generating the majority of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which basically is the energy currency of the human cells.

Morris continues “It’s the power of the LED’s and their capability to penetrate the skin which is vital to obtain the highest form of mitochondria, all achieved during a very relaxing 15 minute treatment. It is key that the different wavelengths of light penetrate the skin from the closest distance possible. This is something that is simply not possible by some other manufacturers, many of whom use unbelievably converted sun bed frames as a basis to build up from. All our machines are made from scratch in the US for what is rapidly becoming a global marketplace.

For more information about CryoClinix Red Light Therapy or Cryotherapy Chambers, please contact David Morris davidm@cryoclinix.com

Exercise, Health Tech, Outdoors

Suunto steps up to the plate – new releases: Suunto 5 Peak, Suunto 9 Peak and Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Limited Edition

Suunto is a company that specialises in sports watches and navigation tools. Recently the brand has launched three new models: Suunto 5 Peak, Suunto 9 Peak, and the Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Limited Edition. All the devices offer advanced features as well as stunning design and quality workmanship.

Suunto 5 Peak – versatility in a small package

Suunto 5 Peak is a remarkable addition to Suunto’s line of sports watches, combining sleek design with advanced features for outdoor enthusiasts. The device is ideal for people who want to carry a practical and functional tool to monitor their workouts with them at all times. It features a minimalist and elegant design, making it suitable for any outfit.

Suunto 5 Peak has built-in GPS that allows you to accurately track your route while running, cycling or climbing. It’s equipped with optical sensors to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. This allows the athletes to keep track of their fitness and choose the appropriate intensity level for their workouts.

Suunto 5 Peak also has a number of additional features to make using the device easier. The intuitive user interface allows you to navigate the menu quickly and easily. In addition, it lets you receive phone notifications and listen to music. The smartwatch is made of durable and lightweight materials to ensure durability and resistance to mechanical damage. It’s also water resistant to 50 metres, which allows it to be used when swimming or diving.

Suunto 9 Peak – a watch for demanding athletes

Suunto 9 Peak is a sports watch for discerning athletes who value not only aesthetics, but also functionality and durability. The device offers advanced features that allow you to control and analyse your training.

The smartwatch has precise navigation features, including an integrated GPS system and barometric altitude measurement to track your route and plan your workouts in mountainous areas. The watch can last for up to 170 hours on a single charge, so it’s perfect for long hikes. As a result, athletes do not need to worry about battery charging during longer adventures.

Suunto 9 Peak also has an advanced workout monitoring system to track heart rate, calories burned and acceleration. The device is able to automatically adjust its settings to suit you, allowing you to make the most of your workout time and improve your performance.

Suunto 9 Peak is made of sturdy materials that provide durability and resistance to mechanical damage. The watch case is water resistant to 100 metres, allowing the athlete to use the watch while swimming or diving.

Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Limited Edition – a luxury limited edition

Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Limited Edition sports watches stand out not only for their design, but also for their high functionality. They are made of the highest quality materials, such as titanium and ceramic, which provide an exceptional appearance, durability and resistance to mechanical damage.

The smartwatch boasts advanced outdoor features such as automatic barometer calibration and weather tracking. These are extremely helpful tools for extreme sports and mountain hikers who want to know what awaits them on the trail.

The smartwatch is water resistant to 100 metres, which makes it suitable for swimming or diving. This is the ideal watch for water sports enthusiasts.

The Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Limited Edition watch keeps going for days on just one charge. This is extremely convenient for those who travel frequently or anyone who’s not always near a charger.

Suunto – the perfect watch for any active person

Suunto has been providing its customers with top-quality sports watches for years. New models such as Suunto 5 Peak, Suunto 9 Peak and Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Limited Edition are further steps on the road to perfection. Suunto 5 Peak is a versatile watch for people who play a variety of sports, Suunto 9 Peak is for discerning athletes, and Suunto 9 Baro Titanium Limited Edition is a luxury series that combines functionality with exceptional design. All three models stand out for their advanced features, accurate measurements and high-quality workmanship.

