Forte Medical Peezy Midstream on TV

Case Study – NIHR Support

A little while ago, the NIHR supported Forte Medical Ltd on a usability study for the Peezy™ Mid-Stream Urine device – an easier, cleaner and more reliable urine sample collection.   This is the interview filmed with Giovanna Forte last week.

 

The study: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/life-sciences-industry/access-to-expertise-and-collaborations/work-with-leading-academic-and-clinical-research-experts/nihr-medtech-services/medtech-case-studies/forte-medical.htm

 

Misdiagnosis of urine samples

Mr Ased Ali – Making Urine Samples Trustworthy

The latest issue of Urology News features an interesting and important conversation with Urological Consultant Mr Ased Ali about the importance of urine in diagnosis and subsequent treatment of UTIs.  He refers to the patient-led initiative – the MUST Campaign – that is demanding Government introduce a protocol for the collection of urine specimens.

The article supports the work being undertaken – the petition can be signed here – and the article itself is on page 35 of the November/December issue.

Clinical research using the Peezy Midstream shows a 70% reduction in false positive dipped urines and mixed growth/contamination reduced from the national average of 22.5% to just 2%.  Our contribution to making urine samples trustworthy

Urine infections

Knowledge of Men’s Health Dangerously Low

Amongst British adults, urology diseases such as testicular cancer and prostate cancer are not well understood and men are not looking out for the signs and symptoms of these deadly diseases.

This was the revealing and shocking research undertaken as part of Urology Awareness Month that was presented at our Forum last month by The Urology Foundation’s CEO, Louise de Winter.

  • 70% of British adults do not know the correct age from which men should be tested for prostate cancer
  • 2 in 3 British adults do not know what a prostate does
  • More than half of British adults do not know the age range when men are most likely to get testicular cancer
  • Half of British men have not checked their testicles for lumps in the last year (doctors recommend once a month)

 

Read here for more information from The Urology Foundation.

Peezy Usability Study Forte Medical

Peezy Midstream Case Study at NHS NIHR Conference 2018

Back in March of this year, the NHS National Institute for Health Research contacted Forte Medical, asking for a case study demonstrating how their research has assisted the launch of Peezy Midstream.

A few months earlier the NIHR in conjunction with the West Midlands AHSN conducted a valuable Usability Study on our diagnostic device. Results were excellent and have assisted us with adoption training and reassurance to HCPs and patients alike that using Peezy Midstream is far, far easier than trying to deliver this elusive urine specimen any other way …

The case study presented by Giovanna Forte on 10th October 2018 was very well received and has already led to enquiries from Primary Care clinicians who can see the benefit of right-first-time diagnoses for UTI and other common conditions that can take up so much GP time when left untreated.

2018 NIHR Peezy Presentation

NIHR_PeezyMidstream-Case-Study

Urology testing Forte Medical

“Why We’re Looking For Cancer Clues In Urine”

Interesting research being undertaken by Barbara Guinn, Head of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hull in The Conversation.com.   “A urine test for ovarian cancer could increase survival rates from 20% to 90%.”

This is why it’s so important that the quality of specimens allows for right-first-time diagnosis and that appropriate treatment follows.

urine sample testing

“If you come down with a UTI, seek treatment and get your urine tested.”

This is the latest recommendation following publication of a Californian study about the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.   But right-first-time diagnosis and treatment is only possible if the urine sample is collected correctly in the first place.

In the UK, nearly 1 in 3 women will have a UTI by the time they are 24 and around 1 in 30 boys by the age of 16.   Additionally – according to the Unplanned Admissions Committee  the NHS spent £434 million in 2013/14 on treating 184,000 patients in unplanned admissions associated with a UTI.

antibiotic resistant UTI

Antibiotic-Resistant UTI Bacteria More Common

A new study shows that Antibiotic-resistant UTI bacteria is becoming more common; Knowlex has created a short-film about the research and what you should know about this worrying dilemma.

49% of AMR increase has a urinary source.    Health policy makers must stop overlooking basic specimen collection and create a protocol for use.

