John Hill takes a look at how technology plays a role in primary healthcare, whether it's created by companies or the staff already working in the health service.

IF used correctly, technology is an important tool in producing more efficient healthcare without creating a poorer experience for patients.

It could be as simple as a piece of software to make administration easier, an improved design of leg bath, or a tool for diagnosing potential problems and transmitting them to a doctor miles away.

But in every case, the hope is to make life less stressful for patients and healthcare staff, and to give the patient a better chance of living independently and with minimum discomfort.

This year, healthcare support organisation Cels has introduced a new Primary Care category into its Business for Life awards, celebrating the companies whose products have improved the lives of patients.

The award is sponsored by Sunderland University, and will be part of the event at St James’ Park in Newcastle on November 9.

Cels business development director Kenny Lang says: “Ultimately what everyone wants to see is shortened hospital stays and fewer people needing to go to hospital.

“There’s a lot of groundbreaking stuff going on. When people were first talking about things like telehealth, cloud computing wasn’t as developed, but it’s advancing at a fast rate these days. In the next three to five years, it’s likely to advance even further.”

Lang believes diagnostic technology will be in increasing demand in the primary care sector in future, and notes that there are a few companies, such as BT, working on telehealth projects that enable healthcare professionals to talk to their patients remotely.

BT is also working with Intel on a service which allows patients to monitor readings such as blood sugar and weight and send them to health professionals for analysis.

Lang said: “People are already talking about how they might couple up their measurement devices with drug delivery services. It’s not happening right now because there are ethical considerations.

“Technology will always have more answers and be able to do more than the NHS and healthcare is ready to accept at that point.

“It’s a hugely regulated process, and that’s as it should be. Healthcare has to be conservative. It has to answer lots of questions, including ethical ones.

“If you a adopt a new piece of technology, it’s got to be better for the patient. If you’re replacing a person with a piece of technology, the result might be more efficient, but you also have to consider what would that do for the wellbeing of the person not speaking to another person.”

Cels aims to provide support to businesses and help them through the process of making contact with the NHS, getting the products road-tested by clinicians and clearing the regulatory hurdles necessary to get the product approved by the health service.

The organisation is also organising an expo on the same day as the Business for Life Awards, offering those in the life science and healthcare industry access to exhibitors, masterclasses and seminars on how to offer products to the sector.

Lang says: “You can see the exhibitors and seminars being useful for existing companies, but the masterclasses will have interesting information for people who make technology and people who are just starting up in the sector.”

Among the North East firms developing technology to help improve independence is Newcastle’s TrackaPhone, which has been working with Sunderland Council for several years on a project that has assisted families in need through the Sunderland Carers’ Centre.

Using BlackBerry smartphones, the TrackaPhone mobile finder and a secure internet connection, it enables child and parents to locate each other.

TrackaPhone chief executive Phil Derry says: “In one particular family, the parents had needed to give up work to look after their child, who had ADHD and Asperger Syndrome.

“He would get disorientated and call to say he was near a roundabout but didn’t know where it was. With this system, the parents were able to locate the child via a BlackBerry and bring him home.”