Voluntary organisations and coronavirus
NCVO has put together a list of practical information for voluntary organisations in light of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
It includes information on sick leave, holding events and board meetings, contingency planning and insurance.
Simple Q&A sections cover managing finances in the short and longer-term and supporting staff to work from home.
It also includes information on how to support beneficiaries and service users.
The information is being regularly updated as government advice changes.
Call for patient experts to work together during COVID-19
The International Alliance of Patient Organizations (IAPO) has called for a new COVID-19 Patient Engagement Collaborative Framework.
It says patient experts should be at the heart of all COVID-19 related responses and measures.
In a statement released this week, IAPO's board urged all patient experts and healthcare decision-makers to work collaboratively on all aspects of COVID-19 to support the WHO and national efforts.
It said patient experts could advise the state on how to build-in patient-centred approaches to self-isolation and other containment strategies.
Patient organisations that would like to inform IAPO of their own interventions can email [javascript protected email address].
Webinar: Managing coronavirus as an online centre
Good Things Foundation has created resources to help individuals get the most accurate health information and advice online and stay in touch with health services and loved ones in case of isolation.
Kevin Maye will be talking about these resources and how to make the best use of them in an upcoming webinar: Managing coronavirus as an online centre.
The webinar will be held from 11.30am on Friday 20 March. Click on the link below to register.
Coronavirus gives NHS a digital 'kick forward'
In this interview, Digital Health columnist and GP Neil Paul says the spread of coronavirus has given the NHS a 'kick forward' to accelerate technology and ensure staff are digitally prepared.
He says the need to reduce face-to-face appointments to prevent the potential transmission of COVID-19 has forced the NHS, particularly in primary care, to adopt already available technologies.
Neil argues, rather than leading to revolutionary technology, the outbreak is forcing healthcare professionals to make use of what already exists.
Sunderland first in England to pilot app
Sunderland is the first place in the country to pilot an app allowing patients with debilitating breathing problems to monitor their vital signs and visually consult with healthcare professionals from their own home.
All Together Better Sunderland is piloting the Luscii platform.
The app enables patients with breathing difficulties to manage their condition, monitor their vital signs, socially connect and speak to their medical team via chat or video technology.
The platform is already used by almost 50% of hospitals in The Netherlands to support patients remotely and prevent hospitalisation.
Connected Nottinghamshire uses NHS 'front door'
Connected Nottinghamshire and Patients Know Best have become the first organisations to integrate with the NHS App and NHS login’s encrypted single sign-on.
The integration creates a single ‘front door’ to local digital health and care services by enabling the public to securely connect NHS login to their personal health record data.
The innovative approach was featured in NHSx Tech Vision.
What do children and young people need from Primary Care Networks?
Healthy London Partnership and Association for Young People's Health have published a report into what young people want from Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
A series of engagement workshops revealed young people are interested in PCNs but were unsure of where to go to get support.
However, when PCNs take proactive steps to engage young people they have a better understanding of services and feel more welcome.
Another identified priority was accessing support, information and practical guidance online and through technology.
This allowed young people to feel empowered, less alone and able to seek health support.
Study: Moderation in online patient communities
A study has aimed to identify the challenges of sustaining a thriving online patient community and the moderation practices needed to address these challenges.
Researchers identified four challenges unique to online patient communities.
These were: passion, non-medical advice, personal information, and community participation.
They concluded successful moderation in online patient communities requires a multitude of practices, both preventative and interventive.
These practices could come from both authority figures and exemplary members.
'We are missing the potential of patient feedback'
In this blog, James Munro, chief executive of Care Opinion, argues there is extraordinary, yet untapped value in patient feedback which is not being recognised in current policy and practice.
His blog follows the launch of NIHR’s themed review on using patient feedback to improve care.
He argues, far from being just data and concerns, feedback is a relationship.
National Institute for Health Research
When guidelines recommend shared decision making
This article discusses how guidelines are increasingly recommending shared decision making and the potential challenges.
It says the increasing recommendation of shared decision making is problematic because the extent to which the guideline recommendations are reliable, useful, usable, and desirable remains unclear.
The authors argue a well-developed recommendation for shared decision making must consider known barriers and costs of implementing.
They say simply inserting recommendations into guidelines undermines their credibility and usefulness.
Common Ambition deadline extended
Due to the impact of the coronavirus, The Health Foundation has extended the deadline for expressions of interest in its Common Ambition programme.
The deadline is now 1 April. All other stages of the application process have also been affected and a new timetable is available to view online.