Great couple of days in North Wales before I head into my annual leave. Time spent in the education centre talking to a cohort of Emergency Ambulance Practitionersand also to some new 111Wales call ta...

YouTube video by Progress, Potential, and Possibilities

Telemedicine Market is expected to grow from 71.72 (USD Billion) in 2024 to 200 (USD Billion) by 2035. The Telemedicine Market CAGR (growth rate) is expected to be around 9.77% during the forecast per...

Reconciling Safety in Remote Care for Severe ME We are inviting healthcare professionals to anonymously share their insights via a short survey.

Reconciling Safety in Remote Care for Severe ME We are inviting healthcare professionals to anonymously share their insights via a short survey.

The article discusses the revival of dental therapy programs in Canada aimed at improving access to oral health care in remote and Indigenous communities. Historically, these programs trained dental therapists who provided services like fillings, checkups, and basic extractions, reducing reliance on traveling dentists. After being shelved in 2011, the initiative is resurfacing due to critical shortages in the Northwest Territories, where some communities lack regular dental visits. Health Canada has allocated $3.1 million to expand a Saskatchewan-based training program into the NWT, with plans to train students in remote locations like Inuvik under a 'learn where you live' model. The approach draws inspiration from successful models in Alaska and New Zealand, where dental therapists have improved outcomes by building trust through cultural familiarity. Challenges include regulatory barriers in provinces like Ontario and Quebec, as well as the need for broader adoption to meet demand. Experts emphasize that while not a silver bullet, dental therapy can significantly enhance access to care in underserved regions.

Background: Virtual follow-up (VFU) has the potential to enhance cancer survivorship care. However, a greater understanding is needed of how VFU can be optimized. Objective: This study aims to examine...

The UK’s healthcare landscape is undergoing a transformative shift, moving clinical tasks and pathways from traditional settings like GP surgeries […]

Explore the rise of remote healthcare and how it transformed patient care during the pandemic. Discover its many advantages.

La taille du marché de la télésanté était estimée à 97,74 (milliards USD) en 2023. L’industrie du marché de la télésanté devrait passer de 116,09 (milliards USD) en 2024 à 460,1 (milliards USD) d’ici ...

Background: Voice-based digital health technologies are highly feasible and acceptable tools for supporting older adults. However, their development has rarely focused on caregiving needs and it is often poorly integrated with existing care services, thereby limiting their sustained effect. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a comprehensive voice-based remote care program developed in partnership with a local public health center. Methods: A single-center, single-arm clinical study involving community-dwelling, socioeconomically vulnerable older adults was conducted using a Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) of 4–5. Participants received a 6-month voice-based care program comprising smart speaker daily check-ins, an emergency response system, and AI-driven well-being check calls. These components were integrated with public health center for continuous monitoring. The primary outcome was caregiver burden, assessed using the Korean version of the Zarit Burden Interview. Secondary outcomes include depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PHQ-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7), and quality of life (Korean version of the Control, Autonomy, Self-realization, and Pleasure scale; K-CASP-19). Results: Among 100 enrolled participants, 96 (96%) completed the program. The caregiver burden slightly decreased from 17.1-16.2 points (mean difference −1.0, 95% CI −2.17 to 0.24, P=.12). However, caregivers reported a significant reduction in their perception of being the sole support provider (P =.003). Among older adults, significant improvements were observed in depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and quality of life (K-CASP-19) (all P

Background: Specialist weight management services (SWMS) in the UK National Health Service (NHS) face long waiting lists and limited resources. Remotely-delivered SWMSs may support existing NHS services to increase access to treatment for patients living with obesity, however evidence of remotely-delivered services working to support NHS SWMSs in practice remains limited. Objective: This service evaluation explored the potential effectiveness, #feasibility and acceptability of Second Nature’s remotely-delivered SWMS for adults living with obesity referred from existing NHS SWMSs. Preliminary findings from the first phase (‘Preparing for weight loss’) of a three-phase remotely-delivered SWMS are presented. Methods: A total of 39 adults (age range 23–74 years, mean age 45.6, SD 12.1; 74% female) completed a 16-week intervention, following referral from NHS SWMS leads. Eligible participants were assessed by a multidisciplinary team and allocated to one of three interventions: 1) a psychologically informed app-based intervention, 2) a Dialectical behavioral Therapy (DBT)-based skills training group intervention and 3) one-to-one psychological support. Primary outcomes were weight change (kg) and percentage weight change following completion of the intervention. Secondary outcomes included psychological distress, emotional eating, health-related quality of life, physical activity, emotion regulation, intervention #feasibility and acceptability. Results: At 16-weeks, the mean weight change was -2.2 kg (SD 5.16), or -1.6% of body weight . Participants in the app-based intervention lost the most weight (-2.8kg), and participants in the one-to-one psychological support intervention lost the least weight (-1.3kg). Psychological distress reduced to below the clinical threshold (mean score 0.95, SD 0.62). Emotional eating behaviors and difficulties in emotion regulation also decreased (mean change scores -3.2, SD 6.4 and -11.6, SD 13.9, respectively). Health-related quality of life saw improvements in self-care, usual activities and anxiety/depression , while participants’ challenges with mobility and pain/discomfort remained unaffected. Subjective ratings of health status improved by 17.4%. There were no significant changes in physical activity levels, with most participants remaining ‘Inactive’ or ‘Moderately inactive’. Engagement with intervention sessions was high (93.7%) and attrition rate was 27.4%. Participants rated their satisfaction with the intervention at 9/10 and highlighted key benefits including improved mental wellbeing, healthier habits, and supportive coach relationships. Suggested improvements included greater scheduling flexibility, enhanced app functionality, and more accessible physical activity support. Conclusions: This preliminary service evaluation suggests that a remotely delivered SWMS has the potential to be effective, feasible and acceptable for NHS-referred patients in the UK. Changes observed across several key measures point to clinically significant benefits, reinforcing the potential of this approach. A full evaluation of all three phases of this service with a larger sample size is required to support these early findings.