
eGPlearning Podblast
eGPlearning Podblast is a the audio podcast for eGPlearning by two Nottingham-based GPs covering recent topics, useful clinical apps, and interviews with primary care health tech innovators. Hosted by Dr Hussain Gandhi (@drGandalf52) and Dr Andrew Foster (@drawfoster) as they tech-enhance primary care and learning.
Latest episodes

Jan 5, 2019 • 16min
Primary Care and Health Tech Newsblast ep 1
Contact us and share your opinionHello eGPlearners, in this news update- covering the big stories for primary care over the past week including a really valuable resource to analysing appointment usage at the end. lets tech-enhance your primary careIf the first time we are meeting Im Dr Gandalf of eGPlearning where I look at supporting you with technology-enhanced primary care and learning so don't forget to subscribe and ring the bell to be the first to get notified of all these updates. https://egplearning.co.uk/ Let us start GP IT shake-up by Matt Hancock - GP IT Futures frameworkmove data to cloud so by 2024 all patients can access GP services digitally, with practices able to offer online or video consultations.S1 and EMIS market leaders EMIS X already announced how will others respond?Switching providersOutdated IT - IE 8 http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/gp-topics/it/gp-it-systems-set-for-major-overhaul-as-dhsc-launches-procurement-process/20038019.articleBoots UK acquires Wiggly-Amps - change in delivery and better tech interface - take on Pharmacy2u https://www.thehtn.co.uk/2019/01/04/boots-uk-acquires-wiggly-amps/Test your breath to check cancerPilot at Owlstone Medical practice to use Breath Biopsy to check for unstable molecules as part of 2y trial lung cancer a likely focus but possibly others. https://www.thehtn.co.uk/2019/01/03/tech-trial-hopes-to-detect-multiple-cancers/GDPR - government rule out exempting GPs from SARsMP Margot James feels would weaken the rights of patientsHowever the increase in the number of requests is fuelled by Lawyers who make a profit from fewer costsSiginifcant workload increase- not mirrored by other organisations like gas/ banks etcno guidance on excessive req no one wants to be the test case for ICO http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-practice-life-news/government-rules-out-exempting-gps-from-gdpr-subject-access-requests/20037913.articleDNABig story of the week possible £200m saved 1 in 20Cost of £30 an apt PSSRU- not paid by the individual but a cost to the systemVariety reasons, sometimes can't be helpedThe overall cost to the system as a buffer sometimes it just nice- chaos and a break http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/home/finance-and-practice-life-news/patients-miss-one-in-20-gp-appointments-at-a-cost-of-200m-warns-nhs-england/20038021.article NHS Digital GP practice data hub - area, time to apt, which healthcare professional, apt type ie f2f/telehttps://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiYzU2OTA2ODktZTIyNy00ODhmLTk1ZGEtOGVlZmRlZDNjYzY3IiwidCI6IjUwZjYwNzFmLWJiZmUtNDAxYS04ODAzLTY3Mzc0OGU2MjllMiIsImMiOjh9 Subscribe to or follow the eGPlearning platform for more videos, app reviews and content to support technology-enhanced primary care and learning. Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Egplearning/Twitter - https://twitter.com/egplearningWebsite - https://egplearning.co.uk/Support: https://patreon.com/egplearning

Jan 3, 2019 • 8min
Are you hoping for a Dry January?
Contact us and share your opinionAre you hoping for a Dry January? Hi #eGPlearners - are you hoping for a Dry January? Check out this Dry January app review on how the app works and whether it is useful for individuals or patients. Click on the image below to see the full video or read below. It is reasonable to assume that alcohol drinking increases over December with Christmas parties, festive celebrations over the holiday period and New Years which also culminate in lesser-known occasions like Black eye Friday. But with a new year comes change and a slew of new years resolutions. Many may participate in Dry January - where you do not drink alcohol for the whole month. To support people, the Alcohol Change UK charity has created the Dry January app, but is it any good?The app is easy and free to download. It asks for your current drinking habits and lets you add this quickly and easily. Presenting you with an approximate unit intake, cost and calorie intake per week is also a good set of metrics to use. The app does ask if you want to contribute and savings you make as a pledge. I think this is reasonable as the Alcohol Charity UK have created this app for free and offer you the choice. Better yet- even if you pledge it is only a percentage of the savings you have made so technically you are not paying for it. Logging your habits is easy and customisable. The main dashboard provides clear information and some resources to support you. However, I think the app could be improved. while Dry January can be a useful idea, for those significantly high drinkers stopping suddenly can be dangerous and clearer warnings on this would be more ideal particularly when logging your intake. Also signposting to regional support services would be a more useful way to use the app. Overall, I like the app and think it works better than many of the tools in the patient health records I use. If it leads to a permanent change in drinking habits this can be really helpful, although it is important to remember that boom or bust methods to cut vices can sometimes lead to rebound use which can be just as damaging to a person's health. Subjectively many clinical colleagues mention higher admission rates for alcohol misuse in the first two weeks of February and Dry January may be the cause. Subscribe to or follow the eGPlearning platform for more videos, app reviews and content to support technology-enhanced primary care and learning. Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Egplearning/Twitter - https://twitter.com/egplearningWebsite - https://egplearning.co.uk/#TipThursday - https://egplearning.co.uk/tag/tipthursday/

