Apps & gadgets

6 Apr 2026 Lexacom New Features LinkedIn Lexacom AVT now pulls EMIS patient data into ambient consultation notes locally on the desktop, and a new mobile app takes dictation to home visits and meetings.

21 Jul 2025 The Holiday That Brought My DSLR Back to Life LinkedIn A Langkawi holiday revives a lapsed DSLR habit and prompts musings on why smartphones lack semi-pro wireless multi-flash or a CarPlay-style 'PhotoPlay' link to proper cameras.

11 Jun 2025 What are we printing? LinkedIn Considers Lee Brear's proposal to replace practices' mismatched printers with one fleet of internet-connected models and auto-shipped ink for a monthly fee, claimed to halve consumable costs.

31 Mar 2025 Anyone know of an AirTag like device that is affordable but would work for medical… LinkedIn Seeks an affordable AirTag-like tracker to locate two costly handheld paediatric pulse oximeters across the practice.

19 Oct 2024 Having recently become an expert on robotic mowers (thinking of adding mower guru to' LinkedIn A tongue-in-cheek gadget riff imagining an AI-powered autonomous flying hedge trimmer, prompted by his robotic mower and drone.

15 Sept 2024 On a completely unrelated topic to my usual... LinkedIn Steps away from primary care to ask his network which 3D printer they would recommend for a beginner.

5 Feb 2024 Mobile V's Desktop Viewing LinkedIn Practice website stats show 200-300 daily visitors viewing only about four pages, with 70% on mobile Safari, a reminder to design for mobile first.

10 May 2023 So the highlight of the day was having to leave the surgery to go to a nearby friendly… LinkedIn Recounts having to use a patient's home Wi-Fi to run a Zoom presentation after the surgery's IT blocked the app.

7 May 2022 Anyone know if #Alivecor have an API? LinkedIn Asks whether AliveCor offers an API, wanting a simple app to file 6L ECG readings into the clinical record with SNOMED codes.

11 Jan 2022 This is so cool - link it to your smartphone and it gets called as you collapse - there… LinkedIn Suggests linking a wearable fall detector to an app that summons nearby first responders equipped with a defibrillator.

17 Mar 2021 Another view: of the GP IT market Asks why defibrillators, adrenaline pens and home monitors aren't internet-connected, proposing emergency data hotspots and praising the Responder app for community cardiac arrests.

13 Nov 2020 Not being able to get up from the floor is a marker of frailty but also a real problem. LinkedIn Muses on the difficulty of getting fallen elderly people off the floor and calls for a simple lifting gadget such as an inflatable device.

22 Aug 2020 Connected Health Asks why defibrillators and adrenaline pens aren't internet-connected to call 999 automatically, suggests emergency data hotspots, and champions the Responder CPR crowdsourcing app.

23 Jul 2020 Christmas Presents and Future A Christmas wishlist of clinical gadgets and ideas — iPhone endoscope, ophthalmoscope and dermatoscope adapters, diagnostic drones, driverless cars for the housebound and AI companions.

22 Jul 2020 Touchscreens are history Notes Jayex's new QR-code smartphone check-in app, which lets patients arrive without touching shared screens and works even without the company's boards.

4 Jun 2020 Jayex Technology must have been reading my old posts as they have just launched a… LinkedIn Notes Jayex Technology's new smartphone QR-code check-in app for surgeries, which works without their arrival boards.

23 Apr 2020 A need for a patient side results aggregator? LinkedIn Asks whether a smartphone app could aggregate readings from patients' home devices — smartwatches, BP monitors, glucose meters — and share them in coded form with authorised clinicians.

9 Apr 2020 We are thinking about how we might examine someone through glass or over a CCTV/video… LinkedIn Asks whether Bluetooth pulse oximeters, BP monitors and stethoscopes could let clinicians examine a patient from the next room during Covid.

1 Apr 2020 Lot of people talking about a lot of home visits being needed to be done by hot teams… LinkedIn Argues COVID home-visiting 'hot teams' need cleanable mobile devices running EMIS Mobile that work with or without signal.

15 Mar 2020 I've previously come across Michael Casey and his FlipPad range of medical grade iPad… LinkedIn Recommends Michael Casey's sterilisable, medical-grade FlipPad iPad covers for clinicians in contact with patients.

11 Feb 2020 This is a surgery in my PCN - who were happy that their new ANP was indeed taking work… LinkedIn Describes a PCN practice using Apex analytics to confirm a new advanced nurse practitioner was easing GP workload.

