Ilkley Moor Medical Practice is the first GP surgery in Yorkshire to launch our telehealth service which will allow warfarin patients in rural areas to lead a far less disrupted life, and relieve pressure on local health services.
Currently patients who take the blood-thinning medication warfarin have to visit their local clinic every few weeks to have a simple test to check how quickly their blood clots. In the rural setting of West Yorkshire this journey could mean long car journeys and expensive car park fees for older patients to visit their GP. All for something they could easily do in the comfort of their own home.
Our automated telehealth service is set to transform the lives of up to 100 patients who currently take warfarin in the locality. Importantly the service will free up valuable nursing and GP time by reducing the number of face-to-face visits. This means more time can be spent with complex patients, increasing the quality of care for all.
How does the telehealth service work?
With the new telehealth service, the patient takes a finger prick blood sample and inserts it into the Roche INR self-testing device (CoaguChek®). The patient sends their new reading securely to the local clinic via their communication of choice; examples include a pre-arranged phone call or by going online. Our technology integrates this data directly into patient records. The patient’s new warfarin dosage is relayed back to them, following calculation by a specialist nurse or GP, supported by an anticoagulation computer support software system, already used by clinicians to enable safe dosing.
Ilkley Moor Medical Practice is the first GP surgery in the Yordales Health GP Federation to pilot the telehealth service which is available to 100 patients across Ilkley, Addingham and Grassington. The practice is currently accepting new patients to the service, and will be piloting the service for 12 months with the possibility of expanding to other branches in the federation within the next couple of years. The telehealth service is open to any patients on Warfarin within the Wharfe Valley not just to patients registered at Ilkley Moor Medical Practice.
The warfarin telehealth service gives patients the freedom to live a normal life, enabling them to go on holiday, and still send in their readings remotely. Patients will no longer have to take regular time off work, pay for travel or clinic car parks.
Digitising care is a key Government and NHS England initiative and our idyllic town of Ilkley is leading the way, embracing technology to bring increased convenience to patients and efficiency to clinical staff. Technology is transforming every aspect of our lives – the way we shop, the way we bank – so why not our health?
For further information visit www.ilkleymoordoctors.co.uk or contact 01943 604999