Pioneering approach to digital outpatient follow-ups
Following a successful demonstrator project in 2018-2019, we supported Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) to sustain and widen its digital outpatient follow up programme.
The demonstrator project was initiated for the oncology and breast services clinical specialities and saw unnecessary follow up appointments reduce by 97% in one pathway using a digital approach. The trust is now rolling the approach out across more clinical specialities including pathways in ENT, neurology, gastroenterology and dermatology.
As part of the programme NUH introduced bespoke digital questionnaires, designed by clinicians, for each of the clinical specialities to establish the necessity of outpatient appointments.
Patients who are suitable and happy to collaborate with their clinician through a digital pathway are able to complete the questionnaire at home, allowing the clinical team to establish whether they need to see the patient in hospital. This reduces unnecessary visits to the hospital and leaves appointments free for other patients.
The approach has been successful with staff and patients and will form a key part of the trust restoring services following the pandemic. Ten more service specialties are in the pipeline to move to a digital approach at the trust including: Clinical haematology, urology, physiotherapy, dietetics, stroke, health care of older people, endocrinology, rheumatology, ear, nose and throat and gastroenterology.
Find out more about Digital outpatient appointment management