22 Nov 2019 Kinesis Healthcare – Falls Reduction Reviews Kinesis QTUG, leg-worn sensors that turn the timed up-and-go test into rich falls-risk metrics, usable for quick screening or to guide physiotherapy.

11 Sept 2019 Calling all app developers! LinkedIn Seeks a developer for a simple app to photograph skin lesions and email them securely via NHSmail for dermatology referrals.

22 Jun 2019 NHS App Store clamp down? A pointer to an HSJ report on ten apps, including Couch to 5K, being pulled from the NHS app library as standards were tightened.

6 Dec 2018 QR health records Highlights Medelinked's Health SOS, a wearable QR code that lets emergency teams scan a phone to see a patient's allergies, illnesses and vital medical history.

23 Aug 2018 Should your next surgery printer be an Epson? A hands-on trial of Epson's workforce inkjets for GP surgeries: instant start-up, fine with prescriptions, and running costs the practice pays could undercut the usual Brother and HP lasers.

14 Aug 2018 Should every practice have an MRI scanner? LinkedIn Asks why limb and extremity MRI scanners aren't more widespread, and whether one in every GP practice would speed musculoskeletal diagnosis and cut wasted appointments.

23 Jul 2018 Healthy.io Does Accurate Urine testing A look at Healthy.io's smartphone-camera urine dipstick reader, with use cases from care home self-testing for UTIs to automated EPR entry — plus memories of his own iTenniselbow app.

22 Jul 2018 QR health records Highlights Medelinked's Health SOS service, a wearable QR code on race numbers, inhalers or wallet cards that lets emergency teams scan up a patient's vital medical details.

4 Jun 2018 Do we need a NHS Primary care EPR UI Hackday? Argues EMIS's text-heavy templates and summary screens need radical rethinking, and calls for a hack day pairing clinicians with UI designers from outside healthcare.

25 May 2018 Is it time to open up the UI of the GP EPR? Is it time for an app store? Argues GPs should be able to choose their EPR front end, with specialist-built screens and app-store-style add-ons competing to replace dated interfaces like EMIS's palliative care view.

22 May 2018 Healthy.io Does Accurate Urine testing A first look at Healthy.io, which uses a smartphone camera and colour-reference board to read urine dipsticks accurately, with use cases in care homes and recurrent UTI self-testing.

18 May 2018 D-EYE Smartphone-Based Retinal Imaging System Mini Review Hands-on review of the D-Eye smartphone ophthalmoscope attachment: strongest as a teaching tool with shareable images, but pricey and no substitute for a full retinal camera.

18 May 2018 The D-eye is a cool gadget that turns an iPhone into a Opthalmoscope. LinkedIn Reviews the D-eye, a clip-on gadget turning an iPhone into an ophthalmoscope, weighing on his blog whether it is worth buying.

9 May 2018 Can you think of a Healthcare use for an app that records things done, in which order, by whom and when? Explores NHS uses for a photo-logged task-checklist app from outside healthcare, proposing vaccine fridge temperature checks in GP practices as a first application.

8 May 2018 WhatsApp Alternatives for Healthcare Surveys secure alternatives to WhatsApp for NHS clinical messaging — Slack, Skype for Business, Cupris, MedCrowd and MedShr — after Jeremy Hunt's call for a secure NHS equivalent.

4 May 2018 Personal Productivity - Portrait Monitors and Dual Screens LinkedIn Practical productivity advice for GPs: dual monitors are cheap and transformative, and swivelling one into portrait mode fits a whole Docman letter without scrolling.

26 Apr 2018 Bluetooth enabled spirometers - to go with Smart Inhalers - they seem to be aimed at… LinkedIn Considers Bluetooth spirometers paired with smart inhalers, noting they target patients but could suit GPs given the right price and software.

25 Apr 2018 Smartphone Spirometers do exist A look at the NuvoAir smartphone spirometer, imagining GPs and community matrons using it for admission avoidance and remote monitoring rather than home use by the healthy.

19 Apr 2018 Disaster Recovery - UPS devices and More Practical tips for keeping a GP practice running through power cuts: UPS devices on key PCs, charged laptops with EMIS, remote desktop access and printed patient summaries.

16 Apr 2018 More thoughts on EMIS Mobile Follow-up review of EMIS Mobile listing needed fixes: Touch ID logins, a better home-visit assignment workflow, bulk download of care home residents and redesigned data entry templates.

