iTWire - Health

didgUgo adopts InterSystems platform

2024-09-11T10:55:05+10:00

Australian care industry software startup didgUgo has signed a solutions partner agreement with InterSystems to add interoperability, FHIR, and AI functionality to its next-generation care visit verification solution.

didgUgo adopted InterSystems Iris for Health data platform to enhance its functionality and value it offers to providers.

didgUgo deployed Iris to use healthcare data standards such as HL7 FHIR and to provide interoperability with information systems used by care providers.

This will support enhanced functionality such as two-way communication with subcontractors or using AI and Machine Learning for fraud prevention.

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The agreement with InterSystems will also accelerate didgUgo’s growth.

This includes offering its solution in the United States – where Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is mandatory for Medicare and Medicaid – in addition to Australia.

didgUgo recently exhibited at the InterSystems Global Summit 2024 in the US to raise awareness of its next-generation EVV solution and better understand global market requirements.

It demonstrated its use of Iris for Health to exchange data with other applications, including the InterSystems TrakCare healthcare information system, which also uses Iris for Health.

“Our vision is to integrate didgUgo into the Iris ecosystem so that solutions like TrakCare can plug in didgUgo check-in/check-out services to significantly improve visibility of service delivery, in real time,” said didgUgo chief technology officer and managing director Luke Benson.

“For many home services, Australian care providers don’t have any visibility into jobs until they receive the invoice, weeks later,” said Benson.

“We can fill that gap by providing real-time visit verification data. With our Solutions Partner agreement with InterSystems, didgUgo is primed to be interoperable and exchange data with provider systems in real time. By integrating a rostering or work order system, you could follow up with subcontractors and say, ‘Did you forget to check in?’”

Benson highlighted how didgUgo’s team was set to rapidly integrate with Iris for Health.

“Our engineering team took advantage of the excellent online developer resources from InterSystems, such as documentation and pre-built Docker images, and we were able to integrate our solution into Iris for Health in just a couple of days.”

“It also gives us FHIR compliance and facilitates AI and machine learning, for example, to analyse data for advanced fraud prevention. We’ve also received great support from the local InterSystems solution engineering team to help us optimise the solution.”

“InterSystems works with care industry software start-ups to meet one of their most pressing challenges – the need for interoperability to integrate with providers’ information systems and deliver value quickly,” said InterSystems country manager ANZ Darren Jones.

Designed for healthcare, aged care, and disability service providers, didgUgo is an software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that enables subcontractors to scan an on-site QR code to check in and out of jobs.

Providers get confirmation via the didgUgo SaaS application and APIs, simplifying and streamlining their business processes and improving compliance. To avoid data privacy issues, didgUgo retains the smallest possible data footprint, with no need to store subcontractor or client and patient private data.

Research and further development in the pharmaceutical industry: challenges and opportunities for professional realities

2024-09-09T20:18:53+10:00

GUEST OPINION: Nowadays, every one of us is deeply merged in an ever-evolving landscape in which the influence of technology is more pervasive than ever, transforming every professional and social paradigm. This phenomenon is part of a wider and dynamic progress, which is particularly evident when we analyze the pharmaceutical industry. In this field, innovations are reshaping how medical care and products meet rising demands.

This sector is witnessing significant advancements, from more precise medicine to biotechnology and artificial intelligence for digital health solutions. These developments are offering new ways to enhance patient outcomes and streamline operations. Nonetheless, it’s safe to say that alongside the opportunities, today's pharmaceutical industries are also facing numerous challenges related to the integration of the latest generation’s technology by making substantial investments in order to comply with the regulations and to adapt the workforce to the needs of the actual market.

The balance between leveraging technological potential and navigating these obstacles can be found by introducing advanced machinery such as the ones provided by the Italian company LAST Technology in order to be more agile, informed and prepared to embrace the new possibilities of the digital realm. In the next paragraphs, we are going to explore the advantages of progress in the pharmaceutical industry and the latest trends and challenges that the related industries are experiencing.

The main advantages of research and technology in the pharmaceutical industry

When talking about the main advantages of research and technology in the pharmaceutical industry, our eyes can immediately meet also some of the most prominent trends of innovation in the related field. Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and bioinformatics, for example, can accelerate the identification of potential drug candidates by reducing the time and cost associated with bringing new products to the market.

