In 2011, I became the 11th person in the world to undergo an intestinal transplant which took place at the Churchill hospital in Oxford. I knew a key post-operative requirement would be the constant monitoring of my condition. What I didn’t appreciate was the time and effort it would take. On the third anniversary of my surgery I was diagnosed with high-grade B cell lymphoma.
Like so many I constantly use my mobile phone and technology as part of my everyday life. I want to manage my health journey in the same way. Why can’t I receive blood results via text or use Skype calls for routine follow-ups?
The truth is, I can. Information governance is no excuse, and privacy and security challenges can be overcome. The technology is also not to blame, and some companies are already helping NHS organisations to safely and securely unlock the value of their information with models that can be integrated within their IT systems.
In my case it took bravery – the bravery of a surgeon who said: “If that is how you want to interact, then let’s do it.” How much simpler is it to text routine blood results? It saves clinical and patient time and improves efficiency. Why wouldn’t you use this in everyday messaging of routine results? It takes a cultural change for the system to go from “no we can’t” to “yes and this is how we can”.
Being a long-term patient with multiple complex chronic conditions means two things to me. Firstly it’s imperative that I am an active participant in every aspect of my care. I want to know everything that is happening to me and be part of every decision. Secondly, I am aware that I am one of the biggest drains on healthcare resources.
When I asked my surgeon if I could Skype him instead of travelling for 90 minutes for a routine appointment he agreed and emailed me to confirm I had given my consent. As he was about to dial in, the four nurses in the room walked out from fear of interacting with a patient in this way. Here a patient was consenting to using a freely available and perfectly capable service but, because it was a health discussion they didn’t want to engage. The surgeon went home and we did the call from his house.
Eighteen months on at the same hospital, Skype clinics have become the norm. They are being adopted in other departments in the trust, and the email consent is now a three-line letter. It saves time, money and improves efficiency and patient satisfaction. When I come to the clinic, the medical team are up to date with what issues need managing and tests have been prearranged.
I recognise technology is not for everyone but the Pew Institute has some interesting health facts – 86% of people go online to look up health matters, 71% do it from home via their mobile and 25% of patients benefit from online communities. The biggest demographic of online patient users are those over 55, according to HIMSS. We are ready for this technological change but the cultural shift that is needed in the NHS is not there yet; there aren’t enough brave chief executives or clinicians.
Patients understand the benefits, and data protection issues can be overcome. Years ago, the idea of getting money by walking up to a cashpoint where anyone could see you typing in a pin number would have been laughed at. Now we can bank on our mobiles, we can shop and manage virtually every aspect of our lives through technology. I want to manage my healthcare in the same way.
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