2008 Healthcare ICT product innovation

Winner

Sign Translate Ltd

Sign Translate Hospital: providing translation online for sign language users and foreign language speakers.

SignTranslate Hospital is a web-based communication tool that helps hospital staff to communicate with patients who are either profoundly deaf sign-language users or foreign-language speakers. This enables medical staff to treat deaf or foreign patients without delay, even if face-to-face interpreting support is not available. Sign Translate Hospital offers over 400 medical questions with instant pre-recorded video translations in three different dialects of British Sign Language and 12 foreign languages. There is also a facility for using interpreters via videolinks and a free text alert service providing appointment reminders and flu jab alerts.

Finalists

C-PORT (Chemotherapy Planning Oncology Resource Tool) - Concentra, AT Kearney and the Pharmaceutical Oncology Initiative Partnership

C-PORT applies modelling techniques to tackle the problem of chemotherapy capacity planning. It uses advanced techniques in simulation to forecast how each patient will experience care, how long they wait, who they see, and when. It also creates, in simulated form, real life events that influence treatment such as equipment breakdowns, phone calls, meetings and absenteeism. The development of the tool involved teamwork between 12 pharmaceutical companies, 26 NHS Cancer Networks in England, the NHS Cancer Services Collaborative and the Cancer Action Team of the Department of Health and the IT sector, with the final team being supported by consultants A.T. Kearney and advanced analytics and software development company Concentra. It is expected that the system and methodology can be rolled out to other areas in the NHS.

Patient Partner - Voice Connect Ltd

Patient Partner is a system that allows patients to book, cancel, check and change appointments using their telephone. The system is a PC-server based solution, which connects to the GP practice's telephone system. It integrates with all major electronic appointment books, ensuring that the system operates in 'real time'.

Patient Partner is currently helping GP practices across the UK to extend reception opening hours; ease the pain of early morning congestion and promote and administer appointments for specific clinics.