Furthermore, such an approach, combined with the advances in genomics and biotechnology, enables the development of a more personalized way of conceiving treatments, making them as much personalized as possible, in order to meet the specific needs of the patients and improve the efficacy and safety of different kinds of therapies. Innovative research methods enhanced by real-time data analytics can provide a much sharper way of dosing and administrating medications.

It's also safe to say that new technologies can facilitate the design and management of clinical trials by improving the patient’s recovery, making trials more efficient and reliable. New technologies can ensure that medications are delivered in a much more effective way to targeted areas, reducing their lack in more critical areas. Obviously, an innovative industry can be more productive, leading to an increase in manufacturing efficiency, which can provide many more products capable of satisfying the global demand among patients.

The main challenges faced by pharmaceutical industries during the innovation process

Having access to digital innovation leads to several advantages and benefits for industries that are prone to face progress in the pharmaceutical field. However, it’s also important to underline that, on the other hand, these companies must be ready to go through significant challenges that can have an important impact on the development and delivery of new therapies. Developing new medical products, for example, requires substantial investment with no guarantee of success, making the financial burden particularly heavy for a smaller reality.

Furthermore, the pharmaceutical industry has to consider the complex and stringent regulatory environments in the countries in which it is operating by ensuring compliance with safety, efficacy and quality standards, something that is possible only thanks to the expertise of professionals and by providing them with substantial resources. Also, obtaining regulatory approval can be a very time-consuming process.

When it comes specifically to technological integration, instead, companies must face significant changes in infrastructure and processes that can be very challenging to implement and manage in the shorter term, specifically related to the habits and the workflow to which professionals were used in the past. Finally, there are some ethical considerations related to the use of new technologies, specifically Artificial Intelligence and Big Data. Data privacy and security, in fact, are becoming a priority for both institutions and private citizens.

Tech Developments in Healthcare: What to Watch in 2024

2024-08-29T20:21:54+10:00

GUEST OPINION: Healthcare and technology have always shared a symbiotic relationship. In most of the industry's major milestones, whether it be the development of CRISPR-Cas9 or mRNA vaccine, technology seems to have played a crucial role. Tech continues to shake up and advance all aspects of healthcare, from the way a surgeon operates to the care provided by a graduate of a family nurse practitioner program.

The healthcare industry is set to undergo a pivotal time of change and evolution. Given below are eight technological meta-trends that are set to change the industry for the upcoming decade:

Artificial Intelligence

No surprises here. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the talk of the town for a while now, attracting both attention and investment. In fact, one in every four dollars invested in healthcare is going toward companies leveraging AI. Patient data has never been more abundant, and with AI models getting more sophisticated, expect more high-end uses than just writing an email to your boss on a lazy Monday morning. Spotting trends, providing personalized insights, and monitoring a live feed of data for anomalies and treatment reactions are just some of the many applications. Truth be told, the sky is the limit when it comes to potential use cases for AI in the healthcare space. Innovations like Zebra Medical Vision (medical imaging used to identifying conditions like fractures, lung diseases, and cancers with greater accuracy) and Tempus, ( AI driven precision medicine solution which enables doctors to analyze genetic data and tailor cancer treatments) are already setting the pace.

Blockchain

Cryptocurrencies may have tarnished the image of this technology, but write it off at your own peril. Its scope could be best explained with Estonia’s case study. In 2016 the nation’s tech-savvy government successfully transitioned from a paper-internet hybrid to a blockchain-based system for maintaining its public health records. Beyond the obvious benefits of improving data security and patient privacy, this approach has also had a positive impact on administrative efficiency as well as interoperability amongst different healthcare providers, which is a significant pain point of the industry. As the technology matures and has more such successful applications, expect it to go mainstream in the near future.

