Isla for perioperative care and waitlist management
7.47 million people currently sit on NHS waitlists, over 411,000 will wait over a year for treatment. Trauma and Orthopaedics specialities are experiencing unprecedented backlogs of up to 800,000 patients, and the long waiting times are jeopardising patient well-being and clinical outcomes. It’s a situation the NHS has identified as a priority but so far has been unable to find an effective solution.
The hard work of NHS staff will not be enough to resolve this challenge, and the new reality requires new solutions, as the service looks to modernise its response through technology.
The 2023/4 NHS Standard Contract outlines the requirement for providers to implement an early screening, risk assessment, and health optimisation system for adult service users awaiting inpatient surgery by March 31, 2024 also aligning with the perioperative care coordination standards established in the NHS Elective Recovery Plan. Isla is a dynamic technology solution that not only delivers all these technical requirements but also serves as the linchpin for clinicians seeking to streamline their workloads, thus ensuring that every patient embarks on a high-quality end-to-end care journey.
Optimising Perioperative Pathways for Streamlined Care
In the context of perioperative care, encompassing the entire surgical process, early identification of patients’ suitability for surgery plays a crucial role. A substantial portion of on-the-day surgery cancellations arise from clinical factors, including patients being unfit for their intended procedure. Integrating digital validation into NHS waitlists offers a potential remedy, providing patients with check-ins virtually in the lead up to surgery. This should allow clinicians to determine earlier if the patient will be fit for their procedure, to this end, digital solutions like Isla, emerge as powerful tools.
Isla is currently being deployed across many NHS sites, and has collaborated with Palantir’s Foundry operating system to tackle the backlog. At Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, Isla’s integration has facilitated a preoperative assessment (POA) pathway that deploys digital questionnaires to patients assessing their need for surgery and any pertinent changes in a patient’s condition. This replaces the previous in-person questionnaire, resulting in a remarkable 86% response rate within six days. This innovative approach has led to the removal of almost 20k patients from the waitlist during the pilot phase and an 8% increase in operating theatre utilisation, effectively reducing the inpatient waiting list by 28%.
Empowering Self-Management and Enhancing Efficiency
Isla not only streamlines waitlists but allows for asynchronous clinical interventions. In Nottinghamshire Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Isla aids in diagnosing and managing chronic conditions, eliminating the need for lengthy in-person appointments. By leveraging visual and form data, clinical teams can diagnose and design treatment plans during a brief 15-minute phone call, enhancing convenience for patients and efficiency for the trust. Additionally, Isla empowers patients with digital resources for self-management, potentially reducing the need for surgical intervention and waitlist inclusion. Waitlisted individuals can be helped to reach a “surgery-ready” condition, whether it involves the management of long-term conditions or overall health enhancement. Clinicians can conveniently share resources such as diet and exercise plans through the Isla platform, streamlining communication and eliminating the need for multiple confusing platforms. Patients who are in surgery-ready condition are likely to have shorter hospital stays and their quality of life post-surgery is likely to improve.
Early Infection Detection and Reducing Readmissions
The implementation of earlier screening and detection processes, as seen by Isla’s role at Guys and St Thomas NHS Trust (GSTT), can significantly improve patient outcomes. Early and consistent screening allows patients to be triaged and treated for developing issues promptly, minimising complications that might necessitate readmission. Isla is being used at GSTT to aid in the detection and prevention of surgical site infections (SSI). The use of early and consistent screening in post-surgical wounds allows clinicians to detect infections as they are just developing. If, instead, patients are left to wait for a routine follow-up appointment, the infection could be far more serious and require follow-up procedures. A study across Cardiac patients at GSTT and Kings found that patients are 6 times less likely to be readmitted for SSI when they used Isla for post-operative monitoring. The avoidance of re-admission will open up clinical time, theatre spaces and hospital beds for those on the waitlist who have been identified as high priority patients and are ready for surgery.
Seamless Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration and Data Sharing
Isla’s integration with Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems facilitates seamless sharing of patient information among Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs), enhancing communication and collaboration. This streamlined data exchange expedites patient care and reduces delays that previously occurred due to fragmented information sharing.
Pioneering a Patient-Centric Future
In the face of escalating waitlists and strained resources, Isla’s platform highlights the potential of digital solutions to reshape NHS waitlist management. With the 2023/4 NHS Standard Contract outlines stating that by April 2024 all providers must have a solution in place to tackle this problem, Isla seems like a fitting solution. By combining digital validation, early detection, and streamlined pathways, Isla is proving to be a catalyst for timely, high-quality healthcare delivery. Isla’s platform is unique in that it allows a patient to receive their whole journey of care in one place, making the patient journey seamless. Leveraging data-driven approaches, seamless collaboration, and technology, the NHS is poised to evolve into a more efficient and patient-centric healthcare system, empowering clinicians to prioritise where their expertise is most needed.
