Wednesday, 25 June 2014

Camden CCG has revealed a dramatic reduction in admissions to A&E for frail elderly patients using joined-up technology.

At The Health+Care Show in London today (25 June 2014), head of informatics Hasib Aftab showed how linking up clinicians through data sharing via EMIS Web is enabling the CCG to integrate care across primary and secondary care for a range of disease areas - from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes to frail elderly care. It means the CCG is treating more patients in the community and helping to avoid emergency hospital admissions, which were at an all-time high nationally in June.

Dramatic results

The CCG has seen dramatic results in 12 months with frail elderly patients including:

  • 47.7% reduction in A&E attendances
  • 51.8% reduction in emergency bed days
  • 32.9% reduction in first and follow-up outpatients' appointments.

The figures are revealed in an article for HSJ by Camden GP Dr Caz Sayer.

Telehealth for kidney patients

At today's conference, Aftab told delegates how 'virtual' CKD clinics enabled by EMIS Web are allowing 30% of patients to be managed by phone, Skype or e-consultations, and 50% are being seen in nurse-led community clinics instead of  going to hospital outpatients. 

EMIS Web for whole health economies

EMIS managing director Matt Murphy, who shared a platform with Aftab, said EMIS Web had assisted Camden in redesigning services across the whole health economy by being 'an enabler, not a constraint' for clinicians.

"EMIS Web can support any form of organisational integration and it removes technology organisation boundaries," he said.  "It not only enables mobile and nomadic working, but it has also proved equally successful for single-system and multi-system strategies. At EMIS we appreciate the importance of local solutions, and Camden is a fantastic example of how technology and clinicians can work hand in hand to drive up standards of care for patients."  

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