Uncategorised

In healthcare systems worldwide, the discharge process represents a critical transition point where communication failures can lead to serious patient harm, extended hospital stays and significant financial burden. This challenge is particularly acute in the UK's National Health Service (NHS), where workforce shortages, rising chronic disease rates and ageing populations are creating unprecedented pressures on \[…\]

The NHS is under immense pressure, with increasing demand and workforce challenges affecting patient care. One area where significant improvement can be made is the adoption of healthcare-specific digital tools that enhance communication, collaboration, patient safety and patient flow. These tools are not just a luxury – they are essential for the efficient delivery of \[…\]

Australia's healthcare system, while robust, faces increasing pressures. An ageing population, the rise of chronic diseases and geographical barriers all contribute to the need for a more efficient and accessible approach to care. The answer? Connected care. It's not just a buzzword; it's a fundamental shift in how we deliver healthcare, and it's crucial for \[…\]

In this video, Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown discusses issues surrounding patient safety and the importance of culture in improving patient safety and explains that while digital systems are increasingly seen as a key tool in enhancing safety, their true potential can only be realised when they are thoughtfully implemented, well-designed and properly integrated into the culture \[…\]

The healthcare sector stands at a pivotal moment in its digital evolution. While the past decade has seen massive investments in electronic patient records and hospital information systems, these investments have primarily focused on digitising existing processes rather than transforming them. This distinction is crucial for understanding both the current challenges and the opportunities that \[…\]

In the complex landscape of Australian aged care, effective coordination among healthcare providers is crucial for delivering patient-centred, accessible care. The CAREFUL platform has emerged as a game-changing solution, addressing the challenges of multi-professional, cross-organisational collaboration in the elderly care sector. A recent project in Melbourne, led by Dr Henry Konopnicki, showcases how CAREFUL is \[…\]

At the beginning of December, CAREFUL had the privilege of participating in the MedFIT 2024 Collaborative and Licensing Opportunity pitch session in Lille – and we’re excited to announce that we emerged as winners! This accomplishment is a testament to the value of CAREFUL, our innovative digital health solution designed to enhance clinical coordination and \[…\]

The Australian aged care sector faces numerous challenges when managing multidisciplinary care teams, which are essential for providing comprehensive care to older Australians. These teams consist of various healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers. While each professional brings unique expertise, integrating their efforts can be complex and fraught with \[…\]

Clinicians in Australia are constantly working to deliver patient-centred, easily accessible care. But the system has a lot of problems, especially when it comes to care coordination and senior care. Innovative solutions are essential as our population ages and healthcare demands grow more complicated. This is where CAREFUL, a secure clinical platform created by clinicians \[…\]

Host Jordan Sollof chats to CAREFUL CEO Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown and Simon Weldon, Chief Executive Officer at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS FT, about the challenges of clinical coordination in the UK. This podcast uncovers their personal experience, an up-close assessment of the challenges involved and an optimism for the future. If you'd prefer \[…\]

The Darzi report on the NHS in 2024 paints a bleak picture: hospitals are bursting at the seams, with bed occupancy at a staggering 91%. As we brace for another winter crisis, this spells trouble. Every day, more than 12,000 patients are stuck in beds they don’t need to be in, which leads to a \[…\]

CAREFUL, the clinical care coordination app, is one of more than 250 up-and-coming companies representing 85 countries that remains in the running for global investment and recognition through the 2024 Entrepreneurship World Cup. Co-founder Roohi Hamlani said in response to the announcement: "we are absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been selected from a 15,000-strong \[…\]

CAREFUL: A promising investment opportunity in healthcare communication and coordination Introduction In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare technology, CAREFUL emerges as a standout innovator, offering a unique solution to the critical challenges of clinical care coordination. Founded by Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown, CAREFUL has developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) product that is revolutionising \[…\]

Paul Essery from The Tech Business Podcast interviews CAREFUL CEO Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown, about the product and its history and the challenges of developing and selling digital health solutions and being a clinical entrepreneur. Transcript Paul Esserry: Hey folks, Paul Essery here, and I'm delighted this afternoon to be with Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown from CAREFUL. \[…\]

Focusing on the ‘patient dissociation curve' and the median hour of discharge could solve the overcrowding in emergency departments, writes CAREFUL CEO Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown Inpatients die more frequently when hospital emergency departments (ED) are overcrowded. Long stays undoubtedly cause excess deaths in the ED itself. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine \[full disclosure: I \[…\]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in the healthcare industry, offering unprecedented opportunities to improve patient care, streamline processes and drive innovation. As we stand in 2024, the impact of AI is already evident, with numerous applications in medical imaging, diagnostics, personalised medicine and virtual health assistance. However, the true potential of \[…\]

Meet Dr Henry Konopnicki, a GP in Melbourne, Australia. Here, he tells us all about his experience with CAREFUL – particularly in an aged care facility. With a totally digitalised practice, CAREFUL slots right into his way of work and gives him, his colleagues and his patients exactly the kind of support they all need.

