Barts X as a Model for Teaching Digital Health.

Due to recent technological innovations, digital health is quickly transforming the means of healthcare delivery. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearables and virtual consultations are increasingly being integrated into routine clinical care and with careful consideration; these promise to bring improvements to both professional workloads and patient outcomes. We highlight the need for dedicated digital health education in order to ensure appropriate use of patient data, patient safeguarding and the means by which we might incorporate this in a post-covid COVID curriculum. We comment on what can be learnt by Barts X Medicine, the first digital health programme in England to be integrated into the medical curriculum, to improve medical teaching.

Investigating consultant-led virtual review as a model for implementing 7-day cardiology services in UK clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Disparities between weekend and weekday care, termed 'the weekend effect', have led to a UK government pledge to provide 7-day services. Despite this, poor outcomes have led to criticism of the programme. This study consequently sought to evaluate consultant-led virtual review as a model for 7-day cardiology services. METHODS: Over 4 weekends, cardiology patients underwent virtual review alongside in-person teams. Outcomes included length of stay, same-day discharge and 30-day mortality rates, as well as duration of ward rounds and change in patient management. Patients were surveyed on attitudes towards virtual review. RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in clinical outcomes, while virtual review was noted to significantly decrease time taken (p<0.0001). Attitudes towards virtual review were broadly favourable. CONCLUSION: By demonstrating comparable outcomes compared with conventional review, as well as high acceptability, this study identified virtual review as an effective substitute for in-person care.