Browse through all publications from the Institute of Global Health Innovation, which our Patient Safety Research Collaboration is part of. This feed includes reports and research papers from our Centre.
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Journal articleLi Z, Zhou Z, Lou H, et al., 2026, , Measurement Journal of the International Measurement Confederation, Vol: 288, ISSN: 0263-2241
Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) is an advanced, minimally invasive procedure for the removal of tumors or lesions from the gastrointestinal tract. While robot-assisted surgery has enhanced the safety and efficacy of ESD, a significant limitation of current robot systems is the lack of force feedback capabilities. This deficiency increases the risk of excessive force being exerted on tissue. To address this challenge, this study proposes a soft Cable-Driven Parallel Robot (CDPR) integrated with a novel pouch-based sensor array that is disposable and has simple structure. This system utilizes hydraulic pressure sensors and pouch structures to estimate both cable tension and the three-dimensional forces at the end-effector, thereby providing the surgeon with crucial force feedback. During an ex vivo experiment, the mean absolute errors between the estimated forces and the ground truth values were 0.0267 N, 0.0659 N, and 0.0509 N for the x, y, and z axes, respectively. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed CDPR for future clinical applications.
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Journal articleSchmidt J, Carter AW, McGuire A, et al., 2026, , Health Policy, Vol: 172, ISSN: 0168-8510
Background: Ambitious claims suggest AI could save $200-360 billion annually in US healthcare and €212 billion in Europe, though the empirical evidence base supporting these projections remains unclear. Objective: This systematic review seeks to synthesise the available economic evidence of AI technologies in healthcare and contextualise the available economic evidence against the broader policy expectations surrounding the economic impact of AI in healthcare. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central for scientific sources. The JBI dominance ranking matrix was used to compare and interpret the results of the included economic evaluations. Methodological quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal tool of Economic Evaluations and the CHEERS-AI reporting checklist. Results: We identified 16,430 academic records and 1,593 grey literature records, of which 91 records met the inclusion criteria, representing 98 unique evaluations. Of these, 36% demonstrate a clear health economic preference for the AI technology, which increased to 44% when only considering the 51 high-quality studies. AI interventions were mainly designed for healthcare providers, with ophthalmology and oncology being the most common. Conclusions: The high-quality studies show definite potential for positive cost-effectiveness and economic impact of AI technologies, though we cannot yet support the ambitious claims that AI technologies can translate to hundreds of billions in cost-savings. When combining our findings with those of randomised controlled trials evaluating AI technologies in clinical practice, it becomes evident that AI technologies frequently yield improvements in terms of clinical and economic outcomes or match the current standard of care.
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Journal articleLau SSS, Fong JWL, Lawrance EL, et al., 2026, , Global Environmental Change, Vol: 99, ISSN: 0959-3780
Personal salience regarding extreme weather events may be crucial for recognising the profound effects of anthropogenic climate change. However, efforts to understand how individuals attribute extreme weather events to anthropogenic climate change, and their implications for eco-anxiety, have not effectively integrated psychological perspectives. Following Hong Kong’s wettest storm on record in 2023, we recruited a cross-sectional sample of adults (n = 376, ages 18–83) immediately after typhoon season onset (from 3 June to 11 September) in 2024. We aimed to examine (1) how extreme weather experiences and socio-demographic factors influence individuals’ subjective attribution of extreme weather to anthropogenic climate change, and (2) how extreme weather fear (i.e. storm fear), weather salience, uncertainty intolerance, anxiety control, nature connectedness, and future risk awareness of local climate disasters are associated with two distinct subdimensions of eco-anxiety, conceptualised as ‘habitual ecological worry’ and ‘negative consequences of eco-anxiety’, which may be associated respectively with adaptive and maladaptive responses to eco-anxiety. Our results suggest that only the personal salience of day-to-day local weather patterns significantly affected respondents’ subjective attribution of local weather patterns to anthropogenic climate impacts, rather than their extreme weather event experiences. Future risk awareness and nature connectedness were mainly associated with adaptive responses to eco-anxiety, while only storm fear was strongly associated with both adaptive and maladaptive responses. This finding underscores the dual effects of extreme weather fear, namely motivating action-oriented aspects of eco-anxiety and exacerbating functionally impairment of eco-anxiety. Promoting future risk awareness and increasing nature connectedness – independent of fear – could improve urbanised populations
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Journal articleAggarwal A, Erridge S, Varadpande M, et al., 2026, , Neuropsychopharmacol Rep, Vol: 46
INTRODUCTION: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with distressed behaviors and psychological challenges. This study aims to evaluate the change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety, and sleep quality in autistic individuals prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). METHOD: This observational case series analyzed data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry on autistic adults treated with CBMPs. Demographic and clinical data were collected at baseline, with patient-reported outcome measures assessed up to 18 months. Primary outcomes included changes in anxiety (GAD-7), sleep quality (SQS), and HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L). Secondary outcomes included the incidence of adverse events. Statistical significance was indicated by p < 0.050. RESULTS: One-hundred and thirty individuals met the inclusion criteria. GAD-7 (p < 0.001) and SQS (p < 0.001) scores improved from baseline to 18 months. EQ-5D-5L index values showed improvement from baseline (0.43 ± 0.30) to 18 months (0.51 ± 0.32, p < 0.001), and PGIC scores increased from 1 month (5.43 ± 1.49) to 18 months (5.65 ± 1.32, p = 0.013). Twenty-five participants (19.23%) reported a total of 232 (178.46%) adverse events, with most being mild (n = 88; 67.69%) or moderate (n = 99; 76.15%). CONCLUSION: Treatment with CBMPs was associated with improvements in HRQoL, anxiety, and sleep outcomes in autistic patients over an 18-month period. Given the absence of a control group, these findings represent associations rather than proven treatment effects. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the long-term efficacy and safety of CBMPs in ASD.