How CAREFUL coordination works with machine learning and AI to help practitioners anywhere communicate securely and easily and improve patient outcomes. AI is now ubiquitous; going by the challenges healthcare practitioners face every day in and across care settings the world over, care coordination is not. AI\* (i.e. pitting ChatGPT against Gemini) says care coordination \[…\]

The new GMC guidance requires doctors to assure continuity of care, but where are the systems to do this? At the end of January, the UK General Medical Council (GMC), the august body charged with regulating doctors for the last 150 years, published a new version of Good Medical Practice. This is a set of \[…\]

Thinking about the whole patient journey may help outcomes in acute deterioration Long ago, I was a newly minted junior doctor working on the surgical ward of a big, tertiary-care hospital. (If that term ‘tertiary care’ is unfamiliar to you, substitute the word ‘scary’). Tertiary care is where the sickest and most complex patients go \[…\]

As a healthcare professional, you understand the importance of providing top-tier care to your patients. In the dynamic field of healthcare, this necessitates staying abreast of the latest advancements and working collaboratively across various disciplines. Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) – the cooperative effort of different healthcare professionals – plays a crucial role in elevating patient-care quality. \[…\]

As the year winds down, and the scent of gingerbread fills the air (or maybe that's just the hospital canteen), let's dive into the yuletide spirit by attempting to connect CAREFUL, our clinical care coordination app, to the holiday season. Brace yourselves for a tenuous link that even Santa would raise an eyebrow at. Streamlined \[…\]

The healthcare industry faces numerous challenges, including increasing patient demands, budget constraints and the need for improved communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals. CAREFUL, a digital health platform and clinical collaboration app, has been designed to address these challenges by improving hospital efficiency, clinician communication and patient safety. In this article, we will explore how \[…\]

Navigating the healthcare system can be a daunting experience, especially when you're dealing with a medical concern. Amidst the flurry of consultations, tests, and treatments, one thing remains constant: the need for effective communication between you and your healthcare provider. In this article, we'll delve into the various forms of communication that occur within patient-doctor \[…\]

Imagine walking into a hospital or clinic, entrusting your health and well-being to the healthcare professionals working there. You'd expect clear communication between these professionals to ensure they're providing you with safe, effective care. Effective communication is crucial in maintaining patient safety and delivering quality healthcare services. However, barriers to seamless communication can sometimes lead \[…\]

Imagine walking into a doctor's office, feeling unwell and seeking medical help, only to realise you cannot communicate with the healthcare professionals. The frustration of not being able to express your health concerns or understand the instructions given can be overwhelming. You're not alone; many individuals face language and cultural barriers when accessing healthcare services. \[…\]

Imagine a world where your healthcare experience is tailored specifically to you, where your concerns are not only heard but actively addressed. This dream can become a reality through patient-centred communication (PCC), an approach that places the needs and preferences of patients at the heart of their care. As someone who cares deeply about helping \[…\]

In today's fast-paced healthcare setting, you cannot underestimate the importance of effective interprofessional communication. As a dedicated professional with a desire to serve others, it is crucial for you to understand how clear and concise communication among different healthcare professionals can profoundly impact patient care and outcomes. Various healthcare disciplines must work closely together in \[…\]

Imagine a world where you can consult with your doctor from the comfort of your home, track vital health indicators through wearable devices, and have critical medical information available at the fingertips of healthcare professionals. It's not just a futuristic dream – digital health tools are revolutionising communication in healthcare right now. These innovations are \[…\]

Effective handover in healthcare — which includes not just end-of-shift handover, but also referrals between teams and changes of care setting — are essential for maintaining continuity and ensuring patient safety during transitions. Inadequate handovers can lead to errors, miscommunication and compromised patient outcomes. Personally, I know this: my mother nearly died because someone forgot \[…\]

Patient safety extends beyond physical wellbeing; it encompasses the safeguarding of personal data as well

As a company committed to improving patient safety and communication, CAREFUL recognises the importance of understanding the current state of patient safety.  A recent report, ‘National State of Patient Safety 2022: What we know about avoidable harm in England’, produced by the NIHR Patient Safety and Translational Research Centre and the Centre for Health Policy \[…\]

Even in high income countries, one in 10 patients experience some form of harm while receiving medical treatment. In some cases, these events can be serious.