Dec 28, 2018 • 49min
3 GPs in an eGPlearning Podblast
Contact us and share your opinion3 GPs in an eGPlearning Podblast Welcome by Andy, Gandhi and…….Shubz How did Shubz get into podcasting from his mygpevents journey to listening to inspirational speakers. This led to his podcast 2GPs in a pod and speaking with Zoe Williams, Rupy Aujla and others‘You do not have to leave medicine to do all this other cool stuff’Gandhi talks about having flux in your working week as recommended by notable people like Warren Buffet and Pat Flynn We discuss how to utilise time as a locum for portfolio working and balance in your roles.Andy talks about the ease of saying yes, but the importance of saying no occasionally We then discuss the Next Gen GP programme created by Nishma Manek with amazing talks by Nikki Kanani (our Supreme leader- including how difficult it has been for both podcasts to pin her down for an interview given NHS England oversight). Gandhi talks about the importance of teams around you and how they can support you ie his partners and working on the podblast with Andy as a team. Shubz echoed this with a shout out to his MyGPevents partners Mehul and Max. We did a recap of Andy and Gandhi’s year, starting with Gandhi which including being elected and attending his first RCGP Council meeting as a National Rep, and the importance of having your say- including his controversial comments on the partnership review by Nigel Watson. We all talked about how the omission of a baseline increase in the global sum seemed confusing and the impact of indemnity funding and planned changes to pension regulations that may significantly impact the future of GP partnerships. Gandhi finished off with talking about his continued efforts with the eGPlearning platform including TipThursday on YouTube, and his 84km Pilgrimage in Iraq in October. Andy talks about his work with the NCGPA including signposting health- a project applicable to any locality to help with practice-based signposting, his video journey for patient information videos for the area:Which has gone mainstream by being shown in the Broadway Cinema in Nottingham in the new year. He also talked about the power as a partner being able to innovate in your own practice. HIs focus has been on creating a user-friendly website seen here: Parkside medical practice Note Andy did all the illustrations, which is also on offer to your our listeners as part of the collaborator reward for supporting the eGPlearning Podblast on Patreon ac

Dec 20, 2018 • 9min
Do you need some Headspace?
Contact us and share your opinionHi #eGPlearners do you need some Headspace?Working in healthcare whether as a GP, part of the primary care team or in hospitals can be emotionally stressful. There are many ways to manage stress and lately mindfulness is seen as an effective tool to support stress management. But access can be tricky – so let us look to technology to help in the form of Headspace.Edit Headspace was founded in 2010 by Rich Pierson and Andy Puddicombe (who wrote the Headspace guide to Mindfulness and Medication). The Headspace platform offers unique content varying from guided meditations to animations and videos via the Headspace website and mobile app, teaching users the techniques of mindfulness.The app is free to download and use with extra features behind a subscription paywall. These extra functions include modules to help deal with stress, difficulties in focusing, sleep issues, chronic pain, fear of flying and more. It also has dedicated sections to help with younger people such as settling the active child at night. The variable module length is useful with a minimum of 3 minutes meaning anyone can use at some point in the day. I love the animations which do draw me in, and the interface which is easy to use. The guided meditations work well and its simplicity is a key reason I do recommend this app to patients as well. With often limited timely access to mental health support, I have found this a useful tool for several patients as an adjunct to their treatment. Just simply switch on the app, select your module and time length, audio or headphones on and go. The app also continues to work if you have to multi-task with your device. I accept this may defeat the object of guided mindfulness- but a useful feature to know about. Additionally, the app is resource packed including the obstacle section in the settings which are short free modules which offer advice on overcoming obstacles when trying to use the app such as worry, posture, stiffness, pain etc. With the rise of AI assistants like Google Home, Siri, and Alexa you can also set Headspace to run from these systems like using the Headspace Skill for your Amazon Echo. As mentioned the extra modules come at a cost. Last year Headspace was offered as part of the BMA membership at a reduced rate (as mentioned in a previous eGPlearning Podblast episode).Currently, the app is on offer for £44 for a year compared to £9.99 a month or £72 a year if paid annually. Another option is to sign up at a reduced rate via Anxiety UK as part of their membership. I do like the interface and it is simple to use, however, I would like to change the voice if possible to customise it more, also I can see how social sharing of goals can be a valuable asset, much how many running apps use this method as a motivator. However, I can also appreciate this is not a feature all users would want given how physical health and mental health are viewed. Feel free to given Headspace a try either for yourself or for patients. Do not forget to subscribe to our various channels and feel free to comment below or on the various channels.

