News

We all know that researchers in the medical field are constantly discovering new ideas, and sometimes it can be hard to keep up with everything that is happening in the world of medical advancements. This century is poised to see some unprecedented developments, thanks to the hard work of companies, and governments around the world, but what can we expect in 2018?

Gene editing
One huge breakthrough that could be a reality this year is the Gene editing of Embryos to avoid genetic diseases. It’s been reported in November 2017 that the FDA in America is about to give clearance for gene editing to take place to treat inherited retinal diseases. This could potentially pave the way to start editing the genes of Embryos for more serious and complex issues, such as Cystic Fibrosis.

Artificial Pancreas
As many of you will know Diabetes is on the rise across the world, mainly due to poor diet and lack of exercise. However, researchers have now found a way to make an artificial pancreas for diabetics, which can modulate insulin levels. As of May 2017 the first artificial pancreas systems were beginning to infiltrate the market and 2018 should see them becoming more common. The Hybrid Close-Loop Insulin Delivery System is reported to be the first artificial pancreas system to market.

Sleep Apnea control
Sleep Apnea is a serious sleeping disorder that affects millions across the planet. It causes interruptions to peoples breathing as they sleep, and if it remains untreated it can lead to people not being able to breath while they’re asleep. A recent study found that Sleep Apnea impacts as many as 21 million Americans. The continuous positive airway pressure device is the gold standard for treatments, but 40% of Sleep Apnea sufferers refuse to use the device, patients complain of nose irritation, nasal congestion and bloating as a result of using the device.
A solution has been found and will come to market this year. Companies are marketing a small implant that delivers stimulation to keep airways open while sleeping. It’s controlled by a remote or a wearable patch, and is a similar idea to that of a pacemaker. This neuromodulating equipment has had very positive reviews in clinical trials.

Scalp cooling
Cancer treatment is extremely taxing on anyone, both physically, and emotionally. The new scalp cooling system will hopefully remove some of the emotional side effects of cancer treatment by helping patients keep a full head of hair, and thus give them one thing less to worry about.
The practice of scalp cooling is done by reducing the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees before, during and after chemotherapy by using a cap that fits over the patients head like a hat. This practice is set to become much more common in cancer treatment centres around the world as it has shown to be highly effective in preserving a full head of hair.

We still have a long way to go, but new steps are being taken every day that are making lives better. I hope this research and innovation continues, and each year brings us medical advancements and inventions that improve the lives of people around the world.

Stephen Marshall

In poor, rural communities and impoverished parts of the world, disease is often rampant and healthcare is poor at best. It is often hard to attract Doctors and other healthcare workers to live and work in rural communities wherever you are in the world. The good news is that the increased use of telemedicine is improving the situation, and connects patients to better healthcare.

One success story can be found in Kenya. Kenya, like many African countries has an unequal distribution of high quality medical care. The Central Provence and area around Nairobi have much better hospitals, medical equipment and range of drugs available. Poorer people in rural communities often have to be treated in understaffed and under-equipped local hospitals. If they do choose to travel, they often face a huge journey, often on poor roads. A company named Mashavu is hoping to improve the lives of these rural communities. Mashavu started an initiative that has been utilising kiosks to offer, “e-visits” to the doctor. Trained volunteers who can preform basic diagnostic tests on a patient man these kiosks. The results of the tests are then passed on electronically to a doctor who will send feedback to the patient within twenty minutes. The doctor will advise on what course of treatment they should take, and whether a trip to a larger healthcare facility is required. This obviously gives these communities easier access to quality doctors and prevents any unnecessary and costly journeys.

Another big success story can once again be found in Africa. The Pan African e-Network project is a huge ICT project between India and the African Union. This project seeks to connect India and 53 states in Africa to each other through a satellite connection and fibre optic network. The main purpose of this connection is to share expertise between India and Africa, with an emphasis on telemedicine and tele education. This project is one of the biggest ICT projects that has taken place in Africa and hopes to extend ICT infrastructure to the rural and underdeveloped communities across Africa and India. Interestingly, this Pan African e-Network is aiming to provide training for 10,000 students over a period of 5 years by providing certificate, graduate and post graduate courses. This project will transfer skills, especially through Continuing Medical Education programmes that will train medical professionals in remote areas across Africa. In 2011 the Prime Minister of India proposed that this project should be taken further, and that an India-Africa Virtual University should be created.

As we can see from these limited examples there’s been some big improvements recently in both Telemedicine and Tele-education, which continues to improve the lives of people living in poor, rural communities across the world. There’s a lot of potential to implement both further, and as internet users become more prevalent around the world, it will be interesting to see what other advancements will come next and if it can improve the health of people around the world.

Stephen Marshall

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Rig made the trip to Greece to speak and exhibit at the British Councils medical and health care professionals career fair. Held on the 4th and 5th November in Thessaloniki and Athens respectively our teams delivered a seminar on securing the right role in the UK where they covered the high demand for Doctors, Nurses and AHP workers in the UK, how RIG can help and introduced everyone to our dedicated International recruiter, Greek National, Yannis Malavakis.

The reason why NHS trusts work with RIG is we predominantly work with international candidates which increments the supply of doctors and other healthcare professionals into the NHS rather then using the existing pool of local candidates hospitals already have access to. This means we focus on working with international professionals who have received their medical training outside the UK as opposed to within the NHS meaning we add to the resources of our clients in a way other agencies cannot.

Why is there such a high demand?

UK population – Projected to increase by 9.6m over the next 25 years from 64.1m today

Seasonal demand / flexibility – Winter pressures and holidays create seasonal demands which the NHS cannot fully cater for

Ageing population – The number of people aged 80+ in the UK is projected to more than double to 6m by 2037

Care in the Community – Recent focus on Care in the Community as a solution to managing the increasing pressure on hospitals

How can RIG help?

The trip was a resounding success with the seminars packed and queues of professionals waiting in line to speak one on one with Yannis himself.

If you’re thinking of working in the UK, RIG can help with the transition, get in touch with us today yannis.malavakis@riglocums.com