The failure to detect clinical deterioration in patients whether in acute-care settings or the community is a significant cause of preventable mortality and morbidity and a concern for patient safety. Deterioration can be defined as new or increasing signs of pathological physiological disturbance in one or more organ systems, including: These signs, as well as \[…\]

If you have worked in an office any time in the last few decades you will likely have seen a sign near someone’s desk that says: You don’t have to be mad to work here, but it helps. Next to that may be another little card with a story about four people called Everybody, Somebody, \[…\]

We are seeing unacceptable waits at NH Emergency Departments, which in turn are driving a severe deterioration of the service provided by Ambulance Trusts. Some patients are dying before they get through the front door of the hospital. An analysis by CAREFUL, a company that makes medical handover software, suggests there is more that acute \[…\]

Handover in hospitals is the cause of frequent and severe harm to patients, according to new research by digital health platform, CAREFUL. Many patients are suffering because handover is poorly controlled and under-recognised as a source of clinical risk. Handover is the transfer of responsibility and crucial patient information between practitioners and teams. Handover takes \[…\]

Why is patient safety culture important? The difference between safe and unsafe practice in healthcare is primarily one of culture3–5. If culture is primarily demonstrated in behaviour, then a culture of safety in healthcare is defined by the behaviour of staff when they recognise and respond to risk. Developing such a culture must therefore revolve \[…\]

What is clinical handover? Handover involves the transfer of professional responsibility and accountability for some or all aspects of care for a patient, or groups of patients, to another person, or professional group on a temporary or permanent basis1. This can include: All of these can also be considered as transitions of care and are \[…\]

Our global survey of healthcare practitioners reinforces the risk of handover Today we published the results of our global survey of healthcare practitioners, asking their opinions on the safety of handover. The survey was conducted with authors from Newham University Hospital in London, HCA International and Bristol University Medical School.  While patient safety in operating theatres has \[…\]

The short answer is … yes The proportion of sick patients arriving at our hospitals and overall attendances have continued to double every few years. The result is long queues of ambulances and EDs once again completely overwhelmed. Overcrowding is an independent predictor of increased mortality in the ED. Patients are being harmed and are \[…\]

Without the right technical support, MDTs may unravel It is now ten years since the surgeon Ian Paterson— the infamous butcher of Solihull — was suspended from medical practise; four and a half years since he was jailed; and nearly two years since the Paterson Enquiry published its report. A few days ago Paterson was \[…\]

Healthcare professionals are bound by an oath to do no harm to their patients. In 21st century medicine this goes beyond mere harm prevention to providing high quality care tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Unfortunately, more often than not, diligent individual effort in managing patient care is wasted in the complex process of patient \[…\]

A friend of mine visited his specialist the other day for a follow-up visit: “What pills are you taking?” said the doctor “You should know!”, my friend replied “What makes you say that?” “Because you prescribed them!” It’s common for doctors to ask questions to which they may already have an answer. It’s a form \[…\]

Recently, my family and I had a spot of trouble with ESPA – an outfit that sells high-priced unctions to those who, like me, want to keep on the right side of their mother-in-law. The company, sold to the Hut Group a few years ago, failed to provide the the level of after-sales service that \[…\]

Of course, you would assume that Careful supports Bring Your Own Device for health workers and you would be right. But, we built a web platform first (that is phone friendly). Now, as we embark on app development there are different challenges. There appear to be mixed messages from the NHS on BYOD. From encouraging \[…\]

by Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown Senior physical leader and Emergency Doctor, Digital Health Entrepreneur The other day, I saw this twitter conversation. “Ward nurses and student nurses – do you still use paper handover sheets? Or are you expected to stick to electronic records?” reproduced below, with names redacted: The answer that comes back is “Yes” \[…\]

by Simon Shearston, CTO of Careful We were fairly close to completing our iOS version when we decided to shift to Android as we were getting immediate interest from developing countries where Android is much more prevalent than iPhones. Android comes in many flavours but we are working to the vanilla Google version, to run \[…\]

You are just starting on duty as the junior doctor of a busy medical department. It’s 8pm. The outgoing doctor – who has been on duty for 13 hours – is going on a date tonight and is keen to leave. You have 10 minutes to hand over thirty patients. Both of you stand in \[…\]

Among the recent hype surrounding the US presidential election and its aftermath, it would have been easy to miss a piece of bad news buried in your Medscape newsfeed. The The 2020 Doctors’ Burnout and Lifestyle Survey survey indicates: Before we counter that such a well-paid stratum of society should perhaps not complain too much, \[…\]

“Would you like your blood thinning tablets?”. The nurse asked the question very sweetly, but it was a troubling question. Because my young relative, waiting for their cardiac ablation, had already had their dose of Dabigatran. “Oh, sorry – my colleague didn’t tell me they’d already given it to you”. If I hadn’t been there to \[…\]