Read the article and watch the film

Contaminated urine samples

Is dementia or a UTI causing confusion? Accurate diagnosis of urine samples is a MUST!

We’ve been an advocate for the MUST Campaign since they launched in May and this article explains why it is so important.

Read about it in this article published today on AgeSpace.com

Prevention, technology and how to unblock NHS adoption

The inaugural speech delivered by Mr Matt Hancock upon his appointment as Secretary of State for Health, focused quite rightly on the acceleration of preventative practice and the adoption of novel technology.  Forte Medical welcomes this approach … if it happens.  

It is high time to highlight and seriously consider the problems behind historic innovation adoption across the NHS because examples of what works – and just as importantly what doesn’t – can only serve to steer the powers that be to develop a better way. Our game-changing urine collection technology, which many rightly observe “has been around for years” is a prime example of how and why changes need to be made.

The NHS has long enjoyed international recognition for its vision and offering; yet Forte Medical has endeavoured to work with the NHS for over eight years – the outcomes of which more later – but the difference in our experiences of engaging in the US healthcare sector through the ABHI Trade Mission is palpable and there is much that could be learnt from their approach.

In the US, those of us attending with the ABHI are given the opportunity to present an “accelerator pitch” to leadership and key stakeholders of leading healthcare providers. Clinical, Medical and Nursing Directors, Patient Safety, Infection Control, Finance and Procurement will gather to meet us and listen to what we have to say. They get it – and are not afraid to try something new. In a few short months, Forte Medical has not only evaluations live with a number of leading providers, short-circuiting the equivalent process endemic here in the UK, but sales to laboratories that serve the health insurance market.

In the absence of NHS Leadership willing to accept an equivalent scheme where the AHSN Network may short-list and present the most compelling innovations every quarter, other steps must be taken to make such introductions seamless and effective.

Happily there have been successes for us over the past eight years. The excellent clinical results around Peezy Midstream are being recognised; thanks to the work of the ABHI, the AHSNs and a handful of diligent Healthcare Professionals, adoption is becoming a reality.

Meanwhile, I offer to those in the driving seat some examples of where, to the detriment of clinical outcomes, patient safety and yes, cost savings, inertia has proven easier to embrace than change. This in itself is where change is most needed.

2013: Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: A peer reviewed and published clinical trial of 104 male and female patients delivered a reduction in urine specimen contamination from a Trust average of 23% to 6%. The Abstract presented at the World Congress of Endourology and the Societe International de Urologie, surmised that: “Peezy is a welcome innovation by patients. The improvement in possible unreliable results was impressive, suggesting a significant financial saving due to the common nature of the investigation in LUTS assessments.”

At that time Peezy Midstream could have delivered direct savings to the Trust of £160,000 and indirect savings of £3.2m taking into account outlying costs of repeat appointments and tests. Procurement was disinterested, citing specimen collection as a non-priority and their position in Special Measures as prevention to the adoption of anything new (just when it was probably most needed).

2015: Barts Health NHS Trust: Professor Frank Chinegwundoh has Championed Peezy Midstream since he began a trial of 200 patients in his own clinic at the Royal London. He publicly presented interim results proving a reduction in historic contamination rates of 23% to 1.5% across 66 patients, pointing to significant clinical and cost improvements for the whole Trust. Despite his best efforts and support from the Trust’s Microbiology team, he has struggled to complete the evaluation. We have attempted to engage with antenatal to transfer the evaluation there but they, together with procurement and overall Trust leadership remain elusive. Are potential direct savings of £214k and indirect of £4.3m not worth investigating?

2016: Infection Control Director, Home Counties NHS Trust: The UK’s first Infection Control Director was familiar with Peezy Midstream, having spent 18 months setting up a trial that never happened at a London Teaching Hospital. On reading of his new appointment, we contacted him to see if he would implement his earlier work on this study at the new NHS Trust. The answer perplexed: if we sponsored his Conference at the RSM to the tune of £10,000 he would ensure the trial took place with good results. We thanked him and declined.