Nanotechnology

Nanotech devices may be minuscule, but their impact on healthcare will be colossal. Primarily, these devices can be very handy in diagnostic testing and drug delivery. Imagine using fabrics embedded with nanomaterials that can interact with the patient's body by regulating temperature and monitoring health or delivering drugs directly to specific cells or tissues. These are not the figments of sci-fi fantasy, but present-day reality and the use of nanoparticles in cancer therapy is just one example. Advancements in nanorobotics and precision manufacturing have the potential to fuel its advancement further, with applications going beyond patient data security into medical supply chain improvements and more.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) will be a game-changer for healthcare education. The level of detailing and adaptability will be unprecedented, with progress already being made. Interactive 3D anatomy models in the surrounding space will enable students to apply their learnings visually. Advanced AR headsets could also assist nurses in finding veins more easily and surgeons in the operating room. The increasing involvement of Big Tech companies like Meta and Apple in building consumer-centric AR products could also hasten developments in this field, making augmented reality more real.

3D Printing

The most mature tech on this list, 3D Printing, has already drastically changed hundreds of thousands of lives for the better across the globe. 3D printing can create implants and prosthetics as per the specific requirements of the patient. The ability to create organs and tissues with a special ink called “bio-ink” has been a massive enabler, allowing improvements to move beyond limbs. Also known as additive manufacturing, the industry is receiving a push from the White House. With renewed policy focus and government support, expect the off-shoots of this growth to have a positive impact on healthcare.

Remote Patient Monitoring

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated all things remote, with healthcare being at the forefront of this change. Healthcare professionals can expect more and more of their patients to prefer remote diagnostics and monitoring in 2024 and the future. Improved tech has played a central role here. Wearables have become cheaper and more accurate, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming more mainstream. Niche health monitoring apps for a variety of edge cases are being built. Internet penetration and digital literacy are on the rise globally. All these factors combine to make a digital-first future ripe for disruption.

Surgical Robots

We’ve come a long way since the days of PUMA-560, the first robot ever used in surgery in 1985. Robotics is poised to enhance productivity and efficiency across different industries, and healthcare is no exception. Their use is not limited to surgery; they can also be used in rehabilitation, robotic lab automation, disinfection, elderly care, nursing and medicine dispensing. While its application and scope are immense, it is important to be cautious about its deployment in the near future as more work needs to be done to make these devices more nuanced and agile.

Cloud-Based Software

While its inclusion may come as a surprise, cloud-based software and solutions have been impacting healthcare for a while now. Healthtech startups with a slick interface and interoperability have been gathering momentum in the US. These have obvious advantages for professionals, like no hassle of maintaining expensive tech hardware and access to regularly updated software. With a greater share of health practitioners going digital, this trend is set to gain traction.

Over the next decade, as these technologies mature and enter public discourse, healthcare will undergo an inevitable evolution. It is imperative that industry stakeholders be prepared and start acquainting themselves by slowly meshing these into their workflow.

My Emergency Doctor deploys InterSystems cloud solution to back suburban hospital

2024-07-05T18:47:21+10:00

Telemedicine service provider My Emergency Doctor, staffed by specialist emergency doctors, has implemented InterSystems HealthShare Health Connect Cloud to provide systems interoperability to a major suburban hospital to support a virtual overnight supervision service by facilitating virtual board rounds between emergency department clinicians and emergency specialists (FACEMs) overnight.

This initiative aims to improve key performance indicators such as Transfer of Care (ToC) and length of stay.

Purchased as a pay-as-you-grow cloud service, HealthShare Health Connect Cloud will also provide enhanced interoperability for My Emergency Doctor’s (MED) other telemedicine services in the future, with InterSystems partner Fluffy Spider Technologies providing ongoing support.

Cloud interoperability implemented within two months
MED has used a secure file-sharing service to integrate its electronic medical record (EMR) system with the systems of its clients, typically regional hospitals with six to eight-bed emergency departments (EDs).

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However, supporting a new virtual board round service for a 60-bed ED at a major suburban hospital required a more efficient and streamlined approach.

The hospital preferred to interoperate via the commonly used HL7 messaging standard. After signing an agreement with InterSystems, MED implemented an interoperability solution using HealthShare Health Connect Cloud within two months, with future integrations expected to be even faster.

Meeting integration challenges one at a time
“MED is a growing company, and we needed a fast solution to meet our expanding needs,” says MED head of technology Ben Rhodes.

