Tech Reviews
App and web service recommendations
This article offers some app and web service suggestions. A few are new and others well established, but all offer useful features. Messaging for teams Many businesses provide their employees with instant messaging services to allow calling, messaging and collaboration....
A connected workplace – Part 1
Losing services to external providers is an increasingly common challenge for traditional NHS eye care providers. The external providers tend to have a well connected IT infrastructure, allowing sharing of patient records and imaging data between their different facilities. Working...
Meltdown, Spectre, Flying Hospitals and Spy Cams
iPhone slowdown In early 2018 users discovered that Apple was slowing down older iPhones intentionally. The reported reason was to prolong the usable battery life. These changes were made without the knowledge or consent of owners. Unsurprisingly, a community backlash...
Social networking
The use of social networking is now very common in both home and work environments. The field is expanding continually and we have had some requests for a roundup of common platforms. What is social networking and social media? As...
Eye drop reminder apps
There are quite a few apps in both the iPhone and Android app stores designed to help patients remember to take their eye drops. The goal here was to select an app suitable to recommend to patients. Ophthalmic specific apps...
Projectors and Stagefright
Choosing the correct aspect ratio for a presentation There are several mistakes that are easy to make when using PowerPoint. The most common one I see is the failure of a video to play because the video file wasn’t copied...
Code4Health
Like many of the topics covered in this column this subject is not ophthalmic specific. Hopefully it is of sufficient interest to be relevant to this audience. Code4Health is a programme from NHS England that was announced in March 2015...
QR codes in posters
Sometimes it is nice to read a poster you see at a conference in more detail at a later date. With a little effort you can easily distribute a PDF version of your poster to interested readers by ‘attaching’ a...
Interview with Clinical Director of OpenEyes
Professor James Morgan is an Ophthalmic Consultant at Cardiff Hospital and also the clinical director of the OpenEyes programme. Given the national push for electronic records we felt hearing directly from James would be of interest. The interview was conducted...
Braille phones, glaucoma implants and screenshots
Basic phone for Braille readers (or kids and the elderly) We’ve previously covered the extensive features of smartphones that can help the sight impaired. It’s clear, however, that smartphones are not for everyone. One alternative is a custom made Braille...
A paperless future – get involved!
Jeremy Hunt’s statement earlier in 2014, about a paperless NHS by 2018, has added momentum to the transition away from paper records. The Tech Review this issue discusses what that will involve and how and why you may want to...
Samsung focuses on the sight impaired and internet security flaws
Smartphone assistive technology for the sight impaired In previous issues we’ve covered some specific smartphones that have been developed for the sight impaired. Samsung are now doing something similar, but in the form of accessories. In March 2014 they announced,...