2018: A South West NHS Trust: The Head of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at this General Hospital was keen to trial Peezy Midstream to counter the 9% urine specimen contamination rate cited in antenatal, where screening accuracy is so important. A protocol was produced and trial conducted; the resulting paper citing tangible clinical improvements and cost savings with a potential for reduced broad spectrum antibiotic prescribing. This Abstract was peer reviewed, published and presented at a leading Conference earlier this year.

We asked the Clinical Lead if given the evidence and benefits she would now adopt Peezy Midstream? She demurred, saying by email that “Following the study, the way in which the wee is collected improved and the midwives and HCAs started to follow the right rules of sending off only the right urines. Not as good as with a Peezie [sic], but better than before.”

A new study has shown that Peezy Midstream reduces antenatal false positives by almost 70%; by implication the HCAs are still sending off too many “right urines” wasting time, money and possibly prescribing unnecessary broad spectrum antibiotics to pregnant women. Add to this the transient nature of staff, forgotten instructions … and in other words: Your innovation works but I am not prepared to make changes and although I don’t know what happens behind the closed toilet door, I am prepared to assume that patients will listen to verbal instruction … and be damned if they don’t. 

Innovation Managers in the South, North and Midlands: In 2014 and 2015, three “clinical innovation leads” from Trusts that boasted high urine contamination rates were presented with Peezy Midstream as a route to clinical excellence and cost savings. One manager refused outright to engage with an evaluation citing urine as “low priority”; the other two sat on the trial product for so long, the three-year use-by date expired.

Private providers who profit from inaccuracy and repeat testing: One of the largest private NHS laboratory providers assured us some time ago, that they would “never use or recommend use of your device; if it reduces retests to the extent you say, it will knock about half a million off our bottom line.” When I enquired as to their commitment to help the NHS treat its patients efficiently they observed “that’s the NHS’s problem, we have shareholders to answer to.”

Connecting the dots between clinician, trial, procurement and adoption

Every evaluation, every clinical trial must be conducted with the involvement and approval of all relevant stakeholders; without these interests being represented, evidence of prevention and improvements across the many facets of clinical and patient care stand not a chance of being translated into Good Practice. Thank heavens for the arrival of the AHSNs – would that they had existed in our earlier years.

The Future Operating Model (FOM) may also change things; our own Category Tower Manager Akeso&Co has visited almost every NHS lab in the country to understand their challenges. If this diligence has been mirrored across the other Consultancies involved, a more logical, efficient and pragmatic view of innovation being delivered to the NHS could become a reality.

Meantime, the money wasted for all parties in trials that go nowhere, not to mention the lost benefits that could have been delivered to patients and NHS Finances over the last five years from our own NHS GP created innovation, doesn’t bear thinking about. We believe we are nearly there; meantime, the USA calls. One way or another our perseverance will pay dividends for the one in four patients both here and across the pond, where diagnoses fail because of inconsistent urine collection methods. They deserve so much better.

  • Four steps to accelerating preventative innovation within the NHSWhere innovation has arrived outside of an AHSN introduction but is desirable, ensure the appropriate AHSN is involved to better cement protocols, stakeholder interest, deliverables and adoption
    • Incentivise clinical staff to embrace evaluations that, if successful will deliver tangible improvements to their work and working lives.
    • Appoint “adoption” managers who will oversee the implementation of new technology so that a more seamless approach is taken with wholesale acceptance by clinical teams
    • Reward private contractors on clear results and value, not volume; until then the NHS will fail to receive best endeavours in the interests of its patients – or balance sheets.
Giovanna Forte on TV

Disruptive TV: Giant Live Health Innovators

Barry Shrier, Founder of annual health innovation event Giant Live, presents the third Disruptor Giant Health Innovators TV interview featuring Giovanna Forte, CEO of Forte Medical, Francis White from AliveCor, Dr Sophie Bostoc​k of Sleepio and Etienne Bourdon from Healthy Health. Watch the half-hour programme here with Disruptive Live