Southampton City PCT uses remote ECG service to improve patient care
Public Technology.net
Southampton City NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) is deploying a telemedical electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation service to give expert cardiology reporting for patients in clinics.
The service delivers immediate diagnosis from qualified clinicians at a primary care level, whilst reducing the pressures on acute healthcare providers within Southampton City PCT.
The cardiac monitoring service, from Broomwell Healthwatch, offers non-cardiology clinicians accurate, expert, diagnostic support, enabling them to make informed clinical decisions and provide preventative support to patients with chest pain symptoms. This will reduce the need for hospitalisation and deliver cost and resource savings to Southampton City PCT.
Southampton City PCT has in excess of 250,000 registered patients. With a single cardiac bed costing the PCT £3000 per week, the Heartview Professional service from Broomwell Healthwatch, costing £1500 per annum, will ensure clear cost benefits across the Trust by reducing the number of patient referrals to local acute hospitals, freeing up beds and reducing some of the pressures on the ambulance service and local emergency departments.
The Heartview Professional service has proven to be a vital diagnostic aid for both GPs and nurse practitioners in other parts of the UK in making informed clinical decisions and improving outcomes. It has also provided strong clinical risk management; ensuring patients receive the correct care.
Chris Webb, Specialist and Clinical Equipment Services Manager for Southampton City PCT said: “The Heartview Professional service has proved to be an invaluable asset to Southampton City PCT and there has been good support for the service from the PCT’s cardiac team. Work is now under way to expand the usage into GP practices. Delivering optimal patient care is the Trust’s priority and having access to fast, expert advice on sometimes complex cardiac issues is an invaluable aid.”
The service has also had a positive response from patients. Using cardiac telemedicine alongside other conventional methods of evaluation delivers a fast and accurate diagnosis, reassuring the majority of patients that their chest pain symptoms are not indicative of any immediate threatening condition, thus preventing unnecessary hospital visits, whilst those in immediate danger are transferred to definitive care.
Chris Webb continues: “For Southampton City PCT, the Broomwell service has been of tremendous value. It is flexible, available round-the-clock and the staff are always helpful, and we are now looking to widen the usage across more PCT services. I believe that cardiac telemedicine such as this should be deployed more widely within the primary care environment as the results show a benefit to patients.”
The telemedicine approach has been used successfully across a number of primary care bodies in the UK. A pilot by NHS Northwest, using Broomwell’s handheld ECG device and monitoring service, showed 82% of patients did not need to go to hospital following a test, and demonstrated the potential to save 90,000 A&E visits, 45,000 hospital admissions and minimum savings of £46 million per year to the NHS simply by cutting unnecessary hospital admissions and A&E visits for chest pain symptoms. (Following the pilot, virtually all the PCTs in Greater Manchester have joined the service).
Data from Broomwell’s own research has shown that in over 8,000 tests in past months, 90% of even symptomatic patients were managed and reassured by their local GP, and did not need hospitalisation. It is understood that without the service, at least 50% of those would have been referred to hospital (A&E or Outpatients)
Previously, patients with known cardiac conditions within Southampton City PCT were often admitted straight to hospital for an ECG, which was a time consuming and expensive process.
Broomwell were contracted to work with SCPCT following a successful bid to enter a European project sponsoring such initiatives.
Chris Webb adds: “Cardiac telemedicine can complement the expertise of local cardiologists to community services, which helps to ensure NHS resources are optimised and used effectively.”
Southampton City NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) is deploying a telemedical electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation service to give expert cardiology reporting for patients in clinics.
The service delivers immediate diagnosis from qualified clinicians at a primary care level, whilst reducing the pressures on acute healthcare providers within Southampton City PCT.
The cardiac monitoring service, from Broomwell Healthwatch, offers non-cardiology clinicians accurate, expert, diagnostic support, enabling them to make informed clinical decisions and provide preventative support to patients with chest pain symptoms. This will reduce the need for hospitalisation and deliver cost and resource savings to Southampton City PCT.
Southampton City PCT has in excess of 250,000 registered patients. With a single cardiac bed costing the PCT £3000 per week, the Heartview Professional service from Broomwell Healthwatch, costing £1500 per annum, will ensure clear cost benefits across the Trust by reducing the number of patient referrals to local acute hospitals, freeing up beds and reducing some of the pressures on the ambulance service and local emergency departments.
The Heartview Professional service has proven to be a vital diagnostic aid for both GPs and nurse practitioners in other parts of the UK in making informed clinical decisions and improving outcomes. It has also provided strong clinical risk management; ensuring patients receive the correct care.
Chris Webb, Specialist and Clinical Equipment Services Manager for Southampton City PCT said: “The Heartview Professional service has proved to be an invaluable asset to Southampton City PCT and there has been good support for the service from the PCT’s cardiac team. Work is now under way to expand the usage into GP practices. Delivering optimal patient care is the Trust’s priority and having access to fast, expert advice on sometimes complex cardiac issues is an invaluable aid.”
The service has also had a positive response from patients. Using cardiac telemedicine alongside other conventional methods of evaluation delivers a fast and accurate diagnosis, reassuring the majority of patients that their chest pain symptoms are not indicative of any immediate threatening condition, thus preventing unnecessary hospital visits, whilst those in immediate danger are transferred to definitive care.
Chris Webb continues: “For Southampton City PCT, the Broomwell service has been of tremendous value. It is flexible, available round-the-clock and the staff are always helpful, and we are now looking to widen the usage across more PCT services. I believe that cardiac telemedicine such as this should be deployed more widely within the primary care environment as the results show a benefit to patients.”
The telemedicine approach has been used successfully across a number of primary care bodies in the UK. A pilot by NHS Northwest, using Broomwell’s handheld ECG device and monitoring service, showed 82% of patients did not need to go to hospital following a test, and demonstrated the potential to save 90,000 A&E visits, 45,000 hospital admissions and minimum savings of £46 million per year to the NHS simply by cutting unnecessary hospital admissions and A&E visits for chest pain symptoms. (Following the pilot, virtually all the PCTs in Greater Manchester have joined the service).
Data from Broomwell’s own research has shown that in over 8,000 tests in past months, 90% of even symptomatic patients were managed and reassured by their local GP, and did not need hospitalisation. It is understood that without the service, at least 50% of those would have been referred to hospital (A&E or Outpatients)
Previously, patients with known cardiac conditions within Southampton City PCT were often admitted straight to hospital for an ECG, which was a time consuming and expensive process.
Broomwell were contracted to work with SCPCT following a successful bid to enter a European project sponsoring such initiatives.
Chris Webb adds: “Cardiac telemedicine can complement the expertise of local cardiologists to community services, which helps to ensure NHS resources are optimised and used effectively.”
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