NHS Grampian to expand availability of online group clinics
Published: 11/08/2022 09:12NHS Grampian
11th August 2022
NHSG33/22
NHS Grampian to expand availability of online group clinics
NHS Grampian has been taking part in a Scottish Government trial testing the effectiveness of delivering online group-based clinics to support a variety of services.
Group-based clinics can now be run virtually with up to 30 participants by video call, using Near Me technology previously used only for individual appointments.
Over the last seven months, 45 healthcare teams have been involved in trailing the group sessions which will now be made more widely available to other services which may find this useful. So far, participants have been able to join sessions on everything from the management of diabetes to antenatal support, weight management, child health, cardiac rehabilitation, exercise classes and mental health support.
Face-to-face group sessions came to a stop at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some stopped altogether while others adapted content to share in different ways or via 1:1 appointments. Some group sessions were run using video platforms already available, but these were reported to be insufficient, tricky to access or clunky for staff and patients.
Paul Bachoo, Acute Medical Director and Vascular Consultant for NHS Grampian commented: “We are pleased to be working with the Scottish Government and Induction Healthcare as early adopters of this new technology. Peer support is hugely beneficial to people, and we have been getting great feedback about the positive impact participating in a group call and seeing, hearing and being able to speak to other patients is having on both individuals and families.
“Ensuring patient safety and privacy is also absolutely crucial so being able to offer a video-based system for group calls that has been purpose built for healthcare appointments was an important requirement, and so this is a real step forward.
“This also ties in with our Plan for the Future, ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right processes to ensure service provision is fit for purpose in today's world. Our aim is to offer more choice for patients in terms of how, where and in some cases if they can attend a healthcare appointment. It also helps reduce our carbon footprint and while not all appointments are suitable for video, and not everyone wants to or can attend that way, for many of those who have used it so far it is often the preferred option.
” The Near Me video platform is easy for patients to access on any digital device, be that a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. There is no need to download an app – you simply click on a link and enter a waiting area provided by the service who will then admit participants at their appointment time. Participants are able to see, speak to and hear each other, view presentations and videos shared by the presenter and split up into smaller groups during the call if required.
Community Dietitian Leanne Gardner has been using the technology to run educational courses for people recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Leanne explained: “Participants are asked to give anonymous feedback about the course and the Near Me video platform and 96% of those who have shared their views said they’d be happy to attend a video-based group healthcare appointment again. One patient has even been able to turn their diabetes into remission as a result of attending the online ‘Control It’ sessions and following the advice it gives patients. Delivering group sessions using the Near Me technology is a real win for us and I’m pleased to see this continuing.
” The department of clinical neuropsychology have also been involved in trying out the new technology. They have been offering patients diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder sessions to learn about their condition, provide strategies to self-manage their symptoms and meet others living with the condition. As fatigue is a common symptom of functional neurological disorder it has been particularly helpful for these patients to join groups without the need to travel to an appointment.
Some antenatal classes have also been taking place online, again proving popular with pregnant women who can access peer support without the time, expense, stress and effort of travelling to a session in person.
During the period January to June of this year, just under 210 Group sessions had been delivered using the Near Me video platform, involving a total of approximately 1,230 patients, alongside many training and demo sessions with staff.
Many services are currently working to develop a blended approach for group appointments, where patients can choose between face-to-face and video options. Addressing the barriers to attending a digital appointment is also a priority, with work ongoing alongside partners to explore options to provide access to private spaces and digital devices within community facilities to enable everyone to access online appointments.
Marc Beswick, National Lead for Near Me with the Scottish Government’s Technology Enabled Care Programme said “Delivering online group clinics was the most asked for development by professionals and patients. The trials have gone really well, and we are grateful to everyone involved to make this option more widely available.”
Andreas Norgren, Director of Product at Induction Healthcare, commented “We are delighted to support the expansion of Near Me in Scotland. Induction Attend Anywhere, which powers Near Me, is designed specifically for healthcare where patient privacy and security are paramount.
“We have developed the new group consultation service in partnership with NHS Scotland, providing the higher levels of control that are required for a healthcare environment. With the trial successfully completed, we hope many more patients can now benefit.”