Medical, healthcare and pharmaceutical speakers from around the world have presented their work at the Royal Society of Medicine 2017 Medical Innovations Summit. The meeting considered developments in mental health provision, diagnostic methods and the handling of Big Data, and targeted biotechnology . Key messages were:
Mental Healthcare Provision:
What happens when family and carers are kept away from patients needing hospital and nursing care? The negative effects of isolation and insufficient staffing resource can result in chronic and sometimes terminal decline in the patient’s welfare. A programme of open access, positive encouragement and partnership between healthcare professionals and family/carers can result in improved clinical outcomes and quality of life. More and more healthcare providers are signing up to the “John’s Campaign” initiative.
To counter the isolation of a society fragmented by age, particularly among older people, a number of mixed-age experiences are being developed: locating nursery schools in homes for the elderly, with integrated activities for both age groups; allocating accommodation for young people in retirement/assisted living housing developments in return for help and social interaction; and specific projects in local student communities whereby the skills of the young are offered to help the less-able elderly.
Diagnostic Methods
New apps are being developed and used to provide doctors and patients with more information to optimise treatment. One such allows the patient’s individual condition to be matched with clinical trials for which they are particularly eligible. This can avoid uncertainty about whether a particular trial is appropriate for a particular patient, narrowing the bewildering number of trials which may be suitable. It also helps the trial sponsor to avoid wasteful effort in identifying study subjects who subsequently do not meet trial’s entry criteria.
Another app provides physicians with a guide through the symptoms to identify compatible diagnosis. This can alert the health professional to broader diagnosis and eliminate the most unlikely diagnoses.
In countries where doctors have to serve patients who live over large geographical area, a digital stethoscope and thermometer have been developed. This allows patients to collect the data for analysis and diagnosis by their physician who may be a long way away. It is then possible to conduct a remote consultation with the most essential information available to the doctor. The company are now looking to extend the data available by adding scales, blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter to the app package.
Another award-winning idea is the use of an easy-to-wear vest which monitors heart rate and body temperature as a predictive alarm of epileptic seizure. Without advance notice, seizures can be highly disruptive and place the patient at risk from secondary injury. This is particularly true for young children, who are less able to identify the changes which occur just before a seizure occurs. The vest provides an unobtrusive device for holding the monitors in place, without the social stigma or discomfort of more visible technology.
The opportunity to use augmented reality can support less experienced surgeons to conduct complex procedures under the guidance of remote consultant surgeons. Not only does this provide audio advice, but it can also overlay the consultant’s hand and devices on a screen image of the surgical field, with very high precision. Further developments are promised, including 3D-imaging which would provide even greater support for complex internal surgery.
As an aid to cardiac surgery, a code has been developed whereby the wire fixings used to join the sternum after coronary by-pass surgery can be used to leave an X-ray visible code inside the chest which identifies the location of the implanted vascular shunts. This can save time and uncertainty if the patient presents on a later date with a suspected blockage; if there is no access to their surgical history, life-threatening time can be lost trying to locate the blockage during emergency corrective surgery. The direction of the wires (up or down, left or right) and the number of wires will show up on X-ray and identify the location and number of by-passes previously performed.
Another development for improved surgical outcomes is a programme of active intervention to prepare patients for surgery. In many cases, the underlying condition, and/or the prior medication, can leave a patient in sub-optimal physical and psychological condition for the rigours of surgery and post-operative recovery. By applying a holistic approach in the pre-operative period, which optimises diet and nutrition, physical fitness and psychological well-being, the patient is better prepared for surgery. Experience of the programme to date indicates that the post-operative recovery period is shorter and the patient’s confidence and attitude is greatly improved. This initial work has been done with cancer patients, but may be equally applicable to many or all forms of major surgery.
Biotechnology
The summit heard about two biotechnology advances which could change the shape of medicine in the future. The development of biotechnology to target therapies in oncology and immunology diseases will be a first for a Chinese biotech company, both in meeting the needs of the large Chinese population and in providing therapeutic drugs outside China for the first time.
In Scotland, a company has addressed the evolutionary success of sharks, to adapt and humanise shark antibodies for the treatment of inflammatory disease. The first targets for these therapeutic molecules are as treatments of inflammatory eye and gut diseases.
Queen’s House Consulting
Queen’s House Consulting was among delegates at the Medical Innovations Summit. Offering expertise in system process analysis, technical “health-check” for start-ups and investors, and programming/troubleshooting biotech product development from laboratory bench to market, Queen’s House Consulting is able to support medical innovation. If you would like to discuss your particular pharmaceutical/healthcare needs, please contact Queen’s House Consulting.