Giovanna Forte is one of the guest speakers at this two day and her presentation: “Urine Trouble – How Innovation is Transforming Basic Medicine” – will be given on Thursday, 26th April at 1.30 pm.
For further information about the event conference and exhibition go here
Despite its importance, there is no standard for urine collection. In this article the author, Professor Frank Chinegwundoh, discusses the problem of inadequate samples and describes a collection system that can help. Visit the Jan-Feb issue of Trends in Urology & Men’s Health.
Antibiotic resistance in children’s E. coli, a bacteria that is the most common cause of urinary tract infection, is high against many antibiotics commonly prescribed in primary care and could make them ineffective as first-line treatments, warns a study led by researchers at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London.
Ashley Bryce, Céire Costelloe, Mandy Wootton, Christopher C Butler, Alastair D Hay; Comparison of risk factors for, and prevalence of, antibiotic resistance in contaminating and pathogenic urinary Escherichia coli in children in primary care: prospective cohort study, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, , dkx525, https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkx525
Doctors can tell a lot about your health from your urine sample, if taken properly.
Insightful piece by Rob Eley and Michael Sinnott from The University of Queensland
Read the full article: The Conversation
It costs so little to put it right: “The NHS spent £434 million in 2013/14 on treating184,000 patients in unplanned admissions associated with a UTI. UTIs are the second-largest single group of healthcare-associated infections in the UK, accounting for 19.7% of all hospital acquired infections.”
Source: Unplanned Admissions Consensus Committee – 2016 Updated Guide
Cystitis or urinary tract infection (UTI) is the second most common bacterial infection in the UK and around half of all women will experience at least one in their lifetime. UTI accounts for 1-3% of GP appointments. Even for simple infections rates of recurrence are high. 20-30% of patients fail initial antibiotic treatment and up to 70% experience another UTI within a year.
CUTIC, The Chronic Urinary Tract Infection Campaign, was founded by a group of sufferers of chronic UTIs to lobby Parliament and seek change in the testing, diagnosis and treatment of chronic urinary tract infections.
They have produced an Information Sheet for patients to take to their GP – it can be read here.
Paul Benton, International Director at the ABHI shares our story as to how we entered the US marketplace
Appointed sales and distribution partners, dedicated warehouse facilities and new US customers are just some of the outcomes from the UK MedTech missions to Texas. Read more
From AMR to UTIs, independent participants at this year’s Forum highlighted the clinical and financial case for a “gold standard” urine specimen collection process that would enable accurate analysis and diagnostics.
URINE TROUBLE : WHY A DIAGNOSTIC STANDARD IS OVERDUE
“It seems criminal to us that we are wasting so much time and money on bad sample collection and reading and re-readings, as this has a profound effect on the patient as well as the NHS.” Louise de Winter, Chief Executive, The Urology Foundation
The Context of The Need For a Urine Diagnostic Standard
Increased AMR will see areas of surgery and treatment, such as chemotherapy, unable to continue. Antibiotics are being over prescribed and over used; it’s a global issue and if there is no progress in overcoming, it is estimated there will be a further 10 million deaths every year worldwide.
This was the stark context in which Philip Howard, NHS Improvement HCAI and AMR Project Lead and Consultant Antimicrobial Pharmacist, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust opened proceedings at the Forte Medical Forum held last month at The Royal College of Physicians.
The Forum, convened to discuss “Urine Trouble: Why A Diagnostic Standard is Overdue” debated the importance of urine specimens in the diagnosing of illnesses and the need for the adoption – overwhelmingly supported by those present – of a gold standard that would ultimately save delayed diagnosis, patients’ lives and millions of pounds for the NHS and wider healthcare sector.
Research shows that of the 65m + urine specimens collected every year, up to 22.5% are unreliable. This represents 14.6 million patients who cannot be diagnosed or treated from their urine specimen which in turn leads to inadequate treatment and increasing costs. Research also shows contamination rates in the UK vary from 0.3% to over 70%.
Philip Howard presented an overview of the global and national statistics around antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and actions being undertaken by the UK Government and the NHS to respond to the issue. He said that whilst there had been a year on year reduction of c.difficile, MRSA and MSSA infections by around 80% – the big problem now is e-coli blood infections. 47% of gram-negative blood infections are caused by UTIs and treating a UTI relies on accurate midstream urine collection.
The Clinical Evidence
Clinical research presented by Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, and Michael Adamczyk and Michelle Jie, Doctors of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust, about the use of MSU collection in their respective fields, highlighted the efficacy of the Peezy Midstream, as an alternative urine specimen collection process.
Interim results from the Barts Quality Improvement Study showed that contamination rates had been reduced from an historic 17.36% to just over 1.5%. Prof Chinegwundoh said: “We have used Peezy Midstream with patients in clinic and found fewer repeats; the system also delivers accuracy, efficiency and hygiene. This (on-going) Quality Audit is designed to substantiate our findings.”
Similar initial findings were shared in the Surrey study along with positive feedback on the usability of the device. The latter point was further substantiated with the sharing of this year’s NIHR usability study demonstrating that patients liked the product, found it easy to use, hygienic and would prefer to use again if the option was available.