“HealthShare Health Connect Cloud was an ideal choice. It offers a scalable solution with a low barrier to entry, perfectly aligning with our growth trajectory. Initially, the most important benefit was meeting the required timeline by leveraging the hospital’s existing HL7 capability.”

“With HL7 interoperability, we can receive more information more quickly and create a better clinical workflow. If something happens, we get the data immediately, and a nurse doesn’t need to check it. Now that we have completed the first HL7 integration, we can expand it to multiple customers. And we can integrate with FHIR or use the InterSystems FHIR Server to create a FHIR repository as well.”

“With our cloud interoperability solution, we are delighted to help healthcare providers, medical start-ups and scale-ups like My Emergency Doctor overcome the systems integration barriers to innovative connected care solutions,” says InterSystems country manager ANZ Darren Jones.

“Without making a large up-front investment, MED can quickly and cost-effectively meet its integration challenges one at a time, leveraging the latest interoperability technology and healthcare data standards. MED is also leveraging our partner network and will collaborate with Fluffy Spider Technologies, one of the region’s first InterSystems partners for HealthShare Health Connect Cloud, for ongoing technical support.”

MED aims to transform emergency medicine by bringing the best possible care to patients, wherever they are.

The company’s services connect senior specialist emergency doctors – Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEMs) – with clinicians and patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The telemedicine services ease the difficulties of emergency presentation surges, staff shortages and after-hours consultations, for example, allowing hospitals to maintain a regular pattern of FACEM-led board rounds in the middle of the night.

CSIRO partners to ‘strengthen’ regional health

2024-06-21T12:45:17+10:00

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO has announced that it will partner with governments across the Pacific and Southeast Asia to help them better prepare for, and respond to, disease outbreaks.

Noting that emerging and endemic infectious diseases in humans and animals pose a major challenge in the Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, the CSIRO warns that globally, more than 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans), with a 300 per cent increase in outbreaks over the past 30 years - and recent examples include COVID-19 and avian influenza.

The CSIRO advised that it will partner with nations including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Fiji to improve their ability to identify, track and react to health emergencies.

CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Doug Hilton, said an investment in the health of the region is an investment in the health of Australia.

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“Building stronger, more resilient health systems in the Pacific and Southeast Asia creates shared success, prosperity, stability and trust in science,” Dr Hilton said.

“It protects human and animal health; ensures equitable and inclusive health outcomes; and strengthens regional economic security, productivity, trade, tourism and development.”

“Guided by regional priorities identified by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and regional partners, CSIRO will begin by helping with laboratory capacity building, biomedical manufacturing training, digital health expertise, and building health networks,” the CSIRO explains.

“CSIRO will also offer access to its multidisciplinary expertise across animal and human health as well as its facilities, such as the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), National Vaccine and Therapeutics Lab, and Australian e-Health Research Centre.”

The five ACDP projects will strengthen:

animal health laboratory networks and leadership across southeast Asia and the Pacific, through cross-region lab placements and by building lab leadership capability in Vietnam
regional networks and building laboratory diagnostic and leadership capacity for avian influenza in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia and the Pacific
field animal health diagnostic capacity and networks for Pacific Island nations and territories
biorisk management training for laboratory personnel, and the development of a network of biorisk leaders across Southeast Asia and the Pacific
viral emerging infectious disease testing at high-risk locations such as wildlife markets in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, and the Philippines.

The CSIRO says that a “biomanufacturing partnership will also strengthen Thailand and the Southeast Asia region’s capabilities to develop and manufacture vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, and small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)”.

“CSIRO will help build capability and skills in Thailand in the process development and scale-up capabilities needed to produce complex products, starting with the development of an anti-cancer drug and an anti-viral.

“The Australian e-Health Research Centre will use its world leading capabilities in digital health to assist partners in the Philippines and Fiji adopt international open health data and interoperability standards. These standards enable safer, consistent, equitable and effective health data exchange between nations; and the creation of real-time systems for disease making and disease surveillance.

“DFAT will provide $15 million in funding for the partnership, and CSIRO a further $9.2m million, plus access to its researchers, expertise and facilities.”

“We look forward to working with regional partners to help them build more resilient health systems, address their current and future challenges, and ensure they have the right tools and training to protect our region from the spread of disease,” Dr Hilton said.