11 Apr 2018 Ultramed's POAC service could save hospitals real money! An enthusiastic look at Ultramed's MyPreOp, which computerises pre-operative assessment with evidence-based algorithms, cutting nurse time, separate POAC appointments and referral-to-treatment delays.

10 Apr 2018 Given the level of smartphone usage - could we be using them as a consent tool to prove… LinkedIn Floats using smartphones to capture and prove patient consent and give patients a copy, and muses about hosting a sponsored hack day.

4 Apr 2018 Good news you no longer have to urinate on your phone it can just listen to you! A look at Uroflow Tracings, an app that generates a urine flow trace from the sound of urination to help identify prostate problems without a clinic visit.

28 Mar 2018 The PM uses it, shouldn't everyone? LinkedIn Points to his blog reflecting on his experiences of Abbott's FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring device.

28 Mar 2018 Why is Abbott's FreestyleLibre system like Viagra? Compares NHS rationing of Abbott's FreeStyle Libre glucose sensor to the early Viagra panic, arguing fears of bankrupting the drugs budget ignore savings elsewhere in the system.

27 Mar 2018 3D Wound Care A look at GPC's 3D wound-measuring camera, and plans to trial it across a Cheshire care community to standardise wound recording and cut healing times.

20 Mar 2018 See my latest blog for a video of my ear being examined with a new iPhone gadget! LinkedIn Links to a blog video demonstrating the endoscope-i iPhone otoscope gadget used to examine his own ear.

20 Mar 2018 Can you put an iPhone in your ear? A first look at endoscope-i, an iPhone-mounted rigid endoscope for ear examination that lets GPs record video and send it to ENT specialists for advice, potentially saving referrals.

19 Mar 2018 I'm loving the new Emis Mobile app An enthusiastic hands-on review of the matured EMIS Mobile app on iPad — full record access, offline mode, shared records and consultations — with a wish list including cross-organisation tasks.

16 Mar 2018 In the future will we all be urinating on our smartphones to help detect disease? LinkedIn A tongue-in-cheek blog on how smartphones could one day analyse urine to help detect disease.

13 Mar 2018 DigitalHealth.net Blog - Pill Robots Imagines a home pill-dispensing robot using standard medication cartridges to track compliance, auto-reorder, adjust doses remotely and double as a vital-signs monitor.

1 Mar 2018 Live Wait Times by University Hospitals of North Midlands A quick pointer to University Hospitals of North Midlands' iPhone app showing live A&E and walk-in centre waiting times.

23 Feb 2018 Personal Productivity – Portrait Monitors and Dual Screens Practical advice on boosting GP productivity with dual monitors, and a reminder that cheap swivelling portrait-mode screens make reading Docman letters far easier.

22 Feb 2018 Smartphone Spirometers do exist A first look at the NuvoAir smartphone-linked spirometer measuring PEFR, FEV1 and FVC, and its potential for GP bags, consulting rooms and admission-avoidance monitoring.

28 Jan 2018 AF Screening How a GP federation tackled undiagnosed atrial fibrillation with Alivecor handheld ECGs, a Technomed cloud-reported ECG service and Cardiocity Rhythm Pads in every practice.

17 Sept 2017 Article no 2 on Howbeck Healthcare's ideas for your GP Federation to help their practices with. LinkedIn Practical schemes a GP federation can run for its practices: Docmail outsourced mailing, iPlato SMS messaging, and Lexacom cloud dictation with speech recognition.

22 May 2017 Another View: How to Develop future Clinical IT Leaders Argues the NHS lacks IT-literate clinicians to translate between clinical and technical worlds, and asks how CCIOs and informatics careers should be trained, qualified and nurtured.

6 May 2016 Speech Recognition Revisits an earlier dismissal of speech recognition after trying Nuance's Dragon Medical, imagining voice commands that code consultations and automate GP system tasks.

1 Apr 2016 Any iPhone app developers fancy creating an app for patients based on the Diabetes UK 15… LinkedIn Seeks a developer to co-build a patient app around the Diabetes UK 15 healthcare essentials, using Apple HealthKit and CareKit.

8 Mar 2016 IT Check-ups Findings from in-depth IT health checks across two GP federations: training by Chinese whispers, unused Docman and Lexacom features, and the case for federations employing IT teams.

5 Jan 2016 Does your child have or have access to an iPad? LinkedIn Recommends the Osmo add-on for children's iPads, sharing an affiliate discount link after his daughter's success with it.

