‘Attend Anywhere’ - Virtual clinics launched at UHNM
Pictured: Laura Cooke and her son Jaxson, who has Cystic Fibrosis
Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are the first to benefit from the launch of virtual clinics at UHNM. The ‘Attend Anywhere’ system enables patients and clinicians to have video consultations from home so that care can be continued without interruption.
Dr Giles Fitch, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, said: “This is all about keeping patients as safe as possible whilst shielding. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic it was clear that we needed to protect the cystic fibrosis community by minimising their attendance at hospital whilst also not compromising their clinical care and virtual clinics were the obvious answer. They offer patients a very similar experience to face-to-face appointments and they are convenient because they can be done from the safety of their own homes and they save time.
“Everyone on the multidisciplinary team has worked very hard to adapt and modify the system to our specific requirements and we have now run two very successful clinics using the software. In fact, about nine out of ten patients chose the virtual software for their appointment over a telephone consultation. We’ve even been able to have consultations with patients who may previously have struggled to get to clinic.
“Being able to see a patient rather than just talk to them on the phone helps to enhance the doctor and patient relationship enormously and this is absolutely essential when you are dealing with a long-term condition like CF. It also helps us to see how well a patient really is - something which might not always be clear over the phone, so this is very reassuring. Additionally, we can do things like demonstrate how to use physio equipment or check that patients are doing chest clearance techniques correctly. The project started because of COVID-19, but I expect we may continue to use this method of consultation well into the future.”
Laura Cooke’s three-year-old son Jaxson has CF and was one of the first patients to be assessed via telephone. He will be able to have video consultations when the programme is extended to paediatric patients.
Laura said: “The telephone clinics have been brilliant and to be honest, it hasn’t felt like there’s been any real change in Jaxson’s care. Our communication with the team has carried on seamlessly and you can discuss anything that you would at a normal appointment, from x-ray results to the general future treatment plan. It’s a great idea because it means you don’t feel cut off, in spite of everything that’s going on.”
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder which affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestines and causes long-term issues including breathing difficulties. The level of severity in Cystic Fibrosis varies from person to person and although Jaxson has a milder form of the disease, he still has to complete 20-30 minutes of chest physio every day. Like many patients with CF, he is required to shield during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Laura, a nurse on Royal Stoke’s acute respiratory ward, added: “The team are absolutely brilliant, we really couldn’t fault them. They are so dedicated and we know they will always be there if we need them. It came as a complete shock for us when we found out our little bundle of joy was poorly and I found it really difficult to accept at first, especially with working in the field of respiratory myself. As a new mother and a nurse I could only think of worst-case scenarios, but we soon met these amazing teams who have treated us with nothing but positivity and kindness. Words cannot express how fantastic they have been and we already feel they are part of our family. Jaxson is your typical adventurous three-year-old and loves to be outside playing. We can’t wrap him up in cotton wool and we want him to do all the normal things that children do, but he is more susceptible to picking up infections and so we have to be careful.”
The system is being piloted with CF patients and will be rolled out across other specialties if it is found to be effective. It forms part of a transformation agenda cross the trust and is supported by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Mark Bostock, Director of IM&T, said: “The system offers the same experience that a patient would normally have when coming for an outpatient appointment. There is a virtual waiting room where patients can ‘sit’ when they have logged on. Then they are ‘called in’ by the clinician and a video consultation can begin. Appointments are scheduled by secretaries who can also monitor things like waiting times and several patients can be in the waiting room at the same time. Clinicians can choose to hold a combination of telephone, face-to-face and virtual appointments if they feel it is necessary and patients can still opt out of the virtual clinics if they feel they would prefer an appointment in the usual way.
“We have had a very positive response to the systems so far. We know that the patients who used the clinics really liked them and one of them who is usually quiet and quite reluctant to interact verbally was extremely chatty and well engaged with the clinician. Clinician reviews afterwards were also very positive, they really liked how easy it is to use and they said that they actually prefer the video consultation to a telephone consultation.”
The Attend Anywhere system is web-based and does not require patients to download additional apps. Patients will be asked to complete a short survey about their experience after their appointment has concluded so that effectiveness and satisfaction can be measured.