New technologies for spreading information are greatly increasing the pace at which health organisations respond to clinical data on device usage, according to a new study.

Researchers writing in the US journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes found that the use of search engines, smart phones and other new technologies led to strikingly rapid changes in clinical practice following studies of drug-eluting stents (DES).

According to Matthew T. Roe, M.D., lead author of the study, the very rapid worldwide spread of medical data means that studies presented at medical conferences can have an almost instant impact on patient treatment.

Researchers examined the impact on clinical practice of studies presented in September 2006 that found DES use to be associated with a higher risk of late stent thrombosis. The use of DES fell from 90% of patients who received coronary stents to 67% in six months, then to 58% in the following nine months. “To our knowledge, this was the most rapid change in practice patterns in cardiology,” Roe said.

The report concluded that the rapid spread of information through electronic media may become the “predominant stimulus for changes in practice in the future”.

Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., President of the American Heart Association, commented: “The opportunity to widely share important findings that promptly impact practice is becoming a powerful tool to drive change. The requirements for prompt but thorough peer review and nimble responsiveness to new data are evident. Managing this new health IT space will require focus, assessment and realignment.”

Taxus Express stent

Rita Didcock has been appointed Managing Director at Arrow Medical Ltd, one of Britain’s leading specialist contract medical device manufacturers.

Rita will manage the company’s facility at Kington, Herefordshire, working with Graham Jarrett as CEO and John Johnson as New Product Development Director.

Rita has worked with Arrow Medical for more than 12 years, and has been Production Director since 2006. She succeeds John Johnson, who will continue to play a role in sales support at board level.

Recently, Rita played a critical role in increasing Arrow Medical’s cleanroom production capacity and paving the way for manufacture of Class III medical devices, including implantable and invasive devices such as catheters. She also led production of a number of ‘life-critical’ theatre, anaesthesia, ventilation and air and fluid management components.

Graham Jarrett commented: “Arrow Medical has faced and overcome a number of major business challenges in the last few years. I am very pleased to congratulate Rita on her promotion, and pay tribute to John for his excellent contribution to the business during 20 years as Managing Director. I look forward to working with both of them as Arrow Medical continues to make headway in a very competitive and demanding contract medical manufacturing world.”

Arrow Medical manufactures a wide range of components used in anaesthesia, orthopaedics, cardiology, inflatable medical products and fluid and air management by medical device companies worldwide.

Rita Didcock

A system for remote allocation of blood has enabled three London hospitals to comply with new MHRA safety regulations and to minimise waste.

The installation of five BloodTrack HemoNine remote issue blood refrigerators means that the Barts and The London NHS Trust can directly access blood from refrigerators on the wards, without the blood bank having to prepare and transport specific units.

This system has enabled the Trust to save on blood stock, staff time and overall costs across its three hospitals.

BloodTrack HemoNine from Olympus UK is a locking refrigerator for securely dispensing blood in remote locations such as operating theatres. Blood can be remotely allocated and then automatically dispensed, assigned and labelled for the patient at the refrigerator.

Matthew Grantham, Transfusion Laboratory Manager at Barts and The London, said: “BloodTrack HemoNine provides clinical staff immediate access to blood products as and when it is required, when patients really need it. The nurses love having the ability to issue blood on demand, especially in A&E where the system sits in the resuscitation area.”

At The London Chest Hospital, the new system has significantly reduced blood inventory and staff time. Before the system was installed, blood was transported by taxi to clinical sites up to two miles away. Blood products were often over-requested ‘in case’.

Chris Broomhead, Consultant Anaesthetist at the Barts and The London, commented: “Since the BloodTrack HemoNine has been introduced, we have reduced our blood usage in cardiothoracic surgery over the last 6 months by approximately 10%. The process of administering blood has become faster and more efficient, with reduced blood wastage.”

For more details, visit www.olympuspatientsafety.co.uk.

UK company Surgical Innovations is launching a new flexible laparoscopic device for weight loss surgery.

The new device, which was developed in collaboration with laparascopic surgeons, will be unveiled at the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders in Paris.

The LogiFlex offers bariatric surgeons an improved solution for gastric banding procedures. It is made from a combination of single-use and reusable components, enhancing performance and cost-effectiveness.

