Survey highlights the importance of online health service within self-management programmes

Online health educator The Sound Doctor has just completed its most recent patient survey with Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which underlines the importance of its service in self-managed health programmes focusing on long-term conditions.

The Sound Doctor produces educational health films. Following a text campaign from some Wolverhampton Practices, thousands of patients had access to The Sound Doctor library of films. The most popular conditions were diabetes, lifestyle, dementia, COPD and back pain.

Wolverhampton CCG developed questions which were sent out via email and text to 130 patients.

More than half of the patients had been diagnosed with a long-term condition in the last year (and more than a fifth within one or two years).

A similar number strongly agreed that they felt more confident about what to do if their condition worsens, while 84 percent reported visiting their GP or medical practice less after going on The Sound Doctor’s website.

Nearly half of the respondents had used hospital inpatient and A & E services less. Half also said they felt more confident managing their condition.

In approximately 15 percent of cases, a carer completed the survey on behalf of the patient.

Just over 50 percent of the respondents had accessed The Sound Doctor more than five times, with more than 40 percent between three and five times. Over 55 percent agreed that, since using the service, they understood their condition better.

One of the comments made in the survey stated: “We would have been a bit stuck without some of this advice. I didn’t find much of the information I wanted on the Alzheimers society website and NHS.UK doesn’t have very much so this was perfect for us. I thought the carers perspectives were really useful and so were their tips as I know they have already been through it all.”

Another comment read: “This is a really good resource for me and for my wife. We didn’t know anything about diabetes until I was diagnosed so this is very important for us and I’m glad my practice recommended it.”

The Sound Doctor works with medical professionals to help patients to manage their conditions better at home.

The educational films are three to five minutes long and include accessible, engaging and practical information. They also feature a wide variety of clinical experts and patients and have the support of leading disease-specific charities.

Rosie Runciman, Co-Founder of The Sound Doctor, said: “It’s always great to get feedback like this, and to have so many responses saying users had visited hospital and their GP less, Letting everyone know that the resource is available by texting a unique practice link is such an easy way of communicating, gives each practice good data, and could make a real difference in terms of prevention.”