AI, Health Tech, Healthcare, Healthcare News, Tech Thought Leadership, Technology

Beyond Chatbots: 5 ways in Which Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Healthcare for the Better

Written by Alexandr Morozov, founder of the Laboratory of digital products Geerafe.

When ChatGPT became the fastest growing web-app in the history of digital entrepreneurship, it made one thing very clear — we’re entering the age of artificial intelligence. But this technology has applications that reach far beyond smart chatbots — such as healthcare Machine Learning.

Right now, we’re seeing a huge surge in the use of AI and ML (Machine Learning) technologies in healthcare and medicine. In fact, the worldwide market for AI in healthcare is expected to grow at a yearly rate of 37.5%, starting from a value of USD 15.4 billion in 2022.

We wouldn’t be seeing this kind of growth if it weren’t for the tangible benefits AI brings to patients and healthcare providers.

In this article, we’re going to talk about six major advantages of using AI in healthcare and what they mean for both patients and those giving care.

1. Improved Diagnostic and Medical Trial Accuracy

Machine Learning models can accurately analyze large datasets, including medical images, lab results, and electronic health records, spotting patterns that might escape the human eye.

For example, clinical trials sometimes fail because a group that responds well to medication is overlooked during evaluation. AI can help find these outliers, no matter how much data it needs to process.

This same ability to handle a lot of information gives AI the potential to boost the diagnostic accuracy for common conditions such as heart diseases, and rare genetic disorders.

 

2. Predictive Analytics for Early Intervention

AI can enable early intervention by analyzing patient data and identifying individuals at high risk of developing certain diseases. Predictive systems like this are already deployed today with great success.

For example, Google’s DeepMind helps detect eye diseases by analyzing retinal scans, which enables early treatment and potentially saves vision. 

Predictive systems utilize machine learning algorithms, trained on extensive health data. That’s why they can detect abnormalities even if the symptoms are easy to overlook.

 

3. Optimization of Administrative Tasks

Behind every healthcare facility there is a complex system of appointments, billings, and logistics.

These administrative tasks can often bog down medical staff, diverting their focus from patient care. This is where AI can step in.

For instance, this technology can automate appointments and predict optimal time slots based on historical data and real-time availability. This will streamline the scheduling process and free up valuable time for hospital personnel.

 

4. Remote Monitoring and Telemedicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of remote care. As a result, telemedicine adoption has skyrocketed in many parts of the world. In the Asia-Pacific region, for example, adoption rates nearly doubled between 2019 and 2021.

As telemedicine continues to become more popular, doctors need to adapt to this new way of working. For the telehealth physicians, who understandably can’t physically poke and probe a patient, the ability to make accurate, data-driven decisions is key.

AI is very effective when it comes to analyzing large datasets, and it is only natural that in telehealth many healthcare providers use it for data analysis and diagnostic assistance. And, according to a study by MIT, 75% of respondents said artificial intelligence helped them provide better care.

 

5. Efficient Workload Management

Working in a medical facility is highly demanding. Physicians and nurses, who put in lengthy hours engaged in physically taxing tasks, find themselves particularly prone to fatigue. This, in turn, can potentially compromise their judgment in critical situations.

AI can be used to keep tabs on work hours and suggest rest periods to prevent overworking. A system like this can solve the fatigue problem in an industry where schedules aren’t yet regulated.

 

6. Personalized Treatment Plans

Personalized medicine, or precision medicine as it is also known, sorts patients into groups. It looks at each person’s unique traits, especially differences in their genomes.

In simple terms, doctors can use this approach to guess how each patient might react to a certain disease, and then recommend treatments just for them. This is a really promising area in medicine, especially when dealing with tricky genetic conditions. But, the cost issue often slows down progress.

That’s where artificial intelligence  can make a big difference. It can make it cheaper to analyze important data, like a patient’s medical history and genomic information. If we use this technology right, precision medicine could become a go-to way to treat patients.

 

But it’s not all smooth sailing

Even with all the good things AI can do for healthcare, it’s not an easy road to get everyone using it — we’ve got quite a few challenges to face before we can outstaff hospital work to robots. Here are some of the biggest hurdles:

 

Not all patients are ready to embrace AI

One of the most significant challenges is the public’s perception of AI in healthcare. A survey showed that 60% of Americans would be uncomfortable with their healthcare provider relying heavily on AI.

