SEXUAL HEALTH SCREENING
infertility. And ultimately, it is these problems combined that will become more of a financial drain on the NHS, as treatment moves from community to acute, to even chronic care. In short, it always costs more to treat than to prevent. Naturally, different areas are affected at different levels given population movements and trends, but financial pressures have already forced clinics across the country to run leaner operations. In some locations, the number of bookings a day have been cut from 350 to 75, with others reducing their opening hours and forcing people to travel further just to secure an appointment.
Riding the storm – how can clinics survive amidst the cuts?
Challenged by the reality that cuts are here to stay, clinics need to be empowered to think differently about how they can offer the same service, for less. Most infections are treated very quickly, so the rethinking needs to be done at the pre-treatment stage.
Creating more seamless patient pathways will help clinics operate more efficiently.
Typical waiting times for an appointment can be as long as two weeks in some areas, with the length of each visit lasting up to two hours followed by a week to receive results. While it would be impossible to cut the actual treatment time, clinics can look at accelerating the patient journey before that point, making it easier, quicker and simpler for patients to book, be seen and receive results. Creating more seamless patient pathways will help clinics operate more efficiently, keeping up with demand despite a challenging financial backdrop. By providing a more timely service, the onward spread of STIs is also less likely as patients are able to process
Cardiff implements new technology to drive excellence in HIV care
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, one of the largest NHS organisations in Europe, has invested in a specialised Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system in a bid to deliver efficient, timely care to patients living with HIV.
The rollout of Idox Health’s Climate-HIV – expected to begin in September 2018 – will support the HIV centre at Cardiff Royal Infirmary (CRI), which carries one of the most extensive HIV caseloads in Wales. The solution is designed to deliver faster access to patient data, providing a central hub for multi-disciplinary teams to record patient information in one place, boosting patient safety and ensuring streamlined care at all times.
By holding all medical and financial information associated with a patient’s
treatment plan in a secure platform, the system is said to facilitate more proactive HIV care, with clinicians able to identify trends before the patient starts to feel unwell, as well as prescribe, document encounters and write clinical letters from the same central system.
The EPR system also provides a crucial link between clinicians and pharmaceutical teams, aiding the management of prescription generation, pharmacist screening and processing and patient collection. Dr Darren Cousins, consultant sexual health and HIV at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, said: “We are looking forward to going live with Climate-HIV and ensuring all Cardiff HIV clinics can access the shared care record rather than relying on the paper notes we currently use.”
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their results and get treated more quickly than before. But what options exist to expedite the patient journey?
Investing to save – how can a digital approach transform sexual health care?
To truly bridge the gap between decreasing funds and increasing numbers of STIs, intelligent software capable of driving end-to- end efficiency presents a solution sustainable in both the short and long term for clinics and the general public.
The Idox Health offering for sexual health clinics has been developed to enable clinics to get patients into and out of treatment as quickly as possible. Sexual health is no different to any kind of booking service in this respect – citizens expect a certain journey that is both quick and easy with rapid turnaround. The Lilie clinical management software provides this support from the start of the patient journey – helping them locate and book an appointment swiftly online – and continues through to the outcome stage, facilitating the rapid delivery of results via SMS to the patient for peace of mind.
Although process changes from place to place, the software is flexible according to staff, budgets and lab speed. By offering online bookings and effective triaging early
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