“CSIRO has clear scientific strengths in health, biosecurity, and infectious disease, as well as decades of experience in health system strengthening in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, which continue to improve lives around the world.”

The CSIRO says the new partnerships are part of the Australian Government's five-year $620 million Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, “which is supporting partner nations to build resilient and equitable health systems”.

A new smartphone tool could help identify strokes in seconds

2024-06-19T09:40:57+10:00

RMIT University in partnership with São Paulo State University has developed a smartphone face-screening tool that could help paramedics identify stroke in seconds.

The smartphone tool, which has an accuracy rating of 82% for detecting stroke, would not replace comprehensive clinical diagnostic tests for stroke, but could help identify people needing treatment much sooner.

Strokes, which affect millions of people globally, occur when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, which prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients.

A few minutes of delay can result in permanent damage to the brain cells.

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A team of biomedical engineers at RMIT University developed the AI capabilities behind the software technology and has published their results in Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine.

RMIT PhD scholar Guilherme Camargo de Oliveira and São Paulo State University led the research under the supervision of team leader and professor Dinesh Kumar who hails from RMIT School of Engineering.

“Early detection of stroke is critical, as prompt treatment can significantly enhance recovery outcomes, reduce the risk of long-term disability, and save lives,” stressed Kumar.

“We have developed a simple smartphone tool that paramedics can use to instantly determine whether a patient is post-stroke and then inform the hospital before the ambulance leaves the patient’s house.”

How the technology works
The novel AI-driven technology uses the power of facial expression recognition to detect stroke by analysing facial symmetry and specific muscle movements, known as action units.

The Facial Action Coding System (FACS), initially developed in the 1970s, categorises facial movements by the contraction or relaxation of facial muscles, providing a detailed framework for analysing facial expressions.

“One of the key parameters that affects people with stroke is that their facial muscles typically become unilateral, so one side of the face behaves differently from the other side of the face,” de Oliveira said.

“We’ve got the AI tools and the image processing tools that can detect whether there is any change in the asymmetry of the smile – that is the key to detection in our case.”

Video recordings of facial expression examinations of 14 people with post-stroke and 11 healthy controls were used in this study.

Next steps
The team plans to develop the smartphone tool into an App in collaboration with healthcare providers so that it will be able to detect other neurological conditions that affect facial expressions.

“We want to be as sensitive and specific as possible. We are now working towards an AI tool with additional data and where we are going to be considering other diseases as well,” Kumar said.

“Collaboration with healthcare providers will be crucial to integrate this App into existing emergency response protocols, providing paramedics with an effective means of early stroke detection.”

Healthcare Organisations Lose 20% of their Sensitive Data in Every Ransomware Attack, Reports Rubrik Zero Labs

2024-05-01T10:31:04+10:00

GUEST RESEARCH

Healthcare organisations experienced 50% more encryption events than the global average across 2023

Cloud continues to drive inherent risk and security blind spots as 70% of all data is typically not machine readable by security appliances

Leadership changes following cyberattacks are on the rise, with major personnel changes reported by 44% of organisations — up from 36% in 2022

Recent cyber incidents demonstrate the healthcare industry continues to be a prime target for ransomware hackers. New research by Rubrik Zero Labs reveals that ransomware attacks produce larger impacts against these healthcare targets. In fact, the report estimates that one fifth of all sensitive data belonging to healthcare organisations is impacted in each ransomware attack.

Rubrik Zero Labs’ new “The State of Data Security: Measuring Your Data’s Risk” report offers insights on real-world risks against data as the pace and volume of cyber events continues to increase globally, aided by the explosion of data in the cloud and the realities of modern computing environments. Rubrik Zero Labs studies the challenges organisations’ face to protect their crown jewels – their data – as well as how to reduce data risk and prepare for the evolving risk cycle before, during, and after a cyberattack.

“Despite the fallout of cyberattacks dominating headlines, data risk is an issue that continues to be murky – especially in terms of what security teams can actually change and what they cannot,” said Steven Stone, Head of Rubrik Zero Labs. “With this report, we aim to provide quantifiable insights that IT and security leaders can bring back to their organisation to drive greater cyber resilience-in particular with their partners in the business and governance teams. The more we talk about cyber threats like ransomware, and its impact on industries like healthcare, the more we can collaborate to minimise the risk calculus and ultimately beat cyber attackers trying to impede our businesses.”