This unease comes from a few places, like not really understanding what AI is, and worries about privacy and keeping their data safe.

 

We don’t know how LLMs work

Another big issue is that we don’t really know how Large Language Models (LLMs) work. Using these systems without fully understanding how they make their decisions can be risky and bring up some serious ethical questions.

For instance, LLMs like the technology behind ChatGPT use predictive algorithms to try to guess the best answer. The thing is, we don’t really know how they come up with those guesses. What’s more, we don’t have a good way to study it.

If we looked at an LLM’s code while it’s working, all we’d see is arrays of numbers flipping around — kind of like that scrolling code from The Matrix movies. The weird part is that even the people who made the program can’t make sense of that data.

So, this brings up a tough question: can we really trust a tool we don’t fully understand, especially in something as critical as healthcare? And what happens if an AI makes a mistake that costs a life?

 

Wrapping up

To wrap things up, even though AI’s part in healthcare is still changing, there’s no denying it has huge potential. Yes, there are challenges, but the benefits it brings — like making diagnoses more accurate, customizing treatment plans, and managing work better — are just too big to ignore.

As we continue to navigate the future of healthcare, AI will undoubtedly play a pivotal role, changing the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases.

Health Tech, Healthcare Tech, News

The Future Belongs to Software

Technology has been rapidly advancing in recent years, and software development has seen tremendous growth. From mobile applications to complex systems, the software has become an essential tool for businesses across all industries. The healthcare industry, in particular, has seen significant benefits from using software in its operations. In this article, we will explore why medical institutions need software, the benefits of using software in medicine, the processes that can be automated, and the profitability of using healthcare software.

Why Do Medical Institutions Need Software?

Medical institutions are complex organizations that require precise management of operations to ensure the best patient care. The use of software allows healthcare providers to manage their operations more efficiently, ensuring that patients receive the best care possible. With softwares for hospitals, medical professionals can easily access patient information, manage appointments, and coordinate care between departments. The use of healthcare software also enables institutions to comply with regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of fines and legal issues.

Benefits of Using Software in Medicine

The benefits of using software in medicine are numerous. One significant advantage is improved patient care. Healthcare programs such as software for hospitals allow for better coordination between healthcare professionals, which leads to better patient outcomes. The software also enables healthcare professionals to track patient progress and identify potential issues early, preventing complications and reducing the risk of readmissions.

Additionally, healthcare software programs increase operational efficiency by reducing administrative tasks, such as appointment scheduling and record-keeping. This frees up time for medical professionals to focus on patient care, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction.

What Processes Can Be Automated?

Many processes in medical institutions can be automated using medical software programs. One example is appointment scheduling, which can be done electronically, reducing the risk of errors and reducing administrative time. Electronic health records (EHRs) are another example of automation in healthcare, allowing for easy access to patient records and improving coordination between departments.

Another process that can be automated using software is inventory management. With the use of software, healthcare professionals can easily track inventory levels and reorder supplies when needed, reducing the risk of shortages and waste.

How Profitable Is It Considering the Price of the Software?

Image credit: Freepik

 

While the initial cost of healthcare software can be significant, the long-term benefits often outweigh the expense. By reducing administrative tasks and improving operational efficiency, healthcare institutions can save significant amounts of money in the long run. Additionally, healthcare software can lead to better patient outcomes, reducing the risk of readmissions and associated costs. So, choosing a reliable healthcare software company is crucial in ensuring that the software is worth the investment and provides the expected benefits.

Final thoughts

The future belongs to software, and the healthcare industry has much to gain from its use. By using healthcare software, medical institutions can improve patient care, increase operational efficiency, and save money in the long run. It is crucial to choose a reliable healthcare software company to ensure that the investment is worth it and provides the expected benefits.

 

Cybersecurity, Health Tech, Healthcare, Healthcare Tech

PureCyber Responds to NHS Ransomware Incident

Cyber security consultancy PureCyber is urging organisations to invest in invaluable measures to protect against cybercrime, before it is too late.

