Around 15 percent of people aged between 40 and 75 may have a form of undiagnosed high blood pressure (hypertension) that occurs only at nighttime. Because they do not know about this, and are therefore not being treated for it, they are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease such as stroke, heart failure and … Read more
News for Technology and Digital Health
OUH nurse researcher gets award to further study
A Clinical Academic Nurse Researcher at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) has been given an award by the British Federation of Women Graduates (BFWG) to continue her research exploring how to improve the escalation of care for patients whose condition deteriorates in the hospital setting. Jody Ede, who is studying at Plymouth University, was given the … Read more
Doctors making AI-assisted decisions more accurate and confident in decision-making
New research has shown that doctors who use an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to assess echocardiograms are more accurate and more confident in their decision making. The study, published in the journal JACC Cardiovascular Imaging, is the first to show that an algorithm can automatically categorise severity of coronary artery disease from a simple echo … Read more
QCOVID study identifies vaccinated groups at highest risk hospitalisation and death
Researchers from the University of Oxford have identified which vaccinated people are at greatest risk from severe Covid-19 leading to hospitalisation or death, from 14 days after the second dose of vaccination, when substantial immunity should be expected. The research used the QCovid tool, developed in 2020 with support from the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research … Read more
Researchers develop algorithm to diagnose deep vein thrombosis
Researchers are developing an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to diagnose deep vein thrombosis (DVT) more quickly and as effectively as traditional radiologist-interpreted diagnostic scans, potentially cutting down long patient waiting lists and avoiding patients unnecessarily receiving drugs to treat DVT when they don’t have it. The study, published in the journal Digital Medicine, is the … Read more
BRC-supported study receives Best Research Paper Award
A leading cardiology journal has named an academic paper written by Oxford BRC-supported researchers as its best research paper of 2020. The paper – which found that two common heart medication do not increase the risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation – was named by the BMJ Heart journal as the Heart Best Research Paper Award 2021 … Read more
Oxford wins government funding to evaluate prostate cancer detection system
A prostate cancer detection software system to help pathologists quickly identify suspicious areas of tissue, developed by the digital diagnostic company Paige, will be investigated in a multicentre clinical study led by the University of Oxford as part of a successful NHSX Artificial Intelligence Health and Care Award application. Paige Prostate automatically detects and highlights … Read more
Study challenges idea of clinically significant mid-pregnancy drop in blood pressure
An international study involving NIHR Oxford BRC researchers has shown where normal blood pressure in pregnancy should be across the world and when clinicians should react because it is abnormal. The study’s findings, published in PLOS Medicine, provide international, gestational age-specific centiles and limits of acceptable change to facilitate earlier recognition of deteriorating health in … Read more
Oxford academics named NIHR Senior Investigators
Four academics supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre have been awarded a prestigious national award. The University of Oxford professors have been named National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigators in recognition of being “among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR and the most outstanding leaders of patient and people-based research within the NIHR research … Read more
Machine learning system developed to identify deteriorating patients in hospital
Researchers in Oxford have developed a machine learning algorithm that could significantly improve clinicians’ ability to identify hospitalised patients whose condition is deteriorating to the extent that they need intensive care. The HAVEN system was developed as part of a collaboration between the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the Nuffield Department of … Read more
Using AI to improve the quality of endoscopy videos
A multidisciplinary team of researchers has developed a deep-learning framework for improving endoscopy to aid the detection of cancer and other gastrointestinal diseases. Cancers detected at an earlier stage have a much higher chance of being treated successfully. The main method for diagnosing cancers of the gastrointestinal tract is endoscopy, when a long flexible tube … Read more
Eight BRC projects get RCF funding
Eight Oxford BRC proposals, many covering a number of themes, have been awarded NIHR Research Capability Funding (RCF) funding to take forward key areas of research. The selected projects that will be supported include: Developing a research centre devoted to urgent and acute care The creation of a state-of-the-art imaging centre; and of a new … Read more
Common heart medication does not increase risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation
A study by Oxford researchers, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), found that ACE inhibitors and ARBs – both common treatments for high blood pressure and heart failure – are not generally linked to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease or an increased likelihood of being admitted to intensive care. However, … Read more
Oxford leads development of risk prediction model for smarter COVID-19 shielding advice
People at highest risk of serious illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection may soon have access to better shielding advice based on a new data-driven risk prediction model being developed by an Oxford University-led team. The Principal Investigator, Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox of the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, said: ”Driven by real patient data, this risk assessment tool could enable a more sophisticated approach to identifying and managing those most at risk of infection … Read more
BRC Technology Co-theme Lead appointed as NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme Director
Professor Andrew Farmer, the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s Co-theme Lead for Technology and Digital Health and an experienced general practitioner, begins a new role with the NIHR on 1 June 2020 as Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme Director. He will take over from Professor Hywel Williams, who will be stepping down in September after heading … Read more
BRC funds new COVID-19 research projects
The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has allocated funding to three COVID-19 research projects in an attempt to improve treatment, understand how the virus interacts with chronic diseases, and the longer-term effects of infection on organs. The funding, originally earmarked for BRC cross-theme cluster projects, has been diverted to research projects in the BRC’s … Read more
New wearable technology used to monitor COVID-19 patients
Wearable technology that monitors patients’ vital signs is being used with COVID-19 patients on the isolation ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital. The technology has been developed by biomedical engineers and medical researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). The Oxford BRC’s Technology and Digital Health theme, led by Prof Peter Watkinson … Read more
Top accolade for gestational diabetes app
A smartphone application for women with gestational diabetes, developed at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) and the University of Oxford, has won a national award. GDm-Health won the MedTech, Device or Hardware Innovation Award at the HSJ Partnership Awards on Thursday (27th February). The app was developed initially as a ‘proof-of-concept’ collaboration between OUH’s Women’s Centre … Read more
Heart rate rise and blood pressure drops during pregnancy not as dramatic as previously thought
New analysis from over 36,000 healthy women in 20 countries suggests that physiological changes during pregnancy may not be as dramatic as traditionally taught. However, blood pressures do appear to be increasing year on year. Medical text books are based on data that is now over 40 years old. The new research by researchers at … Read more
Smartphone test predicts how symptoms develop in Parkinson’s
Researchers in Oxford have found that a simple test carried out on a smartphone can help to accurately predict future change in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s, helping to determine the support they may need. This study, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and funded by the Monument Trust Discovery … Read more