UK to encourage doctors to prescribe health apps | mobihealthnews

In an effort to cut down on unnecessary doctor office visits, the UK’s Department of Health plans to ask general practitioners and physicians working at hospitals across the country to encourage their patients to use mobile health apps to track biometrics and symptoms. According to various reports in local newspapers, the Department of Health claims that some 15,000 NHS patients are already using mobile health apps that transmit such information to their physicians. The apps are used by pregnant women, and people with cancer, diabetes, heart problems, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

UK to encourage doctors to prescribe health apps | mobihealthnews.

Media Release – NICTA secures $12M funding boost from ACT Government

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, ACT Government Announcement at CRL

The Australian Capital Territory Government has announced funding for NICTA of $3 million per year over four years. ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher announced the funding at NICTA’s Canberra Research Laboratory today.

“I am delighted to reaffirm the ACT Government’s long-term commitment to NICTA. As the largest ICT research and development organisation in Australia, NICTA is a vital and inspiring part of Canberra’s economic landscape,” the Chief Minister said.

The ACT is a founding member of the consortium which helped establish NICTA in 2002. The proposed arrangement announced today will provide for $12 million over a four year period commencing on 1 July 2012.

The ACT Government said today that the announcement was a direct investment in the ACT’s future and builds on, and extends, their previous support for NICTA which totals $26.35 million over the past nine years.

NICTA CEO Hugh Durrant-Whyte welcomed the announcement. “I would like to extend my thanks to the ACT Government for their generous support,” he said.

“NICTA is producing excellent research results with direct application to the development of robust, innovative systems for emerging markets such as smart transport, e-Health and e-Government. With the additional funding, NICTA will be able to strengthen its research outcomes in these and other areas to accelerate the development of high-impact, wealth-creating projects.”

An important feature of the new funding arrangement is the Government and NICTA’s desire to deepen research and support relationships with ACT Government agencies and the Canberra community.

“Over the coming months the ACT Government and NICTA will establish a number of projects that will utilise NICTA’s advanced ICT expertise which can add value to services we deliver.”

“We are particularly excited on the progress being made by NICTA on its e-Health Living Lab concept here in Canberra which will draw in the research and clinical expertise across our universities and hospital system,” the Chief Minister concluded.

The e‑Health Living Lab is an exciting concept to develop and test next-generation technologies and training systems for clinicians and health professionals.