The flexible tip of the device features a ‘cut down’ profile, allowing easy insertion through the retro gastric tunnel. Individual patented tip options provide a bespoke solution for each gastric band manufacturer. The LogiFlex also incorporates a slot design that provides a grip on the suture, allowing the gastric band to be drawn into position more easily.

Graham Bowland, Managing Director of Surgical Innovations, said: “LogiFlex’s design is based on our highly successful Endoflex, which is still the world’s leading laparoscopic device for liver retraction. Our flex technology has been utilised by many other companies. Now we are delighted to announce our development of a more advanced flex technology product and are looking forward to unveiling it at this prestigious event.”

Leeds-based Surgical Innovations supplies equipment for minimally invasive surgery and autologous blood transfusion.

For more details, visit www.surginno.com.

LogiFlex

A new technology for cataract surgery has enabled a team of vets to restore the sight of rescued moon bears in China.

The new phaco-emulsification kit is a light, portable technology that makes cataract surgery on large animals much more practical.

Claudia Hartley and David Donaldson from the UK’s Animal Health Trust charity (AHT) operated on ten bears at the Moon Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu, China to remove cataracts or correct vision.

Moon bears (or Asiatic black bears) are rescued from bear bile farms in China, where their bile is milked for use in medicines. They are kept in coffin-sized cages and denied regular food or water, which often leads to eye disease and other health problems.

Snoopy, one of the bears operated on, was diagnosed blind in 2003 with severe cataracts in both eyes. Six years later, the AHT team were able to restore her vision.

“On my first visit I saw several bears I knew I could help,” said Claudia Hartley. “However the difficulty of getting heavy and cumbersome equipment to China for the surgeries made it virtually impossible.

“This new machine changes that. With it we’ve already given sight back to bears who have suffered immeasurably. The kit really will revolutionise the way we can treat eye disease in larger animals.”

The phaco-emulsificaton kit will also make it possible to control equine recurrent uveitis, the most common cause of blindness in horses, through an operation known as vitrectomy. The AHT is the first place in the UK to offer this treatment to horses.

Claudia added: “This machine will help restore sight to many animals. It’s an incredible development for ophthalmologists across the world.”

Snoopy (photo © Animals Asia Foundation)

UK medtech company Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS) has entered into an agreement with Stryker Corporation for the global marketing and distribution of AMS’s wound closure products for head and neck surgery.

Stryker, recognised as a leading global company in the cranio-maxillofacial surgery (CMF) market, will commercialise the Cheshire-based company’s LiquiBand range of topical adhesives.

Under the terms of the agreement, Stryker will have exclusive marketing and distribution rights for these products in all CMF markets, with product launches in Europe commencing this month and a phased rollout to the rest of the world following. The global CMF market is worth $900m.

The LiquiBand range of topical tissue adhesives, based on cyanoacrylate adhesive technology, have been developed for wound closure procedures following trauma or surgical incisions.

Dr. Don Evans, CEO of Advanced Medical Solutions, said: “Given the broad application for the current and future LiquiBand product portfolio, we believe that the optimal commercialisation strategy is via multiple partners with specific competencies and experience.

“I am therefore delighted that we have been able to sign Stryker as our first global marketing and distribution partner, taking our LiquiBand technology into the CMF arena. As a leader in this surgical speciality, they are an ideal partner to create and develop this market for our products.”

A business intelligence solution for planning the NHS flu response has been implemented by Trafford PCT.

Pandemic Manager from 21c, based on Microsoft software, delivers an adaptable contingency plan for a national flu response.

Trafford PCT will use Pandemic Manager to help run its own local telephone triage systems if the national flu response service fails. The system automates the allocation and stock management of antivirals to PCTs.

“In the event of the national flu response service suffering technical problems or being overwhelmed by the volume of inquires, we are now equipped as a local telephone flu triage unit,” said Abdul Razzaq, Director of Public Health, Trafford PCT. “Pandemic Manager will provide the solution to support this activity as part of our contingency emergency planning.

“This has massively helped to reduce development and deployment time as it doesn’t take months or years, but rather a few short days to implement 21c’s solutions. 21c is not only professional, but is also playing a vital part in protecting the public health.”

