New NHS collaboration to use innovative digital tech to transform patient care
Aiming to improve patient health and care as well as allow clinicians to create their own digital health applications, NHS organisations across the North East and North Cumbria have welcomed a new partnership to utilise innovative digital technology.
Led by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of six NHS organisations in the North East, a three-year licensing contract has been agreed with Inhealthcare, a specialist in digital health and remote patient monitoring.
The new agreement means that both clinicians and patients will benefit from a range of digital programmes known as ‘Health Call’.
Graham King, Chief Information Officer at the Newcastle Hospitals, explained: “Patients are increasingly demanding the ability to interact with their personal health and care records through digital applications and services.
“In order to meet this demand six NHS organisations collaborated to create Health Call, an innovative digital platform that allows tailored personalised services to be created for our patients, delivered through our Clinical and Digital teams, working together.
“A ‘do once and share’ agreement is reducing delivery costs and patients using the service are benefiting from being able to better engage and manage their health care, whilst reducing the overheads of attending physical appointments. I am looking forward to continuing to expand and introduce new services over the next three years.”
In addition, to help clinicians create their own digital health applications, Health Call has developed a unique ‘toolkit’ as well as a growing library of over 50 applications.
One example is the Tyneside Integrated Musculoskeletal Services (TIMS), a mainly online service managed jointly between the Newcastle Hospitals and Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust which offers a self-care toolkit via an app based website giving a range of tips and advice, as well as fast access to expert opinion, diagnosis and treatment of a variety of muscle, joint and soft tissue conditions and chronic pain.