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The United Kingdom’s state run National Health Service has issued updates on the guidelines for their staff on the usage of instant messaging apps and programs by certified clinicians that are to be followed in settings for acute care, to maintain established privacy policies in regards to patient data.

With the NHS recognizing the need for instant messaging software, especially in emergency situations which require quick response, making them an essential aspect of the NHS tools, matching compliance with confidentiality regulations is seeing increasing importance.

Controversial Findings in Common Time Report Set Off NHS Move

The guidelines were put forth by the NHS following the release of findings in a CommonTime healthcare report on the subject, which found that a vast number NHS staff rely greatly on apps including iMessage, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Also, a number of trusts associated to the National Health Service did not have any policies about the use of messaging apps including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The report also stated that more than 95% of practicing clinicians used these messaging apps to receive and transmit potentially confidential patient data without any security measures in place.

In response to the findings of the CommonTime report, the NHS has set up guidelines to help healthcare practitioners within the UK to determine whether an instant messaging app is appropriate to use for healthcare purposes. These steps aim to protect healthcare practitioners from regulatory investigations regarding the safeguards on patient confidentiality.

Andrew Miles, who is a consultant general surgeon and a Royal College of Surgeons Council Member, stated that: “Patient safety is enhanced when NHS staff can quickly communicate confidential patient information between teams, such as by instant messaging.”

Patient Data Confidentiality Policies to Structure Guidelines

Some of the things that clinicians need to check in an app are end-user verification, pre-set standards of encryption, and password protection among others. In addition, the app needs to have capabilities for remote data wipes and auto deletion of messages after pre-set times, in cases of theft or loss of device.

The guidelines also include a number of specific standards for the use of apps, including the transmission to information to the right person or group and the regular review of group membership, to eliminate chances of miscommunication from similar names in address books.

NHS staff also has to keep notifications from popping up on a locked screen, not share access of the mobile device, while keeping clinical records separately, and deleted messages after the transcription process is complete. Staff must remember that conversations held on instant messaging platforms can be subject to requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

In addition to this, the guidelines state that instant messaging apps being used by healthcare practitioners cannot be permitted to connect with social media or photo libraries of the user’s device. Two-factor authentication is also pushed to be mandatory for such apps. The use of third party instant messaging apps is to be permitted only if the healthcare organization does not provide an appropriate alternative for use. At present, more than 50% do not offer any suitable alternative.

The guidelines are strong on emphasizing that they are not endorsing any particular instant messaging app service, but that the focus is on what clinicians must keep in mind when looking to use instant messaging apps on mobiles.

These measures are anticipated to protect healthcare organizations associated with the NHS from threats such as the WannaCry attack of 2017, which resulted in the loss of 10,000 records of patients registered in the NHS at the time.

The Walgreens Boots Alliance has announced that company leaders including Global Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President James Kehoe will be taking part in the 27^th Annual Healthcare Conference of Credit Suisse on Wednesday November 14, at The Phoenician, in Scottsdale Arizona. The audio feed for the appearance of the Walgreens Boots Alliance representative at the conference will be webcast live and will be further accessible anytime at the Walgreens investor relations website.

As one of the largest retail pharmacy players in the United States and Europe for healthy living destinations, the Walgreens Boots Alliance is currently valued at approximately 78.25Bn. The healthcare business entity and the various companies in which it has investments of equity has created a strategic and  geographic presence in more than twenty five countries, and has a vast workforce of over 415,000 employees. The extensive brand portfolio of Walgreens Boots Alliance includes industry segment leaders such as Boots and Alliance Healthcare, Liz Earle, Botanics, Duane Reade, and Walgreens.

The company is a global level leader in the health and pharmacy retail sector, and along with its investments in equity, the Walgreens Boots Alliance consistently makes the largest purchases of health and well-being products along with prescription medications, to run its immense distribution and wholesale networks. Walgreens Boots Alliance is responsible for the operations of more than 18,000 stores in 11 nations through approximately 390 large-scale distribution centers that provide products and services to nearly 250,000 healthcare centers, hospitals, pharmacies in a number of countries around the globe.

The discussion is anticipated to focus upon social responsibility and sustainable business initiatives on an international scale that can have a positive impact on the well-being of people worldwide. Attended by eminent healthcare, financial, political and economic experts, the Credit Suisse conference brings together a number of business leaders and entrepreneurs. The aim of the event is to acquire access to capital investments and opportunities with clearly stated returns, actionable insights, and ideation that can influence the future.

Credit Suisse is a Switzerland-based multinational banking and financial services company, with offices in major financial centers worldwide. The company provides a full set of logistics and consulting products and services to bring together collaborations of corporate clients and institutional investors around the world. They conduct events that range from industry-specific conferences, sector-relevant roadshows, events collaborating with industry experts, and more.

Singapore-based health technology startup MyDoc has been focusing on healthcare management solutions for large enterprises since its inception in 2014. Its value-based suite of products allows employees to consult doctors through video chat, get online prescriptions, avail chronic disease management programs, get referrals for specialists and even gives access to insurance information. This integrates every aspect of healthcare by bringing together healthcare professionals, patients, employers, insurance companies and pharmacies round the clock throughout the year, thereby saving time and money.

Research done by senior economists at the University of Southern California, Center for Economic and Social Research now claims that the use of the platform by companies across Asia has the potential of reducing healthcare costs in the region by at least 16 % and as high as 28% (USD 540 billion) out of a current US$ 2.7 trillion. At present the annual healthcare expenditure in Asia is predicted to grow at around 8% till the end of 2020.

