Manager Practice
PHOTOGRAPH: TELEHEALTH SOLUTIONS “
Call system tells patients, through an audio and TV screen, when/where to see their GP.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER ANY NEW TECHNOLOGY AND TO MAKE SURE IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF YOUR PATIENTS
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A driving force behind many of the big changes at Tranent is practice man- ager Jill Thomson. She says: “We brought in the surgery pod because the practice has 1,800 people on its hypertension register and it was a huge task trying to recall them to be tested every nine months. We weren’t able to give them the service we should have given them – but this way we can. “We don’t enforce the use of the pod, and staff are always on hand to help, but the response has been fantastic with 1,110 patients using it in the first
six months. It is also safer than more traditional machines because the results go straight into their record and abnormal results are flagged up. “In terms of cost, it has paid for itself already as it saves the time of practice nurses and healthcare assistants and frees them up for more appointments. We also now meet every QOF target relating to hypertension.” Jill admits the self check-in has not been such a big
success but believes this is because it was situated next to reception, meaning it wasn’t very visible to patients. She is now looking at moving it to a better location in a bid to drive up usage. Jill says: “It’s important to carefully consider any new
technology and to make sure it meets the needs of your patients. Everything we do is about delivering a better service to patients and this technology has been a huge benefit to the practice. The patients are happy and feel more in control of their care so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other practice managers.”
CHECKS AND BALANCES As with any system that holds/transmits patient data, it
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is vital to always respect patient confidentiality and to comply with the Data Protection Act. PMs who want to text patients with results or reminders should be sure to first ask patients for their consent – a mobile phone may be accessed by people other than the patient and may not be a reliable means of communication. Equally, when considering emailing patients, gain con-
sent first, ensure you are sending to the correct address and aim to use more secure NHS email systems rather than personal, web-based accounts. Messages should contain the minimum amount of detail necessary and data should be encrypted where practical. It is advisable to allow patients to opt-in to any new service, rather than automatically including them. PMs should ensure GPs/GDPs know they must clearly
indicate if test results are urgent so that this can be in- cluded in any text/email communication. In urgent cases, it may be advisable to communicate with patients by more traditional means to ensure they have received the mes- sage and understand the urgency of any action required. Many practices now allow patients to book appoint-
ments online, order repeat prescribing online or even amend their clinical records via the practice website. It’s vital that systems are put in place to ensure data is secure and that a staff member closely monitors emails/alerts indicating that a patient has booked online or communi- cated in any way with the practice. If one dedicated staff member is charged with this, ensure monitoring continues in their absence. Any telehealth system is only effective if the equip-
ment is functioning properly and is used in the correct way. You must ensure equipment is maintained and checked regularly to ensure readings are accurate and that both staff and patients are trained in its use. Where relevant, you should provide a discrete space for patients to use equipment that requires inputting personal infor- mation.
Joanne Curran is an associate editor of Practice Manager
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