| RioMed Awarded Single Supplier Framework for Diabetes |
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Many recent studies, such as Danaei et al, 2011 and the National Diabetes Audit 2009-10, suggest the number of individuals with diabetes is rising at an unprecedented rate. The World Health Organisation (2011) predicts total diabetes related deaths will raise by 50% over the next 10 years, making diabetes the seventh leading cause of death globally. Fuelled by increasingly unhealthy lifestyles and an aging population diabetes is fast becoming “a very real phenomenon with genuinely alarming implications for health systems management and funding” (NHS Eyes on Evidence 2011). The same article goes on to discuss the impact this currently has on the NHS. "Treating diabetes accounts for approximately 10% of NHS spend. This is largely due to its associated complications which include coronary, cerebrovascular, ophthalmological and renal disease" (NHS Eyes on Evidence 2011). The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) reflect this view, with over 160,000 people living with diabetes in Ireland a considerable strain is put on service delivery. At a time when stringently restricted budgets are a reality services may struggle to cope with this influx in demand, forcing significant efficiency improvements to maintain service levels and prevent quality deterioration. Furthermore there are calls to restructure the way some diabetes services are delivered, with a greater emphasis on integrated community wide care and patient led decision making being key points (NHS Diabetes Commissioning Guide 2009). Taking a more long term view lead diabetologist at Salford Royal Hospital, Dr Bob Young CBE, suggests a focus on prevention and avoidance will also alleviate the situation. RioMed have recently been awarded a Single Supplier Framework, meaning any hospital or health service in Ireland need not go through procurement to obtain Cellma, it is already approved by the HSE. Cellma’s success is reinforced by the numerous sites that have implemented the system to manage their diabetes services throughout England, Wales and Ireland. These sites have reported significant benefits, including measurable financial savings and increased service profitability and efficiency improvements. This article is going to outline how Cellma can assist in the provision of high quality and efficient diabetes services despite the spending restrictions.
How Cellma increases service efficiency:
Automatically generated appointment reminders are proven to significantly reduce the number of DNAs, Cellma facilitates this through text message or email and can record a patient’s communication preference. Cellma encourages thorough data collection, through both patient self-entry and streamlined assessments, ensuring clinicians can use the patient contact time more productively. Furthermore touch screen and mobile technology ensure easy data entry at the point of use, encouraging mobile working. Diabetes screening days take place in numerous locations, from clinics and pharmacies to shopping centres and community groups. Cellma facilitates mobile working through sharing real time access across service delivery points and reducing the follow up workload. The following table, taken from the Diabetes Federation Ireland Annual Report 2010, shows a breakdown of screening days held, and follow up work generated last year.
Using Cellma GP letters are compiled in line with templates predefined by the service. This could significantly reduce the administrative burden of generating the level of referral letters identified above. Cellma also facilitates the sharing of information across the service, to other specialities and throughout the care pathway, promoting integrated care provisions, an element the NHS Commissioning Diabetes Report (2009) identified as key to successful long term care. Further supporting integrated care, Cellma simplifies the referral process, enabling all referable both in to and out of the service to be made electronically.
Reporting on services delivered:In addition to the above features Cellma incorporates a comprehensive reporting module, further encouraging increased efficiency and reporting the services delivered.
Reports on any/all data captured can be generated in a number of ways; 1. DashboardsProvide a dynamic snapshot of user defined variables that are delivered as standard or easily customised by the user to fulfil their specific reporting requirements. 2. Advanced Patient Search (Ad-hoc reporting) Identifies and collates cohorts of patients, for example those using a particular medication or sharing common demographic characteristics. Users define the parameters on which the report is based to generate tabular or graphic reports on any aspect of their clinical service in real time. 3. Predefined ReportsParameters are set in advance by the user; pre-defined reports are often used to meet statutory or research requirements. Clients can write these reports in-house or RioMed can set Cellma to deliver them to the user at regular intervals
How Cellma increases safety:
RioMed recognise the numerous challenges of running a diabetes service, and appreciate patient safety is paramount. Cellma assists clinicians throughout the patient care pathway to ensure a patient centric, comprehensive service. Electronic referrals, both within and externally to the service ensure patients are followed up with the appropriate care; furthermore Cellma encourages users to assign tasks to themselves or colleagues, flagging them if they become overdue. Once a patient is registered within the service all users will have 24/7/365 access to their records, allowing for informed decision making, quicker helpline response times and ensuring appropriate advice and care is delivered. In 2010 The Irish Diabetes Helpline received over 6,000 calls, more than 75% of these calls were followed up with written information (Diabetes Federation of Ireland 2010). The reporting module, discussed above, also allows clinicians to identify cohorts of patients and send information to them automatically, enabling educational material and advice to be distributed quickly and efficiently, as is also recommended by the National Diabetes Audit (2009-10) as crucial to disease prevention and long term control. Medication management is also a key feature in promoting patient safety. Cellma records all medications, past and present, reminds patients via text or email if they are approaching the end of a treatment period, enables centralised and quick monitoring of patients and reports on self-medication monitoring patients.
How Cellma increases quality:
It is widely recognised that patient reported outcomes are becoming increasingly important within the NHS, and are likely to soon dictate the level of funding a service receives. Not only can Cellma gather, store and display this data, it can also produce reports on it, enabling the service to provide these when requested. Furthermore Cellma assists the service in meeting guidelines and recommendations by monitoring national and statutory guidelines and responding with appropriate system upgrades. For example patients consistently rate communication as a high priority so Cellma facilitates this via post, email and text message in an easy and quick manner.
To find out more about how Cellma can assist you during the challenging situations diabetes services will face in the near future please do not hesitate to contact us. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Phone: 02380 277044 We look forward to hearing from you! |
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