NHS long-term plan: Focus on prevention ‘could save 500,000 lives’
Following the publication of the NHS 10-year plan on Monday, NHS bosses have said its focus on prevention and early detection could save up to 500,000 lives. Prime Minister Theresa May has hailed the launch as a “truly historic moment”. The plan outlined that GPs, mental health and community care will receive the greatest funding increase – a third of the extra £20bn funding for the NHS by 2023. This will help pay for mental health support, community support, digital access to health services, more social prescribing, healthy living programmes, new cancer testing centres and DNA testing for cancer and rare genetic disorders.
Smart wearable launched to combat chronic pain
Earlier this week, healthcare company NeuroMetrix launched an updated version of its smart wearable device, designed to combat chronic pain. The Quell 2.0 uses artificial intelligence, coaching and a Therapy Coach option for users. The device is designed to provide personalised pain relief, responding to individual needs and tracking progress through measurable outcomes such as pain levels, sleep and changes in gait using an accelerometer in the device. According to Shai N. Gozani, President and CEO of NeuroMetrix, the device “has been designed to offer a long-term solution for chronic pain suffers seeking non-pharmacological pain relief options.”
ResMed closes Propeller Health acquisition for $225m
Medical devices developer ResMed closed the acquisition of digital therapeutics firm Propeller Health for $225m. Propeller Health provides connected health solutions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, applying sensors to patients’ inhalers. These sensors pair with a mobile application to track medication use and offer individualised feedback to patients. The CEO of ResMed, Mick Farrell said the acquisition would enable the developer to “treat millions of people at various stages of their COPD and other chronic diseases, all aimed at improving people’s quality of life, while reducing the effects of these diseases, hospitalisations, and the overall cost of healthcare.”
23andMe to integrate genetic data into Lark Health’s AI health coach
Genomics and biotechnology company 23andMe, announced it is joining forces with Lark Health – the leading chronic disease prevention and management platform using proven A.I. health coaching – to deliver better outcomes at scale. As part of this integration, users of Lark’s Wellness Program and Diabetes Prevention Program will now be able to integrate genetic data from 23andMe to receive a more personalised experience. Lark AI helps provide users with various strategies to manage these conditions and lose weight. By being able to access detailed information on an individual basis via 23andMe, this will become increasingly unique to each user.
Interesting reads for the weekend:
- The NHS Long Term Plan
- Digitally enabled care to go ‘mainstream’ in the next decade
- Study uses AI to create cost-effective early detector of heart disease
- Pharma and digital firms collaborate to develop MDD treatment
- Robots to perform spinal surgery with greater accuracy
- Basildon and Thurrock goes live with Medway ED software