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Journal articleDemircali AA, Yilmaz A, Keshavarz M, et al., 2026, , Advanced Robotics Research, ISSN: 2943-9973
<jats:p>Recent advances in microrobotics have expanded opportunities for biomedical delivery, but reliable navigation in complex microvascular environments remains challenging, particularly when continuous imaging is limited. Here we develop a sunflower pollen‐inspired magnetic microrobot for targeted delivery and tissue engineering applications. Fabricated by two‐photon polymerization and coated with nickel and titanium for magnetic actuation and biocompatibility, the 40 µm microrobot features an open, hydrodynamic geometry that facilitates cell adhesion through its surface topology. Finite‐element analysis supported this design rationale, showing 4.45‐fold lower translational drag and 4.1‐fold lower rotational hydrodynamic resistance than a solid spherical microrobot of the same outer diameter. We demonstrated stable rolling under physiologically relevant flow conditions, including upstream motion against opposing flow, and evaluated autonomous navigation in static and dynamic environments using a vision‐based closed‐loop controller combined with reinforcement learning. The system enabled trajectory tracking, shortest‐path selection, and multiturn maze navigation with microrobot‐scale error. By combining efficient rolling locomotion with navigation based on intermittent visual updates, this platform supports microrobot guidancein future minimally invasive interventions where continuous monitoring is restricted.</jats:p>
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Journal articleSousi S, Glynou SP, Hyman S, et al., 2026, , BMC Medicine, ISSN: 1741-7015
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects approximately 1 in 20 pregnancies in England. North West London (NWL) serves a diverse population of 2.4 million with substantial ethnic and socioeconomic variation. However, population-level epidemiological evidence from NWL remains limited. This study aims to characterise GDM incidence, temporal trends, risk determinants, and associated pregnancy outcomes.Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study using routinely collected data from the Whole Systems Integrated Care database included all birth episodes from 2017 to 2025, categorised as GDM or non-GDM. Incidence per 1,000 births was calculated and temporal trends were analysed. Multivariable generalised estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression models were used to examine maternal risk determinants for GDM and pregnancy outcomes associated with GDM, while controlling for confounders and accounting for within-woman clustering across pregnancies.Results: Among 172,332 births from 134,991 women, 18,892 (10.9%) were GDM-affected. Overall incidence was 109.6 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 108.2-111.1), rising from 80.5 per 1,00 births in 2017 to 138 per 1,000 births in 2025. Incidence increased with maternal age and deprivation (119 vs. 85.4 in most vs. least deprived quintiles). Asian women had the highest risk (aOR 2.27, 95% CI: 2.15-2.40) relative to White. GDM was associated with higher rates of labour induction (51% vs. 41%), caesarean delivery (47% vs. 36%), preterm birth (7.3% vs. 5.2%), greater maternity care costs (£4,674 vs. £3,971) and longer maternal length of stay (3 vs. 2 days).Conclusion: The incidence of GDM in NWL substantially exceeds national estimates and has nearly doubled over nine years, with pronounced ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. Targeted culturally appropriate prevention strategies and equity-focused service planning are needed in this population.
