Patients' pre-op checks now paperless 
Patients who require surgery under local or general anaesthetic have always needed to complete a health questionnaire prior to the procedure, to help spot any complications that might arise beforehand. And historically, these always meant a trip to hospital to meet with a member of the preoperative assessment team.
But now patients can complete these important checks securely online at a time that's convenient to them, meaning there's no need to attend hospital for this service. These checks can highlight any relevant medical history a patient may have, any conditions that may need to be addressed before surgery, the most appropriate type of anaesthetic and even the way the surgery is performed.
The benefits are expected to be significant, said Dr Hannah McPhee, consultant anaesthetist and University Hospitals Dorset's clinical lead for preoperative assessment and the MyPreOp digital service.
"Pre-op assessments are completed for every patient who is going to have a procedure under anaesthesia at UHD. They are a vital part of ensuring our patients are as safe as possible before, during and after their surgery," Hannah explains.
"They identify reasons why a patient may need particular care at the time of their operation, for example because of their medical history, whether they are likely to experience complications from anaesthesia and surgery, and allow us to put individualised plans in place to make surgery as safe as possible."
The service is suitable for most patients, but there are some who may not like the idea of completing the questionnaire electronically, are unable to, or for whom it's important to meet an expert clinician before surgery. For these patients, face-to-face appointments are still available, and everyone has access to skilled preoperative assessment nurses by phone should they need it.
"Some patients do need extra support, so focusing our expertise on those patients should ensure that all patients can be ready to have their operation as soon as possible," said Hannah.
"Because patients can complete the assessment as soon as the decision is made for a procedure, rather than waiting for a hospital appointment, we are able to identify more complex patients as early as possible, allowing us time to do necessary tests and planning, without delaying surgery, and speeding up the process for those who are more straightforward, too."
"The convenience of doing the assessment at home cannot be overstated - for many patients, an operation may already mean taking time off work afterwards, for example. Taking away the need for an extra hospital visit in the run up to the procedure will be welcomed by many."
And making the assessment more convenient to complete should mean more patients' care receive the preoperative care they need when they need it.
"Each year at least 400 pre-operative assessment appointments simply don't go ahead because the patient hasn't told us in advance they are unable to make it, allowing us to schedule another patient," continued Hannah. "This can be for a range of reasons, but we know from speaking to patients that inconvenience is among the most common - so we hope that making it possible to complete the screening questionnaire remotely will encourage more to be successfully completed when planned."
MyPreOp went live in late January, and Hannah says feedback from patients who have already used it has been "positive."
A life-changing service for people with diabetes
University Hospitals Dorset’s (UHD) Diabetes Centre has teamed up with Bournemouth Heart Club (BHC) to provide a programme of unique exercise and education courses aimed at helping people living with Type 2 diabetes regain control of their condition.
‘Refocusise’ trials in 2023, sponsored by Sport England, produced such compelling improvements in the physical and mental health of patients attending the classes that it is now being trialled for a further year at BHC to provide integrated care within the community.
Each course runs for eight weeks, with 20 patients per cohort, and consists of a pre and post-course health assessment and one-hour weekly exercise classes under the guidance of specialist instructors.
This is followed by a Q&A education session providing expert advice on diet, medicines and lifestyle; factors that can all help patients manage their diabetes better.
Samantha Whittle is UHD’s diabetes specialist community nurse and project lead. She said: “We were astounded by the results. Average blood glucose levels, cholesterol and waist measurements were all significantly reduced. There were also improvements in blood pressure and most importantly, the course has equipped patients with the knowledge of exercising the cardiovascular system regularly and safely, leading to higher levels of physical motivation and mental wellbeing”.
“Feedback from patients on the first trial courses has also been extremely encouraging, and we are so pleased to be part of this successful collaboration between UHD and BHC, providing such a beneficial service for people with Type 2 diabetes.”
David Isaacs was one of the first patients to be enrolled on the programme. “The course completely changed my life to be honest, helping me to take control of my diabetes, and in turn, improve my lifestyle. Since completing the programme I’ve been going to the gym daily, walking more, and making better decisions with my diet.”