The Rubrik Zero Labs research unit pairs Rubrik telemetry across its customer base of more than 6,100 organisations with findings from a survey conducted by Wakefield Research of more than 1,600 IT and security leaders – half of which are CIOs and CISOs. Additionally, this study incorporated data from two Rubrik partner organisations and five other research organisations in an effort to provide the most objective findings. With core focuses including the cyber threat landscape in the healthcare industry, cloud data security blind spots, and ransomware, key findings include:

Healthcare Far Surpasses the Global Average in Sensitive Data

Rubrik observed that healthcare organisations secure 22% more data than the global average.
A typical healthcare organisation saw their data estate grow by 27% last year.
A typical healthcare organisation has more than 42 million sensitive data records – 50% more sensitive data than the global average of 28 million.
Sensitive data records in observed healthcare organisations grew by more than 63% in 2023 – far surpassing any other industry and more than five times the global average (13%).

Ransomware Produces Outsized Impacts Against Healthcare

Ransomware attacks against observed healthcare organisations have an estimated impact of almost five times more sensitive data than the global average.
This equates to an estimated 20% of a typical healthcare organisation's total sensitive data holdings impacted every time there is a successful ransomware encryption event, compared to 6% for an average organisation.
Virtualisation really matters for healthcare and ransomware: 97% of all encrypted data in Rubrik observed healthcare organisations last year occurred within virtualised architecture compared to 83% across all industries.

As Cloud Becomes More Widely Adopted, New Security Blind Spots Emerge

Organisations are becoming more dependent on the cloud. In 2023, Rubrik observed that cloud architecture stored 13% of an organisation’s data, compared to 9% in 2022. Comparatively, on-premises declined from 77% in 2022 to 70% in 2023.
Of the external organisations victimised in a cyberattack in 2023, many were attacked across multiple aspects of their hybrid environment with 67% of attacks impacting SaaS data, 66% for the cloud, and 51% for on-premises locations.
The cloud comes with inherent risk based on security blind spots and vulnerable sensitive data, according to Rubrik Telemetry:

Blind spot #1: 70% of all data in a typical cloud instance is object storage, which typically has a far lower security coverage compared to other areas.
Blind spot #2: 88% of all data in object storage is not confirmed as machine readable or covered by prominent security technologies and services.
Blind spot #3: More than 25% of object storage data is subject to regulatory or legal requirements, such as protected health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII).

Ransomware Continues to Wreak Havoc across Organisations — and IT and Security Teams

94% of IT and security leaders reported their organisation experienced a significant cyberattack last year, and on average faced 30 attacks in that timeframe. One-third of these victims endured at least one ransomware attack.
93% of external organisations that endured a ransomware attack reported paying a ransom demand, with 58% of these payments motivated primarily by threats to leak stolen data.
96% of senior IT and security leaders reported changes to their emotional and/or psychological state as a direct result of a cyberattack, with 38% worrying over job security.
Leadership changes increased following cyberattacks, reported by 44% of organisations — up from 36% in Rubrik Zero Labs’ Fall 2022 report “The State of Data Security: The Human Impact of Cybercrime.”

Rubrik Zero Labs, the company’s data security research unit formed to analyse the global threat landscape, reports on emerging data security issues to give organisations research-backed insights and best practices to secure their data against increasing cyber events.

To read the full report, visit https://www.rubrik.com/zero-labs.

Catherics enters into collaborative research agreement with TiCARos

2024-04-03T01:47:13+11:00

Biotechnology company Cartherics, which is developing immune cell therapies for the treatment of cancer, has entered a collaborative research agreement with TiCARos Co to assess its proprietary CLIP-CAR technology in Cartherics’ induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived natural killer (NK) cells.

Cartherics says TiCARos is developing novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell products for the treatment of solid and blood cancers incorporating its CLIP-CAR (Clamping-based Immunological Synapse Potentiating CAR) approach.

