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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Teleaddicts [long-term conditions]
— [use of telemedicine and community matrons by a primary care trust in Kent] | | Author(s) | Alexis Nolan |
| Journal title | Health Service Journal, vol 116, no 5997, Supplement, 16 March 2006 |
| Pages | pp 10-11 (HSJ Intelligence) |
| Source | http://www.hsj.co.uk |
| Keywords | Medical care ; Information technology ; General practice ; Nurses ; Gravesham. |
| Annotation | Telemedicine and community matrons are among options that have been explored by Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT in Kent to reduce emergency hospital admissions. The PCT used the Evercare caseload model to analyse data, and found some 2,000 "frequent flyer" patients in the previous year. The PCT looked at four categories of long-term condition, and found a locally significant cohort of patients who would often turn up at A&E, worried about their symptoms, through lack of immediate advice and support. Capacity was identified within existing community nursing workloads, and the roles of 11 district nurses and two practice nurses were redesigned to manage caseloads. The project was officially launched in December 2004. There are now 15 community matrons with caseloads of 40-50 patients. A second phase of the project is to introduce four new roles of associate community matron, who will concentrate on "frequent fliers" with a cancer diagnosis. At the same time of developing community matrons, the PCT developed a £1m pilot scheme involving 275 people with chronic illnesses which began in 2006. It will be the most widespread technology in the country and will be subject to an academic study to ensure the benefits are properly evaluated. It is technology that has been developed in the US as TeleHealth technology with some success since 2003, initially in Seattle with people living in nursing homes. It is hoped that such success can be replicated in the PCT, but much will depend on the community matrons and management of their caseloads. (KJ/RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-060411201 A |
| Classmark | LK: UVB: L5: QTE: 8KB |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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