BIVDA has launched the latest in its series of strategic papers, ‘The Digital Revolution’.

 

BIVDA is publishing this paper to ensure that the digitisation of In vitro Diagnostics (IVD) and the breakthroughs, experiences and collaboration resultant from the coronavirus pandemic are not limited to being a short-term phenomenon. The last year has demonstrated that the IVD industry has the ability and capacity to transform healthcare through an early diagnosis culture which prevents the public from becoming patients.

 

Rapid, mass testing has become part of life and the general population is more informed and familiar with IVD than ever before. The benefits of digitised testing have become clear to the public with results in real time and to public health professionals with the aggregation and insights of disease related data. There is now an embedded ability in the UK to identify, address and control infectious disease which did not exist before.

 

The paper recommends a series of actions that can ensure that the advances in digital diagnosis are embedded in the health service as we emerge from the pandemic. These include;

 

• A new strategy for trialing greater digital home testing by the public.
• Ensuring patients have easy and full access to their full medical records and test results via the NHS app.
• Greater compatibility between NHS and third-party Apps to ensure easy information flows and data capture.
• Strong collaboration between Government and IVD industry players to develop and promote 2 sets of standards:
  • Minimum data standards to be shared between industry and NHS digital applications
  • Interoperability standards to enable useful interaction across industry and NHS digital applications.

 

• Ensure that all UK solutions work seamlessly at scale with European and Worldwide organisations allowing all aspects of Testing, Result reporting to be openly shared in a secure and safe manner through opt in controls. 

 

Commenting on the launch of the paper, BIVDA Chief Executive Doris-Ann Williams said;

 

“With the lessons and expertise we have gained in digital health during the pandemic, we are a unique position to embed these learnings quickly into the ‘ordinary operations’ of the health service. Our Digital Revolution paper therefore sets out a concise series of recommendations for those bodies responsible for all aspects of digital health and patient data. We look forward to working with partners on the implementation of these points.”

 

BIVDA Chief Operating Officer Helen Dent said;

 

“This paper, formulated with in-depth consultation with BIVDA member companies and other sector partners, sets out a roadmap for how the United Kingdom can become a world leader in digital health records and digital diagnosis.

 

As more and more patients become comfortable with accessing health records and data, especially after six months of regularly putting COVID-19 test results online, we should be utilising lessons learned to ensure that the public do not become patients, by use of early intervention and rapid diagnosis of health problems. I would like to thank all those who participated in the creation of this

paper for lending us their expertise.”

 

A copy of the paper can be found here.

 

ENDS

 

For more information please contact BIVDA External Affairs Manager jonh@bivda.org.uk