Did you miss? Nets, texts & hospitals

Highlights from Oxford science in the news this week:

Global and local health were under the spotlight this week: The New York Times kicked things off reporting on a study by Oxford researchers that shows the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets in Africa has risen from 2 per cent in 2000 to 19 per cent in 2007.

However, the Lancet study warns, 90 million African children are still missing this simple protective tool.

Abdisalan Noor and Oxford's Bob Snow led the research which was in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust.

Elsewhere technology showing how mobile phones could improve your health was widely reported:

'The text nurse' ran the Daily Mail's headline, reporting on software developed by OU engineers and clinicians that helps people suffering from chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes monitor their own health.

The Mail's Fiona McRae highlighted an important aspect of the project, led by Oxford's Lionel Tarassenko, that nurses would be able to remotely monitor patients and then call them or schedule an appointment if the data they were providing raised concerns. 

The software, designed by t+ Medical, costs £250 but could save an estimated £750,000 in GP and hospital visits for every 1,000 patients who use the system. These benefits also got the attention of The Times and The Telegraph.

Is fining hospitals for C Difficile infections fair?

A team led by Oxford and MRC scientists think it isn't as BBC Online reports. Their BMJ paper suggests that most NHS trusts would end up paying out because of the random nature of the hospital bug.

Finally, healthcare in Oxfordshire could receive a major boost as Oxford University and local hospitals bid to create a new academic health science centre.

As Oxford Times reports, if awarded, it would be one of the first centres of its kind: with the aim being to attract the best clinicians, teachers and researchers from around the world. OxT's Reg Little quizzes Oxford's Alastair Buchan about the new initiative.

Image: Mosquito net in Nigerian hospital by Mike Blyth via Wikimedia Commons. 

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