16 Dec 2015 Another View: of Progress (or Otherwise) A year-end whinge at GP IT's lack of progress: obsolete browsers and hardware, password overload, poor team messaging, glacial order comms and prescribing warnings that cry wolf.

25 Sept 2015 The Future of Primary Care IT Argues incumbent GP system suppliers risk extinction because their IT blocks federated working - shared notes, letters and staff across practices - and disruption is coming.

15 May 2014 Interested in hearing from anyone developing/selling wearable health tech 4 patient… LinkedIn Invites developers of wearable patient-monitoring technology to get in touch for a follow-up to his iWatch article.

2 Apr 2014 Code4Health Reflects on Code4Health's plan to teach the NHS coding, arguing what's really needed is informatics and process-mapping skills, programmable clinical software and funded support.

9 Aug 2013 Another View: of The Future Reflections from interviewing CCG IT manager candidates on what health IT strategy misses: drug-level effectiveness analysis, telehealth data overload and consultation triage.

21 Feb 2013 Looking 4 a cartoon 4ur presentation? LinkedIn Recommends illustrator Ray Jones for custom-drawn cartoons to liven up presentations, with contact details.

11 Dec 2012 Another View: Fifteen A first look at the EMIS Mobile app, arguing tablets could be a game changer for home visits, nursing home rounds and perhaps replacing the desktop PC.

20 Aug 2012 Another View: Eleven Argues the NHS needs coordinated support for clinicians with software ideas — funding, IP advice and business help — and floats crowdfunding for health innovation.

24 Jul 2012 Another View: Ten Argues CCGs should mix best-of-breed cloud tools like Huddle rather than build one giant website, and imagines clinical suppliers running an Apple-style app store for NHS software.

29 May 2012 Another View: Eight Speculates on how far smartphone sensors could take clinical examination, from gyroscope tremor tests and microphone auscultation to connected ultrasound probes and insulin pumps.

1 May 2012 Another View: Seven Criticises GP appraisal toolkits like the RCGP's and Clarity as glorified online forms, and imagines Evernote-style apps with APIs and QR codes that capture learning automatically.

20 Mar 2012 My new iPad (3rd Gen) is lovely. LinkedIn A brief hands-on review of the third-generation iPad, praising its screen, thinness, speed and accurate voice dictation.

21 Jan 2012 My latest iPhone/iPad app is now available on iTunes - Xrays4Medics. LinkedIn Announces the launch of the Xrays4Medics iPhone and iPad app, with content written by consultant radiologist Dr Richard Hawkins.

11 Jan 2012 Anyone know an electronic POS system that works on an iPhone in the UK? LinkedIn Asks whether an iPhone card-payment system like the US Square exists for use in the UK.

14 Aug 2011 Just launched A2ZZZ of Hypnosis for the iPhone on iTunes app store (lifestyle) with a… LinkedIn Announces a hypnosis relaxation app for iPhone made with local GP Andrew Doyle, already carrying two five-star reviews.

21 Feb 2011 Just been trying the Citrix Reciver demo on my iPad. LinkedIn Praises the platform-independent Citrix Receiver iPad demo and asks why NHS clinical applications cannot be delivered the same way.

3 Jan 2011 Do you invest enough in the IT at your practice? GP magazine Makes the case for topping up PCT-supplied kit with the practice's own money, from £10 wireless mice to widescreen monitors and a shared colour laser printer.

21 Dec 2010 Check out my new iPhone app http://j.mp/i8Gpdl written with Dr Graeme Spencer & Dr Vicki… LinkedIn Announces the A2Z of Immediate Care iPhone app, a reference guide developed with Dr Graeme Spencer and Dr Vicki Gilmore.

15 Nov 2010 Another View: Two Prompted by a prescription taking eight minutes to print, argues NHS IT should benchmark desktop performance with timestamped logs and tools like Geekbench.

26 Oct 2010 Saving money on practice printers GP magazine Money-saving ideas for practice printing, from stocktaking cartridges and sharing printers to centralising colour printing on one laser.

7 Sept 2010 Why your practice needs a business continuity plan GP magazine Argues every practice needs a plan for the unexpected, with suggested scenarios to cover and a staged approach to writing, distributing and reviewing one.

27 Jul 2010 The iPad is revolutionary GP magazine An enthusiastic early review of the iPad, showing how apps, battery life and syncing with NHS mail make it far more useful than a big iPod.