“The CLIP component stabilises the immune synapse between immune cells and target tumour cells by modifying the CAR structure, thereby improving the contact between CAR-T cells and tumour cells, resulting in enhanced efficacy in vitro and in vivo models. CLIP-CARs have not yet been assessed in NK cells,” notes Cartherics.

Cartherics notes that for this collaborative research TiCARos will generate a range of CLIP-CAR constructs and provide them to Cartherics to incorporate into its NK cells, and then assess their in vitro and in vivo function.

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“Each party has nominated a tumour antigen it wishes to target in assessment of the CARs. Cartherics’ target is tissue factor (TF), a target for which it recently entered into an option agreement with The Ohio State University. TiCARos will be assessing CD19 as its tumour target. Each party retains the right to develop products that target its nominated tumour antigen,” adds Cartherics.

“We are excited to extend the application of our CLIP CAR-T platform technology into CAR-NK therapeutic approach by collaborating with Cartherics, as their expertise lies in the field of allogeneic cell platform based upon iPSC-derived NK cell therapy,” said JW Lee, CEO of TiCARos. “We see a remarkable opportunity to leverage our core capabilities, accelerate pipeline programs, and expand opportunities beyond autologous cell therapies,” and added “this collaboration creates a path for accelerating our respective solid tumor pipeline programs and broadening the use of TiCARos’ technology outside of autologous cell therapy applications.”

Cartherics says that subject to the results from the research collaboration, the parties will negotiate a development and commercialisation agreement in relation to their respective background technologies and any jointly-owned intellectual property generated in the project.

Cartherics’ CEO, Prof. Alan Trounson AO, commented: “Bringing new cutting-edge technologies such as CLIP-CAR together with Cartherics’ allogeneic NK cell platform is an exciting development that may make these therapies even more effective. We continue to work collaboratively with innovative companies and academics internationally to build a leading portfolio of therapeutic products in cancer. An effective CLIP-CAR targeting tissue factor could provide the basis of a CAR-NK product for triple negative breast cancer and other difficult to treat cancers."

Why clinical trial patient recruitment software matters

2024-03-26T12:24:19+11:00

GUEST OPINION: In the evolving realm of healthcare, technological advancements are profoundly impacting facets of clinical research. A notable domain where this impact is evident is in recruitment for trials. Historically, the process of finding participants has been fraught with challenges and delays, leading to increased expenses.

However, the advent of clinical trial patient recruitment software now equips researchers with a tool to streamline recruitment efforts and enhance the overall success rates of trials.

Enhancing Recruitment Efficiency

1. Precise Patient Selection

Traditional methods often involve tasks like reviewing medical records or relying on referrals from healthcare professionals to find patients meeting trial criteria. With the aid of software, researchers can swiftly pinpoint participants based on predefined parameters. Automating this process and utilizing data-driven algorithms software significantly cuts down the time and resources needed for selection.

2. Improved Operational Effectiveness

Clinical trial patient recruitment software simplifies tasks that were previously cumbersome and spread across platforms. It offers a hub where researchers can efficiently screen candidates, securely manage contact details, disseminate important updates to eligible participants collectively, and accurately monitor their progress throughout the study. As a result, healthcare teams can optimize their workforce allocation efficiently while saving time on coordination.

Ways to Boost Patient Engagement

1. Tailored Communication

Effective communication is essential for engaging patients in trials. Using messaging through email campaigns or online ads with the help of recruitment software, researchers can customize their outreach efforts to connect better with target groups. This approach ensures that patients understand study requirements clearly and fosters trust between patients and research teams.

2. Streamlined Patient Onboarding

Once individuals show interest in participating in a trial through recruitment software campaigns, simplified enrollment processes are key to keeping them engaged. By allowing participants to easily submit their information consent forms and other required documents through a portal provided by the software, researchers reduce barriers to participation. This streamlined onboarding experience leaves a great impression and establishes a strong foundation for continuous patient engagement throughout the trial.

Enhancing Trial Success

1. Enrollment

Efficient patient recruitment is crucial for meeting clinical trial timelines and obtaining insights promptly. Clinical trial patient recruitment software enables researchers to reach audiences effectively and identify candidates quickly. These tools have the ability to access a variety of data sources, such as health records, social media platforms, online communities, and patient advocacy networks, to expand the reach of recruiting participants for trials. By increasing visibility, enrollment targets can be met efficiently.