Another patient from the first cohort is Mark Ratcliffe. He said: “I feel amazing. The course has given me a positive outlook on living with diabetes now that I’ve been given the right tools and motivation, and I’m feeling so much better in myself both physically and mentally.”
Patients David and Mark with members of Bournemouth Heart Club and Samantha Whittle, UHD's diabetes sepcialist community nurse
People living with Type 2 diabetes in Dorset can apply to join the 2024 Refocusise programme via a referral from their practice nurse or diabetes clinician. Courses will run from the Bournemouth Heart Club at Royal Bournemouth Hospital throughout the coming year.
Cancer patients to benefit from physicist's fellowship
A radiotherapy physicist from University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) has been granted a Healthcare Science Innovation Fellowship by NHS England (NHSE).
The Fellowship, part of NHSE’s National School of Healthcare Science, is dedicated to reducing healthcare inequalities through the use of innovative technologies for diagnosis, monitoring or management of long-term conditions, helping people to live their lives well.
Joshua Naylor’s project proposal, which will look at new ways of using technology to target lung cancer, was commended for its potential to make “significant differences to patients’ radiotherapy treatment, in terms of quality, safety, and experience”.
For most patients who receive radiotherapy as part of their lung cancer treatment, beams of intense energy are targeted at tumour cells to kill them, but can also damage healthy tissue. Tumours in the lungs move with breathing, so a large safety margin has to be used, which can also affect non-cancerous tissue and create further side effects. Joshua’s project hopes to create a better experience for patients by addressing this issue.
He said: “During this fellowship, I will work closely with our manufacturer Vision RT to develop a new feature which will allow us to more accurately treat lung cancer, and reduce the side effects experienced by patients.
“It’s a huge privilege to win this innovation fellowship, and it is a great opportunity to be able to improve the care we give our patients. Some lung cancer patients currently have to travel to other radiotherapy centres further afield, and this new technology will allow us to treat them here at Poole.
“It is really exciting to be able to work with Vision RT on this project; we’re one of only a couple of centres in the world who are doing this pre-clinical testing, and it allows us to ensure the technology fits our patients’ needs.
“The fellowship also provides an opportunity to link up with, and learn from, experts in Devices for Dignity MedTech and NHS England among othesr, which will be a really valuable experience.”
For more information about NHSE’s Fellowship, visit their website: https://nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/programmes/healthcare-science-innovation-fellowships/
Menopause experts to host free health talk
Expert speakers from University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) and Bournemouth University (BU) have teamed up to hold a series of free Understanding Health talks in 2024 with the first focusing on menopause.
Taking place on 6 March at 3pm in BU’s Bournemouth Gateway Building, Lansdowne (Room BG-110), the menopause talk will cover lifestyle advice, tips, information and support to improve the experience of the menopause journey.
Presenters Rosie Harper, clinical specialist physiotherapist in pelvic health at UHD, and Dr Emma Thurston, senior lecturer in physician associate studies at Bournemouth University and GP with a special interest in women’s sexual and reproductive health, will present and take questions from an in-house and online audience.
Rosie said: “One in three women experience pelvic floor related problems, such as bladder leakage and pelvic organ prolapse, at predictable points in life, such as the menopause. While normalised, these symptoms are not normal, and there are many lifestyle tweaks you can make to prevent and treat these symptoms. We’ll be talking through some of these in March."
Dr Emma Thurston added: "Sexual health is a biopsychosocial phenomenon. It is important we consider all aspects of this framework to provide holistic care when women experience sexual health challenges during the menopause transition and beyond."
The free event is open to everyone but booking in required to attend in person. All the information for the event, including the link to watch remotely, are available on Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/understanding-menopause-tickets-778231109197). The talks will also be recorded.
Rosie Harper Dr Emma Thurston
Two further Understanding Health talks have been scheduled for later this year with Understanding Concussion in Sports and Practice taking place on 2 May and Understanding Pathology – Health under a Microscope on 4 June. More information about these events will be published nearer the time.
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Join Professor Robert Middleton, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, in this community health talk on 10 April, brought to you by your trust governors. |
