UK healthcare technology company Patientrack has been recognised as providing one of the best eHealth solutions anywhere in Europe, in an EU competition focussed on healthcare innovations from small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Patientrack early warning system is used in NHS hospitals to prevent avoidable harm and alert doctors and nurses to patients at risk of deterioration, so that they can intervene early.
Trusts and health boards have used the technology to reduce cardiac arrests, lower mortality and tackle lengths of stay, whilst healthcare professionals have innovated with the system to help prevent life threatening conditions including sepsis and acute kidney injury.
Now, the SME behind the Patientrack system has been named as the only UK company in the champions category finals of the 2016 EU eHealth Competition, a programme supported by the European Commission as a means to increase visibility of what it describes as “the best” of healthcare technologies from SMEs across the continent.
Donald Kennedy, managing director at Patientrack, said: "It is great to see recognition for what can be achieved for safer care when hospitals work in partnership with UK SMEs.
"Doctors and nurses across NHS hospitals have told us their priorities. By actively listening we have worked in genuine collaboration to provide them with the tools and information needed to avoid unnecessary harm and deliver safer, better care for patients.
"I hope that the successes achieved with our colleagues in the NHS can now be spread even further to benefit patients across Europe."
In the hospital environment, Patientrack works by ensuring that important observations are not missed, allowing nurses to capture vital signs digitally at the bedside. The software then accurately calculates a patient’s early warning score and automatically calls doctors to intervene when signs of deterioration are present. The system continues to escalate calls until patients receive an appropriate response. This has meant that nurses using the system in many hospitals no longer need to manually phone for doctors to attend, reducing risks and ensuring patients get the response they need to prevent harm.
Winners of the eHealth Competition will be judged and awarded on 9th June during eHealth Week 2016 in Amsterdam. The European Commission’s website describes the competition as "an initiative that rewards the best eHealth and mHealth solutions produced by European SMEs".
About EU SME eHealth Competition
The eHealth Competition is an initiative that rewards the best eHealth/ mHealth solutions produced by SMEs (European Small and Medium Enterprises). Its objective is to support business success of SMEs by giving them visibility together with marketing opportunities to attract customers, partners and external capital.
The EU SME eHealth Competition 2016 has the endorsement of the European Commission and the Final will be held the 9th June in Amsterdam during the eHealth Week.
About Patientrack
Patientrack helps hospitals deliver safer care - which is also more cost-effective care - by ensuring observation and assessment protocols are carried out correctly and consistently, and by automatically calculating early warning scores and alerting clinicians when interventions are needed. Through early identification of deteriorating patients, and the promoting of necessary assessments, Patientrack helps hospitals meet national and local targets for improvements in patient safety, improving patient outcomes and supporting frontline staff, while at the same time cutting costs and reducing paper. Patientrack was developed in conjunction with health professionals and its effectiveness in delivering both patient safety and cost improvements has been proven in a peer-reviewed clinical journal.