The Economics of Innovation
It was recognised that two of the greatest barriers to innovation adoption were cost, and with that value; and creating the right environment and culture in which change can happen.
Lord Carter’s review highlighted the need for £5 billion of savings within the NHS and this theme was picked up by Professor Trevor Williams, Economist and Visiting Professor at University of Derby. The level of funding to the NHS, the second largest item of public spending, has decreased and one of its biggest risks is the ageing population; it costs nine times as much to look after someone aged 80-90 compared with someone aged 30.
The consensus that the NHS appears poor at adopting innovation and initiatives to expedite change are often in themselves the barriers to adoption. SMEs in particular lack the leverage of ‘Big Pharma’ to get into the system – something that the Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) has picked up and is championing on behalf of its SME members.
Using financial and economic data, Professor Williams laid out the case for devices such as Peezy Midstream generating savings of between £76-£138 million in direct savings. The simplification of the urine collection process that allows direct transfer to an analyser cuts the cost of decanting, and other indirect costs such as cancelled operations, prescribing of broad-spectrum antibiotics, repeat appointments add to the benefits.
He concluded that “the evidence (for the adoption of Peezy) is compelling not just because the device has its own merits, but the backdrop to which its been developed and the need to have not just this device which is fantastic but other devices and other methodologies to effectively provide the care that an aging population requires in an affordable way. Cheaper is not automatically better!”
The Discussion For Change
On creating the culture/environment for change, the Forum identified the need to change the culture of those working in the healthcare sector – and to provide the necessary education, at all levels, to help implement that change. Whilst understanding the time pressures of nurses and those on the frontline, it was felt much could be done. Education on urine specimen collection would see less specimens going to labs.
The panel discussion raised a number of interesting facts around the need for improved specimen collection, the issues resulting from poor quality samples, and barriers that needed to be overcome
One delegate observed that over 800 million blood samples are taken every year to pathology model standards – a single universal method which sees the sample go straight into the analyser; the question then has to be ‘when will urine specimen collection and analysis follow a similar model?’ One attending microbiologist reiterated this need by reporting that the current diagnostic criteria is based on the 1965 Cass model which is antiquated and in need of urgent updating.
Adoption of any new innovation is difficult as Professor Chinegwundoh stated “The big challenge is to overcome the reluctance of those in the NHS unable to see the wide picture as not all the savings will hit their particular bottom line.”
In Conclusion
In closing proceedings, Philip Howard outlined the various actions and comments that had been expressed, these included:
There is much to be done and we look forward to working with you in ensuring all urine specimens collected in the future are trustworthy and fit for purpose.
As a regular participant of the ABHI Trade Missions to Texas, we are delighted to be part of this exciting development….
The Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) and the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin are delighted to announce the establishment of the “ABHI Innovation Hub”.
The creation of the Hub, a first for ABHI, will offer UK companies the opportunity to locate themselves at a world-class facility and develop their US business within an ecosystem of clinicians, investors and mentors. It offers companies a compelling office location, providing them the infrastructure to focus on accelerating market access in Texas and beyond.
The Hub will be located within Dell Med’s Health CoLab, a new initiative that provides space and creates connections for start-up companies that share the school’s mission to create healthier communities, starting in Austin and the surrounding area. The Health CoLab directly supports the school, seeking out innovation that promotes health, enhances medical services, increases care resources and access for people in this community in ways that can be scaled to other communities.
“The ABHI Innovation Hub at Dell Medical School will offer UK companies a unique opportunity to collaborate in a truly world class facility,” said Phil Kennedy, Chairman of the ABHI. “The Hub will support promising medical technology innovation whilst looking to develop value based healthcare for the benefit of patients in Texas, throughout the US and at home in the UK.”
The Dell Medical School has a strong focus on supporting health entrepreneurs and businesses. In addition to the CoLab, companies that base themselves in the Innovation Hub will be able to participate in the ‘Texas Health Catalyst,’ a programme designed by the Dell Medical School to foster health research and advance innovation.
“We are very excited to be working with ABHI to strengthen ties between the UK and Austin across a variety of health and technology areas,” said Ruben Rathnasingham, Assistant Dean for Health Product Innovation at Dell Medical School. “We look forward to working with the ABHI, its members and the UK going forward.”
The partnership also extends support to Texas-based companies that are looking to understand and enter the UK healthcare market. Through ABHI’s International Membership scheme, companies looking to introduce innovative medical technology (MedTech) to the UK will be offered insight and market-access knowledge, as well as assistance from a number of partner organisations, including the UK’s Department of International Trade.
“Through this collaboration, companies will be closer to a range of innovation initiatives that we have created and are continuing to create at Dell Med,” said Mellie Price, the school’s Executive Director of Commercialization. “They will find themselves in a rich, creative environment.”
The Hippocratic Post is a widely read blog engine for GPs and other physicians. Our Peezy Midstream technology has been acknowledged as a credible method of reducing the huge variation in urine specimen quality. Read all about it here.