2. Engagement

Enhancing engagement is crucial not only during enrollment but also in ensuring ongoing active involvement throughout the duration of the study. Recruitment software plays a role in achieving this by providing features like automated reminders for study visits or completing questionnaires, real-time updates on protocol changes, or upcoming events tailored to each participant's journey within the trial. This personalized communication helps foster a sense of investment in participants and reduces dropouts caused by lack of information or motivation.

Improving Data Management

1. Centralized Data Storage

The manual tracking of data and paper-based systems in trials can be laborious, unwieldy, and error-prone. Clinical trial recruitment software offers a solution for storing data, allowing researchers to manage all participant information conveniently in one place. This eliminates the need for file storage, decreases the risk of misplacing or losing records, and simplifies accessing and updating data as required.

2. Effective Data Analysis

Analyzing the data from a study plays a key role in assessing how well a clinical trial is performing. Clinical trial patient recruitment software provides analysis tools that allow researchers to extract insights from participant information response rates, recruitment channels, and other relevant data points. These analyses help shape recruitment strategies by identifying patterns, highlighting areas that need improvement, and optimizing recruitment efforts through real-time data analysis.

Conclusion

In today's age, where clinical research continues to push boundaries in healthcare, improving recruitment processes has become essential. The development of patient recruitment software for clinical trials addresses longstanding challenges encountered by researchers. Offers benefits over traditional approaches. By simplifying the recruitment process, enhancing patient engagement features, and boosting trial success rates, this technology eases the workload on research teams while playing a role in advancing medical innovations for the benefit of all parties involved.

Brands need to combat ‘health-related misinformation’ on social media

2024-03-22T10:26:59+11:00

The ease with which false or misleading information can be shared without vetting, fact-checking, or accountability has made social media a breeding ground for misinformation, according to data and analytics company GlobalData,

GlobalData also notes that social media affords brands a plethora of advantages, from building brand awareness and more effectively engaging with consumers to gaining valuable real-time insights into consumer sentiment, which allows them to better understand their target audience.

“As consumers become increasingly wary of all information on social media, it is crucial for brands to be more proactive in addressing misinformation," says GlobalData, noting that researchers at Deakin University recently conducted a national audit of influencer posts, which revealed that nearly half contained inaccurate information.

GlobalData says the the study looked at nearly 700 Instagram posts by influencers and brands with more than 100,000 followers and found that 45% contained inaccurate nutrition information - and significantly, brand accounts (such as supplement companies and subscription services for online programs and meal plans) were found to provide the “least accurate and lowest quality information, while the most accurate and high-quality information was provided by nutritionists and dietitians”.

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Katrina Diamonon, Principal Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The study highlights the need for brands to utilize social media thoughtfully and with a degree of humility. Marketers should acknowledge that consumers will not unconditionally trust what brands are saying online. In fact, consumers are often skeptical of brand messaging on social media, as it can be viewed as promotional and lacking authenticity.”

A 2023 Q4 consumer survey* conducted by GlobalData found that the majority (58%) of consumers globally are likely to purchase a product based on recommendations or endorsements by medical professionals, with trust in friends and family even higher (66%) - and only 30% would make a purchase based on social media or influencer recommendations, while additionally, 42% of consumers are hesitant to buy products directly through social media because it is difficult to know which sellers to trust.

“Building trust on social media is essential for brands to establish strong relationships with their audience and foster loyalty. In order to do this, they need to be transparent about their products, services, and business practices. Influencer marketing does have its benefits, but brands must ensure that partnerships are effective, ethical, and aligned with brand values,” Diamonon continued.

“Consumers take their health very seriously, and if brands are found to offer incorrect or misleading health advice, it can have serious consequences not only for the brand image but for consumers’ health and wellbeing. Brands should consider collaborating with qualified healthcare professionals, nutritionists, or other experts to develop health-related content or initiatives. Partnering with experts adds credibility and ensures that the information provided is accurate and trustworthy.”

*GlobalData 2023 Q4 Consumer Survey - Global, published in December 2023, sample size – 21,000