The recent cyber-attack on major NHS IT provider Advanced, in Birmingham, is just the latest ransomware incident to highlight how hackers take control of IT systems, steal data and demand a payment from victims to recover.

The NHS insists that disruption is minimal, but Advanced, which provides digital services like patient check-in and NHS 111, would not confirm whether NHS data had been stolen and continues to restore services, which may take three to four weeks to fully recover.

 

Damon Rands, CEO and Founder of PureCyber, which is based in Cardiff’s Central Square and protects a portfolio of global clients, said: “This recent NHS ransomware attack unfortunately demonstrates that no matter how serious your organisation takes cyber security, you can always be a victim of cybercrime if one of your key critical outsourced services is managed by another organisation.

“Identifying and implementing the correct steps and levels of cyber protection for your organisation is vital, but just as vital is ensuring that your supply chain has the appropriate layers of cyber security in place so that they’re not the weakest link offering a potential attack vector to cyber criminals.”

 

Planning and structure are critical within any cyber strategy, according to Damon Rands, in order to minimise disruption time. PureCyber’s professionals offer a suite of bespoke packages to help create a nation of cyber savvy SMEs, confident in their cyber security capabilities and resilience.

 

He says: “One of the most important points to raise in this situation is that although, of course, prevention of attack is better than cure; having solid governance, policies and scenario planning for cyber incidents is paramount to reduce the negative impact and downtime of an attack.

“Critically, you never want to be in a position of being surprised by a cyber security event, such as a hack, ransomware or the loss of a critical application. The best way to do that is to prepare for the worse that could happen. If you did lose access to a major piece of software, critical application or to data that is essential to your business continuity, what contingency plans do you have to maintain a certain level of service? It’s absolutely key and so important when it comes to cyber security and management of risk.”

Health Tech, Healthcare, News

SOTI Research Shows the Digitisation of Healthcare Accelerates as Device Downtime and Security Concerns Remain

97% of UK healthcare providers offering frontline patient services have now implemented IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities

As the pandemic disrupted traditional patient service models, the healthcare sector overwhelmingly adopted remote and telehealth technology solutions. New global research from SOTI, A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Healthcare, shows nearly all UK healthcare providers (97%) offering frontline services have implemented IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities

The increased adoption of new technologies in the healthcare sector is evident in 77% of IT healthcare professionals indicating they have increased their annual technology.

The rise in healthcare IT investments appears to be focused on three key elements: interconnectivity, automation and data management. Research revealed that 79% of IT healthcare professionals agree patient services benefit from heightened interconnectivity, 71% agree the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in patient care enables medical staff to treat more patients and 93% stated digital patient recordkeeping increases efficiency and enhances data sharing.

“Following the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile and IoT devices have become vital for healthcare organisations, allowing them to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, alter patient care methods and improve health outcomes. Almost all UK healthcare providers (97%) offering frontline services have now invested in IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities,” said Stefan Spendrup, VP of Sales, Northern and Western Europe at SOTI.

“UK healthcare organisations are scaling up device implementation in the medical industry, which demonstrates an increased digital focus in the UK. Increased digitalisation in the healthcare sector allows professionals to improve patient care and outcomes with remote health monitoring and digital recordkeeping. Today 70% of UK healthcare providers have already implemented remote health monitoring, with a further 51% of UK clinics providing frontline patient services with 100% digital recordkeeping,” said Spendrup.

As part of its report, SOTI surveyed 1,300 healthcare IT professionals across the UK, U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, France and Australia to understand how their organisations pivoted to provide patient care throughout the pandemic, the role technology played in delivering positive patient outcomes and what major obstacles remain.

Data Security An Ongoing Concern

Nearly 9 in 10 (88% in the UK) of IT healthcare professionals are worried about patient information being revealed, lost, accessed, stolen or inadequately backed up. These are justified concerns as 45% (70% globally) of organisations have experienced a data breach since 2020. Healthcare IT professionals are primarily focused on the following data security concerns:

  • Patient records being stolen in a cyberattack or hacking (37%)
  • Patient information being revealed without patient consent (39%)
  • Patient information being lost (36%)

In addition, 60% of IT professionals believe patient data security is more at risk than ever, while 53% agree their organisation does not spend enough money on data security.