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Journal articleRajput K, Zuberi S, Elhajj M, et al., 2026, , Journal of Medical Internet Research, Vol: 28, Pages: e93950-e93950
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec sec-type="background"> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Health care systems face escalating cyberattacks, including the UK Synnovis ransomware attack, which halted pathology services for 14 weeks; the Ascension Health breach affecting 5.6 million patients; and the Change Healthcare breach costing US $2.5 billion. Conventional cybersecurity measures in health care remain reactive and inadequate against evolving threats. Machine learning (ML) offers adaptive, predictive, real-time cyber defense; yet, there is limited clarity on how ML tools are applied across cybersecurity domains, their real-world effectiveness, and where gaps remain.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec sec-type="objective"> <jats:title>Objective</jats:title> <jats:p>This study aims to map ML applications in health care cybersecurity against the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework version 2.0, summarize ML performance, and identify research gaps and implementation considerations.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec sec-type="methods"> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>A systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus was conducted on July 30, 2025, for studies between 2019 and 2025. Eligible studies applied ML-based approaches to organizational-level cybersecurity in health care settings, with outcomes related to data privacy or cybersecurity strengthening. Studies on smart devices, blockchain, or those lacking empirical data were excluded. Title and abstract and full-text screening were conducted independently by 2 (KR and SZ) reviewers following the Arksey and O’Malley f
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Journal articleAlagha MA, Gupta R, Jordan C, et al., 2026,
The effect of impaction energy and bone quality on cementless femoral implant fixation and femoral periprosthetic fracture risk
, Bone & Joint Research, ISSN: 2046-3758 -
Journal articleChapman M, Knikman JE, Mobley A, et al., 2026, , BMJ Open, Vol: 16
INTRODUCTION: Blood pressure treatment response is variable in individual patients, and the choice of medical therapy is often dependent on clinician experience. Treatment choices could be personalised by patient empowerment and metabolomic profiles, and augmented by machine learning, but robust evaluation is lacking on how these can be combined to enhance clinical effectiveness. The HYPERMARKER trial will evaluate how an individualised choice of medication class can address the avoidable global health and economic burdens of hypertension. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The HYPERMARKER trial is a proof-of-concept, pragmatic, multicentre, adaptive, open-label strategy trial embedded into routine clinical practice with stratified individual patient randomisation. The trial was co-designed with a patient and public involvement team. The intervention is a digital portal that supports shared decision-making on hypertension therapy class using clinical features plus metabolomic profiles determined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Eligible patients are aged≥18 years with a systolic blood pressure≥140 mm Hg and a clinical indication for antihypertensive therapy. 400 participants will be randomised to the usual standard of care for treatment selection or to the intervention group. Remote follow-up will occur through a patient smartphone application and linked blood pressure monitor to assess the primary outcome of change in home systolic blood pressure during a 4-week period after medication changes. Secondary outcomes will include patient-reported adverse effects and quality of life, treatment withdrawal, healthcare utilisation and a health economic analysis. In the second phase of the trial, all participants will receive an updated version of the intervention regardless of the original randomised group. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval will be obtained for all sites. Approval in England: North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committ
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Journal articleBackeljauw P, Tomlinson G, Smart LR, et al., 2026, , Blood Adv, Vol: 10, Pages: 4483-4494
Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) have poor growth and pubertal development. REACH (Realizing Effectiveness Across Continents with Hydroxyurea) is a prospective trial evaluating the feasibility, safety, and benefits of hydroxyurea at maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for children with SCA in sub-Saharan Africa. Children aged 1 to 10 years received open-label hydroxyurea with longitudinal follow-up. Height, weight, and pubertal staging were collected over 7 years of treatment. Biomarkers included insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-binding protein 3, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). Hydroxyurea commenced at an average (mean ± 1 standard deviation [SD]) age of 5.9 ± 2.4 years (range, 1.6-10.2) for girls (n = 296) and 5.4 ± 2.4 years (range, 1.3-10.1) for boys (n = 310). Using natural history SCA-specific reference curves, the mean weight-for-age z score improved from 0.47 ± 0.90 at enrollment to 0.69 ± 1.00 on hydroxyurea treatment. Height increased from 0.26 ± 0.90 to 0.42 ± 1.00 on treatment, and body mass index from 0.46 ± 1.00 to 0.85 ± 1.20. IGF-I remained low in many participants. Puberty was delayed in 25% to 30% of children, with gradual progress on treatment. AMH was low (<2.5th percentile) in 4% of girls, whereas 52% of boys had low AMH at baseline and 28% at follow-up. Long-term hydroxyurea treatment at MTD is associated with beneficial effects on growth with improved weight and height, and does not negatively affect pubertal developmenty in children with SCA in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov initially as NCT01966731 and is now registered as NCT06171217 for long-term follow-up.
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