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State of Care report published; Using AI in support apps; Using information to empower patients

Your weekly round up of the latest news, studies and views for professionals working in health information (30 October 2024).

Warning over care for children and young people

The Care Quality Commission's (CQC) annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England has found many children and young people are not getting the care and support they need. The State of Care report highlighted how delays for children and young people can have especially significant and lasting consequences. There were particular concerns about children and young people’s mental health services. People from Black or Black British ethnic groups are also more than three-and-a-half times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than people in white ethnic groups. Other areas of significant concern highlighted include the quality of maternity care and people with learning disabilities missing out on the care they are entitled to.

Read more about concerns over children's care here.

Download and read the full State of Care report here.

Study: Integrating AI into mental health support apps

A new study explores the integration of AI and deep learning into mobile apps offering personalised mental health support. The systematic review found apps with innovative features such as early detection, assessment, counselling and CBT, were able to significantly contribute toward improving sleep quality and addressing depression. The reviewed chatbots used advanced technologies, including natural language processing, to provide intelligent and autonomous interactions. The emotional support systems integrated into these apps were also found to not only promote mental wellbeing but also empower patients by enhancing their sense of self-efficacy. 

Read the full study via the JMIR website here.

Improving the quality of care for people with frailty

The NIHR has published a new evidence collection on research to improve care for people with frailty. People with frailty, particularly severe frailty, are at risk of some of the poorest outcomes from hospital care. The new collection includes evidence on the distribution of frailty in the population and findings that support improvements in prevention and care in the community and hospital. It highlights research which demonstrated how individualised information about falls and prevention can help both patients and carers.

Read the full research collection on frailty via the NIHR website here.

Health initiative works with global evidence commission

HIFA (Healthcare Information For All) has become an official organisational partner of the Global Evidence Commission to address societal challenges. PIF is a member of HIFA – a global community of practice committed to improving healthcare by promoting the availability and use of reliable healthcare information. 

Find out more about the new partnership via the HIFA website here.

New digital mental health campaign 

A digital campaign offering self-help resources and tools for adults seeking mental health and wellbeing support has been launched. The Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing Apps campaign is supported by the Department of Health in collaboration with Digital Health & Care Northern Ireland. The Health and Social Care app library now includes a selection of apps offering self-help information and advice for those seeking mental health support. The apps include information on topics such as anxiety, depression, stress, sleep and meditation.

Find out more and access the apps via the Department of Health website here.

Study: Regulators could improve the readability of online resources

A study exploring the readability of information for the public to engage with fitness to practise processes found most documents were too difficult to read. Analysis of the websites of the 13 UK statutory health and social care professional regulators found all but one of the fitness to practise documents were written at a level too difficult for most of the general population. The only exception was one Easy Read document. There was also considerable variation in readability across resources for the same regulator. The study said regulatory bodies risk excluding a large proportion of UK adults who may want to engage with professional regulatory proceedings.

Read the full study findings via the Wiley website here.

Webinar: Empowering patients to improve care through feedback

The Patients Association is hosting a Share For Better Care webinar on Wednesday, 6 November, which will discuss how we can ensure patients have a stronger voice today and in the future. Being held from 10am-11am, those who join the webinar will hear about the current ways people provide feedback and what more can be done to ensure patients' voices are heard. There will also be discussions around the barriers to giving feedback and patients will share their experience of giving their views and how it improved their care.

Register for the webinar via The Patients Association website here.

Webinar: Sharing the challenges and insights of clinical trials

Patients and caregivers will take the lead in a webinar discussion, sharing their experiences of navigating clinical trials. Hosted by the Patients as Partners in Clinical Trials conference, a panel of four will talk about their experiences in clinical trials and how pharma sponsors can improve patient participation. The webinar will be broadcast on 4 December, from 11am-12pm. 

Find out more and register via the Patients as Partners website here.

See also