The feasibility of using 'bring your own device' (BYOD) technology for electronic data capture in multicentre medical audit and research.

Large-scale audit and research projects demand robust, efficient systems for accurate data collection, handling and analysis. We utilised a multiplatform 'bring your own device' (BYOD) electronic data collection app to capture observational audit data on theatre efficiency across seven hospital Trusts in South Yorkshire in June-August 2013. None of the participating hospitals had a dedicated information governance policy for bring your own device. Data were collected by 17 investigators for 392 individual theatre lists, capturing 14,148 individual data points, 12, 852 (91%) of which were transmitted to a central database on the day of collection without any loss of data. BYOD technology enabled accurate collection of a large volume of secure data across multiple NHS organisations over a short period of time. Bring your own device technology provides a method for collecting real-time audit, research and quality improvement data within healthcare systems without compromising patient data protection.

Thyroid neurofibroma in a female patient with neurofibromatosis type I: report of a case.

Neurofibromas are benign tumours arising from the Schwann cells of peripheral nerves. They usually occur on the limbs and rarely present at other sites such as the thyroid gland. Lesions associated with the thyroid are usually benign but should be closely followed up. When the presence of a plexiform neurofibroma in the thyroid gland is confirmed by radiological investigations, total thyroidectomy is the treatment of choice because of the substantial risk of malignant transformation. This case report details a rare case of thyroid plexiform neurofibroma in a young female patient with known Von Recklinghausen disease.