MyDoc has already joined hands with a number of Fortune 500 companies in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong and some of the key market players in the insurance industry including Aetna, Cigna, and AIA, and is in discussion with many more players in the region.

MyDoc’s proprietary artificial intelligence platform called Pixi, can create a comprehensive picture of a patient’s health, through the combined efforts of human experts and cognitive computing systems to improve on diagnosis and take preventive action against illnesses, giving a more personalized healthcare experience. The system effectively directs human healthcare teams to gain safer co-ordination to ease of moving patients for a customized care procedure for each patient.

The AI system is specially designed to use data from health screenings and internet-of-things devices along with personal inputs by patients pre-fed health risk data sets to reduce errors occurring from preconceived ideas and biases and decide on the urgency of treatment on a case by case basis. The system can be used for a wide range of ailments from common cough and cold to life-threatening diseases.

The research claims that the MyDoc platform improves on patient engagement rates by up to 8 times, and saving 3 hours of time for every patient’s consultation, while seeing return user rate of over 90% in comparison to other leading markets such as that of the United States. This has been made possible by converting the conventional complicated and expensive healthcare process, to a simplified and personal continuous care platform.

European Union’s wide-ranging team of doctors recently discovered dozen of antibiotic drug resistant bacteria, after which they developed an estimate of five bug types that can lead to substantial death and infection rates. The team found out that according to 2015 stats, over 6, 70,000 individuals were ill and nearly 33,110 met with death. They also revealed that this death burden was equal to cumulative death burden of HIV, tuberculosis and influenza.

As per the study, there are higher possibilities that millions of people across Australia, North America and Europe succumb to tuberculosis, staph infection, and gonorrhea to name a few, due to superbug infections in the long run. For which, countries are likely to take crucial steps for prioritizing to fight against the constant threat that is posed by the bacteria immune to several known drugs. Middle and low-income regions are witnessing increased resistance. For instance, in Russia, Brazil and Indonesia, nearly 60% bacterial infections are strongly resistant to minimum of one antibiotic.

Notable Revelations by OECD

The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) has declared warning of dreadful consequences for the public healthcare as well as spending, however considering circumstances are expected to arise only in cases of increased extreme hospital hygiene and elimination of usage of unnecessary antibiotics. OECD is of the point of view that by 200, there are substantial chances of death rate increasing to 2.4million due to consumption of superbugs. In addition, OECD had mentioned that superbugs treating costs would boost to approximately $3.5Billion per year in every country, inclusive of its analysis.

The OECD public health lead, Michele Cecchini, had stated recently that every country has been spending nearly 10% of healthcare budget on the treatment of AMR (antimicrobial-resistant) bugs. The notable point is that this AMR costs comparatively more than the treatment of flu, tuberculosis and HIV.

Lack of Awareness Leading to Null Effect

Lack of awareness is leading to humans consume more antibiotics per day by means of prescriptions to stave off the infections. This in turn leads to growing development of bacteria that stimulates in resisting drug effect created for killing them. However, researchers are finding out significant ways to dive out solutions to fight resistance with quicker and better testing for determining if each infection is viral. The new swab tests is expected to dent the overuse of antibiotics in the long, thereby benefitting the healthcare industry with positive growth prospects.

With soaring consumption of antibiotics across the globe, doctors are alarming over the multi drug-resistant bacteria strains. Increasing need for patient safety and burgeoning demand for the alternative treatment options is expected to create significant and immediate opportunities for the healthcare industry.

Buying medicines online has turned out to be the latest trend among the consumers and patients in India. With this growing trend, e-pharmacies are also increasing at a significant rate. However, in September, the AIOCD (All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists) had protested against the draft proposal of Central government with regards to formalizing online sales of medicines. The drugs association has been feeling threatened to take a step towards pan-India bandh. Nearly 8.5Lakh chemists from across the nation had participated in the protests.

With easy accessibility and lower prices, online drug retail schemes have begun to pose threats for physical drug stores. The prices online are nearly 10 to 20% lower compared to prices at physical drug stores. Therefore, online players are only been facing significant costs on the basis of delivery.

Testimonials on Online Drug Delivery

Convenience is the major plus when it comes to online drug delivery. Especially for the sick and elderly, online drug delivery turn out to be extremely beneficial as it helps them in eliminating the situation where they would have to face crucial mobility issues. Online players are supplying to over 22,000 pin codes across India, which is inclusive of Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This in turn has resulted in drastic time reduction taken for delivery in remote areas. E-pharmacies have been taking efforts in delivering on the similar day or in less than 5days.

Online players are of the viewpoint that their model could help in better disease management with increased adherence towards prescribed treatment plans. Digital trials in the online services have been offering greater confidence to the shareholders. Several general insurance companies have been collaborating with the e-pharmacies for outpatient department (OPD) covers owing to the tracking and e-billing facilities that they offer.

Various online players further mentioned that auditability and traceability would be beneficial in government regulation, law enforcement, and the insurance coverage of medicines. Moreover, DHP, the online association is also planning to avoid sales of the habit-forming painkillers as well as psychotropic and narcotic drugs. The main motif of the online players is to cater to the existing and emerging needs of customers and patients suffering from chronic conditions.

Pharmacists have been heavily relying on technology for complex tasks. Online pharmacies provide better pricing compared to the offline stores with growing access, lower product and transaction costs, convenience and better anonymity for the consumers, which in turn is expected to dive in significant revenue growth for the healthcare industry, with notable expansion of customer base on the e-pharmacy platform.