Professor Darek Ceglarek, Dr. Sudi Lahiri, and recently graduated WMG doctoral student, Nagesh Shukla have been awarded a patent, jointly with GE-Healthcare, from the United States Patent Office. The patent (System and Method for Healthcare Service Data Analysis) is for developing an iterative method for analysing healthcare delivery data. Hospitals and health care organisations can apply their approaches to analyse complex, unstructured data for quality and productivity improvements.

A major research facility aimed at creating more robust digital and innovative healthcare programmes for people living with life-threatening and chronic illnesses has been launched by the Institute of Digital Healthcare at the University of Warwick.

This new resource is aimed at understanding and evaluating effectiveness of digital programmes in the health service, as well as trialling novel digital healthcare technologies.

Founded through a unique partnership between WMG, the Institute of Digital Healthcare (IDH) and Bosch Healthcare, the IDH Learning Lab will design new technologies and evaluate existing ones to improve the lives of thousands of people in the UK.

See the demonstration of the Learning Lab

The Institute of Digital Healthcare were pleased to host a visit from Jim Cunningham MP for Coventry South. Professor Christopher James welcomed Mr Cunningham whose visit had been arranged by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Panel for Biomedical Engineering.

WMG research project, NHS local, has been nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award in the category of best use of Digital Technology.

Professor Lucy Hooberman, WMG Director of Digital Media and Innovation leads for Warwick and is partnered by Professor John Powell of Warwick Medical School. "It's quite an achievement for a digital web service which has not been commissioned by a broadcaster to break through into the Broadcast awards - it's good for the NHS and it's good for Warwick".

Other nominations include:

• ChatNav Seven Days, Holler, for Channel4
• Corrie Extra: Tram Crash News Flash, Coronation Street Digital for ITV Online & On Demand
• Fonejacker App, Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4
• NHS local, Maverick Television
• The Million Pound Drop Live (play along game), Endemol / Monterosa for Channel 4
• SuperMe, Somethin' Else/Preloaded for Channel 4

WMG Honorary Fellow, Jonnie Turpie, is Digital Media Head at Maverick Television the lead partner of NHS local.

NHS local was designed to connect people living in the WestMidlands to frontline staff in the NHS as well as providing online health resources and information using video, blogs and interactive tools.

Professor Hooberman is leading the experience design research to understand the end user's needs whether that be our citizens or NHS Staff. She is working with the MRA (Market Research Agency) award winning consumer insight team Essential research.

Globally the sale of health care information systems is a multibillion dollar industry. The vast costs, frequent failed systems and inability of systems to talk to each other, regularly attract media comment. However policy makers still shy away from a class of software, Open Source, that could address many of these problems, because of worries about the safety and security of Open Source systems. Now new research by the University of Warwick’s Institute of Digital Healthcare, and the Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education at UCL Medical School, finds that Open Source software may actually be more secure than its often more expensive alternatives.

Professor Jeremy Wyatt, Co-Director of the Institute of Digital Healthcare (IDH) recently welcomed Malcolm Harbour MEP and Michael Wood, European Policy Manager, NHS European Office to the International Digital Laboratory, the home of the IDH. As well as representing the West Midlands in the European Parliament, Malcolm chairs the influential Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. He wished to find out more about the Institute and the diverse research being undertaken to improve people’s health and wellbeing through the use of innovative digital technologies. Professor Wyatt outlined IDH’s current and future research to design and deliver appropriate care solutions to bring real benefits to patients and their care support networks, health care professionals, the NHS and other partners, followed by a lively discussion.

The University of Warwick has joined forces with NHS West Midlands to create the new Institute of Digital Healthcare, a collaboration aimed at improving people’s health and wellbeing through the use of innovative technologies.

Officially launched today, the Institute of Digital Healthcare is a five-year programme based in WMG's International Digital Laboratory, and includes lead partners WMG, NHS West Midlands and Warwick Medical School.

It was announced today, at the Festival of Innovation, that Health Tech, the programme which helps West Midlands SMEs to innovate new medical & healthcare products and diversify into the healthcare sector, has received a £1.5m injection to expand and extend its work through to the end of 2008.

The Health Tech programme is run by WMG at the University of Warwick and is supported by a European Regional Development Fund grant through the Government Office for the West Midlands to enable it to provide 5 days of free assistance to its client SMEs in geographic areas of greatest need for development.