“The risk of security breaches is a constant threat for IT leaders. While this is not hindering innovation and digitisation within the healthcare sector, this may impact an organisation’s confidence in the digital technologies and devices being installed. Healthcare providers must ensure the technologies deployed in their organisation are equipped with an effective Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM). These solutions will provide increased visibility, security and management of mobile technologies used to offer patient care. This allows IT professionals to remotely manage any mobile device or IoT endpoint, and enable them to shut the device down if there is a security breach,” said Spendrup.

Addressing Device Downtime

A move towards digitisation and eliminating outdated manual and paper processes allows healthcare providers to focus on patients and reduce the burden of administrative tasks that distract from caregiving responsibilities. However, when technologies are not properly implemented or maintained, costly downtime can hinder a healthcare workers’ ability to provide critical care. 

Fifty-nine per cent of IT healthcare professionals said their organisation experiences downtime with IoT/telehealth medical devices, leading to patient care delays. Overall, more than 9 in 10 (95%) of IT healthcare professionals have experienced an issue of some kind, with 64% citing systems not integrating effectively and 52% stating frequent technical issues. All of this leads to each healthcare employee losing approximately 3.5 hours per week on average. To put it another way, on average, 21 working days are lost per employee annually.

“Increased digitalisation in the healthcare industry, like streamlining healthcare processes and patient care services, while making data more secure and easily accessible is making employees’ lives easier. However, 59% of UK IT healthcare professionals experience downtime with IoT/telehealth medical devices. IT leaders must ensure their mobile technologies have an advanced diagnostic intelligence solution in place to highlight device performance, provide remote support, improve the level of day-to-day operations and avoid patient care delays,” concluded Spendrup.

A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Healthcare can be downloaded here.

Report Methodology

Using an online methodology, SOTI conducted 1,300 interviews with IT professionals in organizations providing frontline patient-facing healthcare services with 50+ employees across eight countries. All participants are aged 18 and over. Fieldwork was conducted from June 7 to 14, 2022. The interviews are split across eight markets as follows: U.S. (200 interviews), Canada (150 interviews), Mexico (150 interviews), UK (200 interviews), Germany (150 interviews), Sweden (150 interviews), France (150 interviews) and Australia (150 interviews).

 

Health, Health Tech, News

Trek4ME Digital Healthcare Launched to Revolutionize HealthTECH

Trek4ME Berhad has launched its primary Integrated Digital Healthcare Platform, aptly called, ‘Trek4ME’.

Originally mooted during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Trek4ME has being evolved continuously and assisted in the fight against the pandemic in various parts of Malaysia with over 30,000 screenings in addition to monitoring over 150,000 extended families and communities.

Firmly believing in adapting to the market, Trek4ME continues to remain relevant from the Pandemic stage to Endemic and moving to the Normalcy phase. The platform focuses on multiple key pillars such as Activity Monitoring (Virtual Communities: E-Trek), Telemedicine (E-Health), E-Commerce in addition to E-Wallet and E-Rewards.

This integrated approach helps to position Trek4ME solidly within the Market-space, notably, targeting Closed Captive Markets with strong Monetization and Multiplier Potential.

Having already established strategic partnerships with some of the top Closed loop market movers and Pharma companies, Trek4ME is well positioned to become the most relevant HealthTECH app and digital platform that will digitally transform the nation and region. And along the way, nurturing the Digital Lifetime Health Records that the country yearns for.

Trek4ME Berhad, is founded by seasoned Entrepreneurs and Technopreneurs including Dato’ Dr Emmanuel Benson and Ts. Gerard Pillai, who are also award winning HealthTECH professionals.

The company is currently in the midst of a Corporate exercise and has already generated interest from other countries.

Trek4ME, ‘Revolutionizing HealthTECH’!

