10 June 2022
Congratulations
to our 2022 Best Practice Award winners. We鈥檙e looking back at the work of the
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford who won the award for its team鈥檚
innovative project supporting patients virtually during the pandemic.
As a result of
the Covid-19 pandemic, the rheumatology team had around 7,000 patients that
needed to be assessed but they didn鈥檛 have the capacity to review them
face-to-face.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 offer telephone or video
consultations either because the clinic slots were already full,鈥� explained
Professor Raashid Luqmani from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust. 鈥淭hese patients have long term conditions that need frequent review to
check their treatment is working and their symptoms are under control.鈥�
The team decided to build a digital way
of working to remotely monitor the
health and wellbeing of patients with rheumatological conditions. It involved patients
being sent links to a set of online questionnaires via text or email.
The answers are sent securely to the
hospital where the medical team can view the summarised data together with the
patient鈥檚 record. It helps the team assess medications, pick up any new
problems, and patients can let them know how their health is affecting their
quality of life.
Doctors review all the information and
produce a report which is automatically sent to the patient and their GP. Once
completed, rheumatologists make recommendations on the best outcome for each
patient. This might be a telephone call, video call, an in-person assessment or
more remote monitoring.
This new system has meant more patients
can be assessed in less time, it prevents missed appointments, and avoids
unnecessary travel to hospital for people with conditions which are under
control.
Professor Luqmani said: 鈥淚n one of our
clinics before the pandemic, we might鈥檝e assessed 10-12 patients in an
afternoon. With the digital system we already have a lot of the information we
need meaning we can assess 6-8 patients in only an hour, and they don鈥檛 need to
come into hospital unnecessarily.鈥�
Looking back on the 2022 winners, Sarah
Campbell, our new Chief Executive said 鈥淭he team at
Nuffield have shown that the pandemic didn鈥檛 just create change out of
necessity but also lasting improvements in patient care. Using a digital
resource, they have managed to maintain high standards of clinical judgement
and furthered shared decision-making with patients. Measurable improvements
mean that this is being embedded into core practice, and of interest to other
specialties鈥�.
The Best
Practice Award judges were impressed at how the team had integrated digital
ways of working into routine care, with compelling evidence of
improvements. Awards
judge, Ali
Rivett, said: 鈥淭his approach has enabled cost efficiencies and drawn the
attention of other services, which makes this innovation a worthy best practice
winner.鈥�
It鈥檚 hoped that the concept can be
developed for other specialties. 鈥淚t could apply for patients with other
chronic conditions, like interstitial lung disease or inflammatory bowel
disease,鈥� explains Professor Luqmani. 鈥淓ssentially it could work wherever you
can use the experience of patients, using validated patient reported outcome
measures alongside any laboratory or imaging results to make decisions on the need
for treatment changes.鈥�
The
next piece of work will be introducing the concept to patients on biologic
therapies. The team is also embedding it into the Trust鈥檚 patient-initiated
follow-up programme. 鈥�
Congratulations to the Nuffield team for sharing their experience. You can find out more about their winning project and .
The 2024 Best Practice Awards will be open for applications
from 1 - 29 September. These prestigious awards showcase innovation and
celebrate the outstanding efforts and achievements of rheumatology services
across the UK.
Find out more about the awards