Author: acnr_david

Indoor way-finder launched at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Posted on June 8, 2021 by - NHS News

BuzzStreets and Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are launching a unique indoor way-finder for hospitals to help patients and their families navigate their way around more easily, reduce staff time spent giving directions, help ensure patients arrive on time for appointments, reduce stress, and minimise traffic in the corridors.

Research has shown that 87% of patients ask for directions when they go to a hospital or other public health facility, and 30% of first-time visitors get lost (Source: Deloitte Digital).

The new app is part of the CW Innovation programme – a joint initiative between Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its charity CW+ – to ‘test and scale’ innovations and digital systems that improve patient care and experience. 

After a successful trial, the new system created by BuzzStreets, allows visitors to Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in London to navigate their way from outside all the way to the specific location they need, whether that’s a bed on a ward, a consulting room, the café, or the pharmacy. The app includes Points of Interest such as offices, cafeterias and, uniquely, more information about the Trust’s collection of over 2,000 works of art and digital installations that transform the hospital environment for patients, families, volunteers and staff.

The app uses a system of BLE Beacons, Wi-Fi signals, and the Earth’s magnetic field to pinpoint the person’s location, giving them real-time directions, both spoken and visual, to allow them to navigate through the hospital, both horizontally and vertically. 

When the person arrives at the hospital, they open the app and key in the location they want. The app then calculates a route from their current location to the point in the hospital they need. It shows a map of the hospital and their route is clearly marked. Just like traditional car sat-nav systems they then press ‘start’ and the app visually shows them where to head and audibly advises them.

As they progress along the route the app constantly updates showing them where they are and giving them regular voice and visual updates to show them where and when to turn, go straight-on, or change floors. It will also let the person know when they have arrived at their destination. However, unlike car sat-nav the system is accurate to 1-2metres as the ‘sensors’ are within the hospital (not 12,000 miles away in space).

“The pilot project has already shown that the app reduces frustration for staff and visitors alike. It helps reduce the anxiety of patients and visitors trying to find their way in the hospital, which previously required contact with multiple different staff. Overall, we’ve seen that the app helps save resources, improve patient outcomes, and enhances the entire hospital experience for patients and their families,” explains Vanessa Sloane, Deputy Chief Nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The app also allows Personalised Navigation Services, for example allowing people with disabilities to receive navigation instructions that suit their needs. This may mean directing them to lifts rather than staircases, for example.

“The BuzzStreets system brings outdoor navigation inside. And as one of London’s biggest and busiest hospitals, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has been the perfect pilot location. It’s a complex building with over 6000 visitors every day – all with different needs, at different times, with different end locations. We’ve developed the app to tackle the common problems relating to visitors getting lost and staff spending time giving directions to save the NHS both time and money,” says Joe Fernandez, CEO of BuzzStreets.

For more information see: www.buzzstreets.com  and www.cwplus.org.uk

EC approves PONVORY (ponesimod)

Posted on May 24, 2021 by - Multiple Sclerosis

European Commission approves PONVORYTM ▼ (ponesimod), a Once Daily, Oral Therapy for the Treatment of Adults with Relapsing Forms of Multiple Sclerosis with Active Disease Defined by Clinical or Imaging Features

  • The pivotal Phase 3 OPTIMUM trial showed treatment with ponesimod led to a 30.5 percent reduction in annual relapse rate (p<0.001) vs. treatment with teriflunomide, an active comparator and widely-used first-line oral treatment, in adult patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, (RMS)1
  • The OPTIMUM trial is the first of its kind to compare head-to-head two oral disease modifying treatments (DMTs) in RMS
  • Approval follows more than 10 years of cumulative data from Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies demonstrating ponesimod’s efficacy and safety 1,2,3
  • Approval builds on Janssen’s deep-rooted history in neuroscience and reinforces Company commitment to addressing unmet needs for neurological conditions like MS

Janssen, the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, announced today, May 24th, that the European Commission (EC) has approved PONVORY ▼(ponesimod) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) with active disease defined by clinical or imaging features.4

Relapsing multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and complex disease that can present very differently from individual to individual, placing a heavy burden on the patient and their loved ones. I welcome the European Commission’s approval of ponesimod as an additional treatment option for those living with relapsing multiple sclerosis – it will provide patients with additional choice when making decisions about their treatment.

Professor Gavin Giovannoni, MBBCh, PhD, FCP (Neurol., SA), FRCP, FRCPath, Professor of Neurology at Queen Mary University of London.

The EC approval of ponesimod is based on data from the Phase 3 OPTIMUM trial,a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, active-controlled superiority study of 1,133 adult patients (aged 18-55 years) in 28 countries.1 The trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of once daily oral ponesimod (20mg) vs. once-daily teriflunomide (14mg), an approved and widely-used first-line oral treatment, in adult patients with RMS.1 The large, Phase 3 study showed superior efficacy of ponesimod 20mg on the primary endpoint, annualised relapse rate (ARR), with a rate reduction of 30.5 percent (p<0.001) compared with teriflunomide.1 Ponesimod also showed statistically significant superiority on one of the secondary endpoints, combined unique active lesions (CUALs).1 Ponesimod significantly reduced the number of new inflammatory lesions on brain MRI by 56 percent (p<0.0001) at week 108 when compared to teriflunomide.1

“The OPTIMUM study is the first Phase 3 study establishing superiority versus another disease modifying treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis, with ponesimod showing significant reductions in annual relapse rates versus teriflunomide, an active comparator and widely-used first-line oral treatment,” said Catherine Taylor, M.D., Vice President, Medical Affairs, Therapeutic Area Strategy, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC. “The approval of ponesimod by the European Commission is a positive step for people living with relapsing multiple sclerosis, as we work to provide them with an additional treatment option to manage and control their condition.”

Within the OPTIMUM study, overall, the number of treatment-emergent adverse events reported was similar between the ponesimod and teriflunomide treated groups, and the majority were mild/moderate and did not warrant treatment discontinuation.1 The most commonly reported adverse events in either the ponesimod 20mg group versus the teriflunomide 14mg group were Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) enzyme elevations (19.5% vs. 9.4%), nasopharyngitis (19.3% vs. 16.8%), headache (11.5% vs. 12.7%), upper respiratory tract infection (10.6% vs. 10.4%) and alopecia (3.2% vs. 12.7%).1 The safety profile of ponesimod is consistent with the known safety profile of other S1P receptor modulators, although a head-to-head comparison, other than with teriflunomide, is not available.

“At Janssen, our mission is to reduce the burden, disability and devastation caused by diverse diseases of the central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis, for which there remains significant unmet patient need,” said Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson. “The approval of ponesimod by the European Commission is a significant milestone as it showcases our continued commitment in neurology, reflecting our deepened focus and commitment to this space.”

The EC approval follows the positive CHMP opinion for ponesimod in March 20215 and the announcement of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of ponesimod for use in adults with relapsing forms of MS.6 EC approval is valid in all 27 member states of the European Union, and the European Economic Area countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).

*Professor Gavin Giovannoni, MBBCh, PhD, FCP (Neurol., SA), FRCP, FRCPath, Professor of Neurology at Queen Mary, University of London is a paid consultant for Janssen. He did not receive any remuneration for his media work.

Photo credit: Unsplash user Priscilla Du Preez