News Archive 2018

Digital solution could help thousands of Scots with high blood pressure content

Digital solution could help thousands of Scots with high blood pressure

Nearly 30% of adults in Scotland have high blood pressure – also known as hypertension – and many of them are not receiving treatment because they don’t know they have it.

High blood pressure means the blood pressure is consistently higher than the recommended level. It often has no symptoms and people with the condition may feel perfectly well. However, if it’s left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and can lead to the development of heart failure, dementia and kidney failure.

That’s why new approaches are being tried to enable patients to better monitor and manage their blood pressure at home – giving them more control over their condition using a system that’s simple and convenient to use, and reducing the current demand for GP time spent on blood pressure monitoring.

The care model involves the person checking their blood pressure at home for an agreed period of time and simply texting the readings to the digital health system. If they are outwith the pre-agreed parameters, they will be advised what action to take. Clinicians can also view real-time information about patients at any time.

Developing a community driven health and social care system on the Orkney Islands content

Developing a community driven health and social care system on the Orkney Islands

Home to around 21,000 people and spread over 70 isles, the Orkney Islands are unique in Scotland’s health and social care system. These are mostly rural communities, diverse in size and setting, with fewer than 20 residents on some of the smaller islands.

With this uniqueness comes the ‘square peg, round hole’ way of working the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) sometimes struggles with in trying to deliver on national NHS Scotland priorities.

The question for the Orkney Islands HSCP was how to develop a more singular, flexible and community driven approach that matches their health and social care resources with community needs and priorities?

Read about the process on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland ihub website.

Homes that help: a personal and professional perspective on home adaptations content

Homes that help: a personal and professional perspective on home adaptations

This report summarises the finding of a primary research project exploring the lived experiences of individuals who use home adaptations, and practitioners who work alongside them. It shows that people are delaying making vital changes to homes because of the clinical and stigmatising appearance of products like handrails and ramps.

A Connected Scotland content

A Connected Scotland

Today (18 December 2018) the Scottish Government released the first national strategy to tackle social isolation and build stronger social connections.

A copy is available here : A Connected Scotland

Is the Scottish Government's national strategy for tackling social isolation and loneliness and is a step toward their vision for a Scotland where everyone has the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships, regardless of age, status, circumstance, or identity.

Discover Digital 2018 Report content

Discover Digital 2018 Report

The report sets out the aims of 'Discover Digital', a week of events to explore technology for health and wellbeing and presents the learning that was gathered from the events.

'Discover Digital' served two overarching purposes:

  • to engage the public in activities related to digital aspects of health and social care and
  • to surface, through the ensuring conversation, what p[people through were on this subject.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded Discover Digital Report 2018.

Discover Digital will return in 2019, the second edition will be themed around self-management and care and will launch on the 11th October 2019.

Reports & Project Outputs content