For more information, please visit www.Trek4ME.com

Cloud Migration, Health Tech, Hyperconvergence, News, Tech

Nutanix Study Shows Healthcare Industry is in Early Stages of Multicloud Adoption

Nutanix has announced the healthcare findings of its global Enterprise Cloud Index (ECI) survey and research report, which measures enterprise progress with cloud adoption in the industry. The research showed that healthcare organisations appear to be in the early phases of cloud adoption and behind the cross-industry global respondent average. However, adoption is expected to jump from 27% to 51% in the next three years, in line with the global trend of evolving to a multicloud IT infrastructure that spans a mix of private and public clouds.

Multicloud is the dominant IT architecture in use worldwide, however, among healthcare ECI respondents, 30% say private cloud is their most common IT deployment model. The healthcare industry is highly regulated and has likely been slower to embrace the public cloud as a bonafide component of their IT environments for security and privacy reasons. While multicloud adoption is trending upwards, the complexity of managing across cloud borders remains a major challenge for healthcare organisations, with 92% of respondents agreeing that success requires simpler management across multicloud infrastructures. To address top challenges related to interoperability, security, cost and data integration, 90% agree that a hybrid multicloud model, an IT operating model with multiple clouds both private and public with interoperability between, is ideal.

“Multicloud is here to stay, but complexity and challenges remain as regulations drive many of healthcare organisations’ IT deployment decisions,” said Joseph Wolfgram, Healthcare CTO at Nutanix. “Regardless of where they are in their multicloud journeys, evolution to a hybrid multicloud IT infrastructure that spans a mix of private and public clouds with interoperability is underway and necessary for healthcare organisations to succeed.”

Healthcare survey respondents were asked about their current cloud challenges, how they’re running business applications now, and where they plan to run them in the future. Respondents were also asked about the impact of the pandemic on recent, current, and future IT infrastructure decisions and how IT strategy and priorities may change because of it. Key findings from this year’s report include:

  •     Top multicloud challenges include integrating data across clouds (49%), managing costs (48%), and performance challenges with network overlays (45%). While multicloud adoption is trending upwards, most healthcare organisations are struggling with the reality of operating across multiple clouds, private and public. Given that more than 84% say they currently lack the IT skills required to meet business demands, simplifying operations is likely to be a key focus for many in the year ahead. However, IT leaders are realising that there is no one-size fits all approach to the cloud, making hybrid multicloud ideal according to the majority of respondents.
  •     Application mobility is top of mind. All healthcare organisations (100%) have moved one or more applications to a new IT environment over the last 12 months, likely moving applications out of legacy three-tier environments and into private clouds given healthcare’s above-average private cloud and traditional datacentre penetration. Yet, 80% of respondents agree that moving a workload to a new cloud environment can be costly and time-consuming. They cite security (48%) most often as the reason for the move, outpacing the global average (41%), followed by gaining control of the application (38%), and improving performance (36%).
  •     Focus on business continuity and disaster recovery is helping to drive cloud adoption. Due to being a highly regulated industry, healthcare organisations have been slower to embrace the public cloud as a main component of their IT environments for security reasons. However, healthcare IT professionals indicated an intent to use public cloud services as supplemental IT infrastructure to which they can fail over for improved business continuity levels and disaster recovery setups (BC/DR). In fact, they cited improving BC/DR most often as motivating their three-year plans to increase multicloud use (38%). Healthcare’s interest in boosting BC/DR could prove to be the impetus for greater public cloud acceptance, as this use case has a strong public cloud component, which could accelerate the industry’s general multicloud usage.
  •     Top healthcare IT priorities for the next 12 to 18 months include adopting 5G (47%) and AI/ML-based services (46%), and improving BC/DR (45%), and multicloud management (44%). Healthcare respondents also said that the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred them to increase their IT spending in certain areas such as bolstering security posture (62%), implementing AI-based self-service technology (60%), and upgrading existing IT infrastructure (48%).
AI, Appointments, Business, Business News, CEO & Founder Stories, Europe, European News, FInance, Finance News, Health, Health Tech, Healthcare, Healthcare News, Healthcare Tech, International News, Investment News, News, News from England, NHS News, UK

UK Scaleup Navenio Hires New CEO To Drive US Expansion Following 153% Growth in 2021

  • Navenio strengthens senior team with the appointment of a new CEO to build out its global offering, after securing first two sites in the US
  • Follows December’s £9.5m series A top-up, £1.5m NHSX AI in Health and Care Award and new partnerships with platforms such as HERE Technologies

Oxford, UK; 3rd February 2022: Navenio, the UK health & location tech scale up, today announced plans for its next chapter of growth and expansion into the US, following a £9.5 million investment awarded last month. The company has appointed Connie Moser as CEO, who joins Navenio with more than 30 years of experience in healthcare strategy, sales and operations, including building large-scale businesses across global markets.