Dec 13, 2018 • 13min
How to use Twitter as a clinician- hints and tips
Contact us and share your opinionHi #eGPlearnersWelcome to the weekly showcase of Technology-enhanced primary & learning resources from eGPlearning.In this final part of the series on using Twitter as a clinician, I share my own personal hints and tips on using Twitter and how you can use it to collect and manage your continuous professional development (CPD). This episode contains hints on who to follow, how to engage in a twitter debate, which primary care and clinical hasthtags are worth following, and how to create your won CPD Twitter system. Subscribe on YouTube for the latest video or follow and share the eGPlearning Facebook page for more. As always, comment, share and keep eGPlearning. #TipThursday

Dec 6, 2018 • 13min
Anatomy of a Tweet
Contact us and share your opinionAnatomy of a TweetHi #eGPlearners – Do you know the anatomy of a tweet?In this episode of TipThursday we continue the series looking at how to use Twitter as a clinician by looking deeper at what I call the anatomy of a tweet. This episode is a showcase of the Twitter interface including how to use the newsfeed, search, trending and moments, sections, notifications, personal messages, exploring your own and other’s profiles, retweeting, quoting and liking a tweet; and how to create a tweet including images, videos, gifs and more.This video uses my own personal profile and references various others including @matthancock and @NikkiKF.If you want to subscribe to the DrGandalf UK Primary care twitter list see here: https://twitter.com/drgandalf52/lists/drgandalf-uk-primary-care/membersNext week we explore more specifically how Twitter may help you as a clinician, how you can use it for continuous professional development and a few of my personal tips.Watch the full video below, or subscribe on our audio platforms:iTunes: bit.ly/eGPlearningiTunesPodbean: bit.ly/eGPlearningPodbeanSpotify: bit.ly/eGPlearningSpotifySubscribe, comment, share and keep eGPlearning.#TipThursday

Nov 30, 2018 • 1h 7min
Are video consultations the future of primary care?
Contact us and share your opinioneGPLearning Podblast Video Consultations Nov 2018 Welcome & Thanks to our sponsorHTN - Health Tech Newspaper, an innovative daily news and opinion website for the health tech network. www.thehtn.co.ukRecently had their HTN awards and sign up for the HTN week (£32 for the whole week) but we are on the afternoon of Thursday Jan 24th afternoon - sign up here: https://www.thehtn.co.uk/2018/11/18/pre-order-htn-digital-week-magazine/Sign up here to our Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/eGPlearning Welcome to those watching us on youtube...We are trying something new we are recording a behind the scenes video as special content for our youtube followers. Thanks for your feedback and retweets...@Jaycemelody@SonaliKinra@thehealth1tech@NCGPANotts@NottsLMC@somedocs doctors on social media group - retweeted us- thanks@annalise2406 - great feedback re the app and iplato@orcha - app review organisation connected with NHS App Library - kindly retweeted us@NikkiKF - acting Director of Primary care for NHS England What have we been doing?Andy - New sketch - Dr Damocles http://avoidingpuddles.com/2018/10/15/dr-damocles-looks-for-a-new-partner/Gandhi - Pilgrimage - read more on blog post, eGP DRAMA, #TipThursday, RCGP Council Representative - First Meeting Today main Topic is Video Consultations… Remember listeners - we are not experts, these are just our opinions Is there demand?Venture capital and investors are putting money behind it so there is believe in the technology and concept from investors.@UNHS_Cripps Have experimented with @MattHancock (Health Secretary) is a GP at Hand patient and advocate of technology and is behind the concept. But what problem are we solving?Low capacity or convenience?Probably more for patient convenience than increase capacity - but maybe if replaces home visits?... What happens in a typical video consultation?Gandhi describes his experience of working with Babylon Health @babylonhealth Discussion of video consultation business models…Babylon / GP at Hand, LIVI, QDoctor, Push doc