13 Jun 2010 How safe is the data on your home computer? GP magazine Compares home backup options for GPs who work at home, from USB sticks and mirrored external drives to RAID boxes, networked storage and early cloud services.

23 May 2010 POP3, IMAP or Exchange: choosing the right type of email GP magazine Explains the differences between the three main types of email account and why picking the right one matters if you read mail on more than one device.

8 May 2010 Had a play with an iPad yesterday! LinkedIn A PCTI proof-of-concept demo of Docman running on an iPad sparks enthusiasm for tablets in general practice.

22 Oct 2009 My Diagnosis on NHSmail A hands-on verdict on moving to NHSmail on Exchange 2007: easy setup on iPhone and Mac, a decent browser client, but niggles with Outlook at work, spam and encryption.

14 Jul 2009 Data security is again a hot topic GP magazine Prompted by the phone-hacking scandal, practical advice for practices on blaggers, safe-haven faxes, strong passwords and securing voicemail and mobile devices.

12 Jun 2009 From the consulting room on how IT and GPs are the same, but different Microsoft NHS Resource Centre A printer technician's stealthy visit prompts reflection on how IT support and general practice share the same communication pitfalls, and whether GP consultation models could help both.

14 Apr 2009 Evernote: the free tool that keeps my notes in sync everywhere GP magazine Reviews the multiplatform information manager Evernote, which captures documents, photos and web pages and makes everything searchable across devices.

3 Feb 2009 Cutting the ties to the one GP system Argues primary care IT should shed its dependence on Windows desktops in favour of browser-based, hosted clinical systems that let GPs log on from any device.

10 Dec 2008 Sending data securely: USB sticks, email and PGP GP magazine Looks at practical options for transferring NHS information safely, from encrypted USB sticks and password-protected zips to NHSmail and public key cryptography.

4 Apr 2008 More on webmail from the consulting room Microsoft NHS Resource Centre Looks at NHSmail's move to Exchange 2007 and the improved Outlook Web Access client, wishes for NHS-wide Outlook add-ons, and wonders if the iPhone is the mobile device for GPs.

2 Nov 2007 From the consulting room on keeping stuff up to date Microsoft NHS Resource Centre On the chaos of software patching in a 2007 GP practice — EMIS, Frontdesk, Docman and Office all updating differently — and a call for a standard, automated NHS update process.

17 Oct 2007 Book review: Belbin's team roles GP magazine Reviews Meredith Belbin's books on the nine roles in a team and describes how the partners of two merging surgeries used the questionnaire to check their mix.

1 Nov 2005 Why I switched to a smartphone GP magazine Explains how combining phone and PDA in a Windows smartphone solved carrying two devices, with buying tips and a pointer to NHS-wide mobile contracts.

25 Oct 2005 Cheaper ways to print your digital photos GP magazine Weighs home inkjet printing against high-street and online photo services, comparing costs, quality and the growing range of things pictures can be printed on.

4 Oct 2005 Hard disks and network attached storage GP magazine Explains RAID, external USB drives and network attached storage for home and practice use, including backup options and cheap alternatives to a second server.

23 Jan 2005 Are cheap inkjet refills worth it? GP magazine Compares branded cartridges, third-party refills and do-it-yourself ink kits, weighing cost savings against print quality for home and surgery use.

29 Dec 2004 Getting started with Bluetooth GP magazine An introduction to Bluetooth for GPs, explaining how the short-range wireless standard links phones, printers and PDAs, and how to add it with a USB dongle.

12 Feb 2004 Review: Targus wireless presenter GP magazine A review of the Targus wireless presenter, a combined wireless mouse, laser pointer and slide changer for giving PowerPoint talks away from the lectern.

18 Mar 2003 Mobil-O-Graph 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor review GP magazine A practice trial of Numed's lightweight oscillometric ambulatory blood pressure machine, covering programming, fitting patients and uploading reports.

18 Mar 2003 ViewMed: getting investigation reports into the record without paper GP magazine Compares virtual printer drivers, including Numed's ViewMed, for filing ECG, spirometry and ambulatory blood pressure reports straight into GP clinical systems.

4 Feb 2003 Epson AcuLaser C900 colour laser printer review GP magazine A review of a £500 colour laser printer and the case for producing practice leaflets and waiting room posters in-house rather than paying a printing company.

24 Feb 2002 Three tips for better digital photos and prints GP magazine Advice on camera compression settings, updated printer drivers and choosing paper and software to get the best from digital photography.