NHS App users more than double in three months

The number of patients using the NHS App has more than doubled since Chief Nurse Ruth May announced the NHS App Ambassadors scheme in early September.

According to figures released by NHS Digital, the number of NHS App registered users now stands at more than 200,000 compared with 91,000 at the beginning of September.

Since September, the NHS has been undertaking a campaign encouraging staff to download the app themselves.

NHS Digital

When stock photography fails to get the picture

In this article, Katie Knight argues the lack of variety of medical stock photography images helps to perpetuate stereotypes and negate the existence of other experiences.

She argues ubiquitous stock photography creates shared mental images that are powerful, stereotyped versions of an idea – without the nuance of individual experience or the subtlety of professional expertise. 

She illustrates her argument with three common stock image searches – depression, childbirth and heart attack – and questions how the results can affect perception.

BMJ Opinion

£40 million investment to reduce NHS staff login times

The government has announced a £40m investment to transform slow login times for NHS staff.

Staff currently have to log in to multiple computer programmes when tending to a patient, with each programme requiring its own login details.

The investment will support projects similar to that seen at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, which implemented single sign-on technology and reduced time spent logging into multiple computer systems from 1 minute 45 seconds to 10 seconds.

Gov.uk

Exploring the benefits of population health management

A new film highlights how professionals in Berkshire West integrated care system are using population health management (PHM) to identify patients in need of targeted support. 

The film follows Steve and Michele Bryan, a couple with type 2 diabetes, who have benefited from the PHM approach after clinicians used it to understand their issues and offer more personalised care options. 

NHS England and NHS Improvement

Top 20 public health achievements of the 21st century

The Royal Society for Public Health has published a list of its top 20 public health interventions and achievements during the first 20 years of the 21st century.

The society compiled a long list of achievements which were voted on by members to form the shortlist. This was then ranked by senior public health professionals.

Top of the list – the 2007 smoking ban.

Royal Society for Public Health

Making digital services more inclusive

The NHS digital service manual helps teams make their services more respectful and inclusive.

But it’s not always easy to get it right as Sara Wilcox, the content designer on the team, explains in this blog.

NHS Digital

Study: Web and mobile-app based mental health intervention

A study has compared the influence of three types of human support on web and mobile app-based interventions promoting mental health.

It found a web and mobile app-based mental health promotion intervention enhanced mental well-being among a healthy cohort, irrespective of human support.

However, low attendance at video conference support sessions hindered the ability to make meaningful between-group comparisons.

JMIR Publications

Remote CBT service launched for NHS patients

Ieso Digital Health is providing a new online therapy service to NHS patients with mild to moderate mental health conditions.

After officially launching its low intensity ‘step two’ cognitive behavioural therapy service in September, it rolled out a beta trial across a number of NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups.

The full service is expected to be available nationwide this month.

Mobi Health News

Study: Symptom checkers and patient uncertainty

A study has analysed whether the use of symptom checkers is associated with the level of care sought by patients.

Researchers analysed data from patient encounters using Buoy Health, a freely available virtual triage chatbot.

They found the proportion of patients who were uncertain about the level of care they would need decreased from 34% to 21% after using the chatbot.

Of those who chose a level of care, 32% of patients reduced the urgency of their intended care level.

JAMA Network