Nov 29, 2018 • 10min
How to sign up to twitter as a doctor
Contact us and share your opinionHi #eGPlearnersI am a big fan of social media and often I get asked how can I use social media effectively as a clinician. In this series, we will look at how to use Twitter as a clinician. Twitter is a micro-blog site that lets you post (tweet) comments or re-port (retweet) comments of others to share information. Originally tweets were limited to 140 characters but this has now increased to 280 – however, you still have to be concise. Twitter allows the rapid sharing of information and can be an effective way of supporting learning and information discovery as well as networking. This TipThursday focuses on the basics of creating an account the first step to using Twitter. This includes creating your own profile and initial guidance on where to find medical tweeters (or twits if you want ;p) to follow (check out this twitter list for hints). For information on creating safe passwords read the blog post here: Next week we will look at the anatomy of a tweet including common terms and how you can post, learn more about profiles and start on your journey to become a part of the Twitterati. The final week will cover more tips on using Twitter including specifically as a clinician and important considerations. Please comments and share any challenges you have, or if this TipThursday has made you take the leap into Twitter let me know. I am happy to help on @drgandalf52 or @egplearning. As always: Subscribe, comment, share and keep eGPlearning. #TipThursday

Nov 22, 2018 • 6min
NHS Digital resources to help you be safe using health technology
Contact us and share your opinionHi #eGPlearnersWelcome to the weekly showcase of Technology-enhanced primary & learning resources from eGPlearning.This episode looks at NHS Digital resources and governance posted on the eGPlearning Facebook page (facebook.com/Egplearning/) or available here: This is pertinent guidance that talks about four key areas such as instant messaging apps, video conferencing, bring your own device (BYOD) and mobile device use in hospital. Listen to the video below or read our brief notes under for more details. Messaging apps:This document outlines key aspects such as encryption, passcode use, notification issues, and remote wiping- key aspects with most of the following guidance. The guidance does not specify which apps to use despite mentioning a few and ignores apps specifically used for secure healthcare instant messaging like Siilo, Forward and Cupris to name a few. This was covered in our previous episodes of the eGPlearning Podblast about GDPR and our interview with Dr Aisha Malik. Video Conferencing:This guidance offers information about the use of video conferencing as a service provider, clinician and aspects for patients to be aware. It also offers a template consent form citing that use should not be compulsory. These are interesting aspects which are covered in more detail in the upcoming eGPlearning Podblast episode out at the end of this month. Click the links below to make sure you subscribe for this episode which talks in depth about video conferencing in primary care. BYODIncreasingly BYOD is being considered for healthcare delivery given the lower cost to organisations and increasing in remote and part time working. This document does outline key issues to consider as both a provider and user. Particularly focusing on safety and responsibility such as two-factor authentication, sandboxing of software and remote wiping of data. Mobile device use in hospitals. How devices are used is changing. This document does outline key considerations and regulations that are applicable. The last sheet is an excellent summary. What are your thoughts on these NHS Digital resources?Do not forget to subscribe to our various channels to be the first to hear more useful TipThursday bites, and as always:Comment, share and keep eGPlearning. #TipThursday

Nov 16, 2018 • 39min
Podblast interview- Dr Aisha Malik - Doctors in Business
Contact us and share your opinioneGPlearning Podblast is the UK's leading primary care focussed health tech podcast by two Nottingham based GPs covering recent topics, useful clinical apps, interviews with primary care health tech innovators and in-depth perspectives on health tech.Hosted by Dr Hussain Gandhi (@drGandalf52) and Dr Andrew Foster (@drawfoster).In this episode, Dr Gandalf talks to Dr Aisha Malik owner of Doctorsinbusiness.org a website which is dedicated to getting doctors and medics more visible online.We talk about her acceptance onto the Clinical entrepreneur fellowship led by Prof Tony Young (@DrTonyYoung).We discuss if GPs are ideally placed to change the NHS.I challenge Aisha to Make a video blog for all the eGPlearners to learn from regarding her experiences.Aisha then explains her top 5 tips for using social media as a practice. See her Pulsetoday article here.We then discuss the implications of consulting on social media including how that may differ from the work of Babylon, Pushdoctor and Doctor Care Anywhere.I then ask Aisha her favourite work an non-work related apps. We talk about a project management app Asana and then discuss other methods like Siilo or Forward.We then talk about her favourite non-clinical app- Audible - like the netflix of reading - ideal for any podcast listeners. We finish off asking the perennial question. How would you spend £100 million on health tech with no red tape. To contact Dr Aisha Malik either on twitter or on the Doctorsinbusiness website. Here is your certificate of engagement.In the next episode, we cover the implications of telemedicine in primary care- small topic ......honest.