Navenio, which saw a 153% increase in revenue in 2021, has also appointed geospatial expert Andrew Loveless to drive innovation outside of healthcare in his role as VP of Business Development. The appointment comes after Navenio recently partnered with HERE Technologies, to power the Indoor Positioning element of its Indoor Map as a service: a one-stop shop for indoor mapping solutions.

As part of its plans for growth, Navenio’s US-based leadership will lead the charge from the largest health economy in the world, bringing the benefits of indoor location services to everyone, everywhere. Connie Moser, new CEO of Navenio, added: “I am joining at a pivotal time for Navenio and am delighted to drive our expansion in the US and beyond. I look forward to building strong global partnerships and believe passionately in the vast potential that Navenio can bring by ensuring ‘right person, right place, right time’ in healthcare settings. Artificial intelligence is one of many technologies making a real world impact in the healthcare sector, and I’m proud to lead a company spearheading digital transformation.”

Navenio is tackling the rising cost of healthcare with a tool that can increase workplace productivity by up to 100%, freeing up clinical resources for other high value tasks. The company’s mission is to get teams back to capacity post-pandemic by maximising patient flow in key departments such as imaging and logistics, a key issue limiting the ability of hospitals to improve both clinician and staff productivity, and patient throughput.

Martin Moran, Chairman at Navenio commented: “I’m delighted to announce our plans for growth and welcome both Connie and Andrew to the Navenio team. The possibility of indoor location technology is vast and we’re excited to be expanding into the US, providing the benefits of our technology to everyone, everywhere.”

Following recent funding from NHSX, as part of an AI in Health and Care Award, Navenio is also currently developing a proven and nationally scalable evidence based solution to further support improved patient flow across the NHS. The first live sites, as part of the 13 hospital Award programme, have already delivered a positive impact to Trusts, staff and patients, with the full results due to be published later in 2022.

Health Tech, Healthcare News, News, Technology

Biotech start-up SolasCure has begun clinical trials of its investigational wound cleaning product, Aurase Wound Gel

Cambridge-based biologics company SolasCure has received authorisation to conduct clinical trials for its investigational product, Aurase Wound Gel, from the UK’s Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and approval to open its Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the FDA in the US.

The first-in-human trial has begun in the UK and will take place in centres across the UK, US and Hungary. This is a Phase IIa study and follows an extensive preclinical research programme carried out between 2018 and 2020.

The news follows the recent announcement of the completion of the Series A investment round, in which the start-up secured a total of £15 million investment from a collaboration of industry veterans, institutional venture and strategic investors.

Aurase Wound Gel is SolasCure’s first investigational product, a biologic leveraging an enzyme cloned from medical maggots combined with a hydrogel. Aurase Wound Gel aims effectively to clean wounds, a process known as debridement, which is a crucial prerequisite for a wound to heal.

The initiation of clinical trials for Aurase Wound Gel represents a significant milestone for SolasCure and its partners, with the company having managed to make strong progress despite the highly challenging circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study is expected to yield results in 2022. Should it be successful in showing a safe, effective product, the team will then proceed to Phase IIb studies, the next critical stage in Aurase Wound Gel’s clinical development programme.

SolasCure’s US Medical Advisory Chair, Dr. Robert Kirsner, Chairman and Harvey Blank Professor of Dermatology at the University of Miami, said: “Leg ulcers are costly in terms of morbidity to patients and health care costs. Having more well researched and better therapies available to patients is critical. The wound care community is excited by the recent granting of an IND by the FDA for SolasCure’s Aurase Wound Gel and the enrolment of first patients in clinical trials. The opportunity to potentially modernise debridement with enzymes cloned from medical maggots leading to faster healing exists.