Pandemic Manager provides a ‘command and control’ facility that enables PCTs and distribution centres to collaborate and share data. It manages stocks, distribution and dispensation of antivirals or vaccines, as well as patient contact and GP liaison.

Paul Henderson, Managing Director at 21c, said: “Our solutions are built on the Microsoft Business Intelligence software stack, providing a common platform that fits neatly into the NHS IT infrastructure. This BI project is not only about responding to the current pandemic but also about mitigating the risk posed by planning for any kind of emergency.”

For more details, visit www.21c.it.

Many private medical patients from the UK are saving over 50% of their healthcare costs by travelling overseas, a new survey has revealed.

The 2009 PriceWatch survey from health information company Treatment Abroad, which covers 180 clinics and medical tourism operators in 39 countries, reports that over 80,000 people left the UK for surgical and other treatments last year.

Some common medical treatments are available overseas at less than 20% of their price in UK private hospitals. For example, varicose vein treatment in Poland is on average 84% cheaper than in the UK. The average cost saving for all procedures surveyed (elective, cosmetic and dental) is 55%.

The data were collected from hospitals, clinics, doctors and dentists, and from medical tourism agencies and websites that target the UK market. The prices listed do not include travel or accommodation costs.

The number of UK medical tourists is expected to grow as the global recession eases off. According to Treatment Abroad, price is one of the main drivers when patients are considering treatment options overseas. Other influential factors are concerns about HCAIs, the length of NHS waiting lists and the high cost of private healthcare in the UK.

Keith Pollard, Managing Director of Treatment Abroad, said: “Considerable savings, compared to the average UK private treatment cost, can be made by choosing to have many of the common procedures overseas.”

A Black Country medtech company has won a £1m tender contract to provide and install stairlifts in Oldham.

Minivator’s success in winning the contract was due in part to the assistance of medical market intelligence service My M-Link.

A Member Opportunity Notification from My M-Link in Birmingham informed Minivator of a competitive tender to manage the supply, installation, service, maintenance and removal of stairlifts throughout the Oldham region.

Minivator was able to meet the requirements for the contract at a fixed price. The company is able to offer a range of bespoke straight and curved stairlifts, a 24-hour hotline and a team of trained engineers.

“We are always delighted when we win another contract bid,” said Minivator’s Managing Director, Mike Lord. “We have seen a dramatic increase in the volume of local council work, which is a clear sign of the importance being placed on helping the elderly and infirm maintain their independence in their own homes.

“We proactively monitor the tenders nationally but sometimes, particularly when contracts have been extended, it can be hard to identify when an opportunity will become available. Our My M-Link membership provides a safety net that ensures we don’t miss any opportunities when they arise.

“As a member of My M-Link, we also have direct access to a team of medical market advisors who can provide the research and data that may be invaluable in moving a business forward.”

Mike Lord

Tredegar-based independent living solutions provider Mountway Ltd has donated a package of specially-designed products worth over £16,000 to the new Forestry Commission visitor centre at Garwnant.

The chief items are from Mountway’s new Granberg range of washbasin and nursing table solutions. These products will feature in the changing room, which the Forestry Commission has named the ‘Mountway Room’, and the disabled toilet facilities.

The changing room has been designed to feature innovative equipment enabling those with specific changing needs to use the centre. Products to be installed include:

• The Care Nursing Table 340, a motorised, height-adjustable nursing table that provides a secure place for a child or adult to be changed.

• The Kindergarten Nursing Table 334, a wall-mounted, motorised nursing table that can be lowered and raised.

• A Basicline 4131 motorised washbasin lift designed for wheelchair users, with motorised height adjustment.

• A RoMedic Rise 625T ceiling track hoist with a lifting capacity of 44 stone, complementing the changing room facilities.

“This is the first major installation of the Granberg equipment since we launched the range into the Mountway portfolio in April this year,” said Vicki Chislett, Head of Marketing at Mountway. “We are delighted to be involved in this exciting project, as it allows us to bring our products into an environment where they will truly make a difference.”

“Everyone at the Forestry Commission is extremely grateful to Mountway for this very generous donation,” said Mari Sibley, Area Land Agent at the Forestry Commission. “The equipment will make such a difference to our visitors and their families.”

Basicline washbasin lift