NHS Highland launches digital pre-operative pathway

NHS Highland is launching a brand new digital pre-operative evaluation pathway to assist make sure the feasibility of each deliberate operation going forward. 

The brand new system, Synopsis, will likely be used as a part of NHS Highland’s Nationwide Therapy Centre, set to open in Inverness in April. The central digital system will likely be absolutely auditable and can be utilized by a number of customers concurrently.

Stepping away from a paper-based system, the pathway will embody a digital well being questionnaire that may be accomplished by sufferers at dwelling in the event that they’re capable of. To make sure no affected person is deprived, present phone and in-person appointments will stay in place.

Kay Macgregor, scientific nurse supervisor for orthopaedics, pre-op evaluation and outpatients at NHS Highland, stated: “With a excessive quantity of sufferers dwelling remotely, we wish to introduce know-how that enables sufferers to share info in their very own time somewhat than having to attend to be contacted by the service.

“In flip, this info can be utilized for by the pre-op workforce to assist triage workflows and assist guarantee a greater affected person expertise.”

Macgregor additionally factors out that having a central digital file for all pre-operative assessments will ship advantages to each surgical and anaesthetic specialities as it may possibly assist establish these sufferers who could have their surgical procedure cancelled earlier.

Interventions might be made by healthcare employees to strive to make sure each operation’s potential to go forward is maximised.

Pete Beaumont, divisional gross sales director at VitalHub UK, guardian firm of Synopsis, stated: “Fairly than ready for a affected person to journey to hospital for his or her pre-operative evaluation solely to probably uncover they’re unfit for surgical procedure only a few weeks earlier than their operation, Synopsis lets sufferers submit their well being questionnaire from dwelling utilizing their smartphone or pill.

“This implies employees can establish any red-flag sufferers who’re liable to their surgical procedure being cancelled a lot sooner, they usually can then make applicable healthcare interventions to make sure each operation stands the absolute best probability of going forward as scheduled.

“We’re delighted to be working with NHS Highlands on this mission, which may also assist the Well being Board handle its backlog of postponed operations as a part of a way more environment friendly and streamlined workflow.”

In August 2021 Hampshire Hospitals NHS Basis Belief introduced its plans to make use of the Synopsis platform to handle digital pre-operative assessments throughout three hospital websites.