Pandemic Patient Experience II

The Patients Association has published a report on patient experiences of COVID-19.

Pandemic Patient Experience II follows up on last year's survey of patients, revisiting the key issues and exploring how they have changed since last summer.

The report found access to GP services continues to be a struggle for many patients.

There was clear dissatisfaction among many about remote consultations.

The Patients Association is calling for face-to-face appointments to be restored as the default for GP appointments with remote consultations available for those who prefer them.

Most shielding had not been done in accordance with official advice – two thirds of respondents who shielded had not been advised to do so by the NHS and instead used their own judgement.

Among respondents who shielded, 30% had done so solidly from March 2020 onwards. 

Patient feedback on the vaccination programme was extremely positive although some found the twin systems for making appointments – the national service and GPs – confusing.

The Patients Association

Why do people abandon assistive technologies?

Research published by NIHR Evidence suggests people with long-term conditions must be more involved in the design of assistive technologies.

A wide range of assistive technologies are designed to help those with chronic conditions but people often stop using them.

Researchers wanted to identify the main reasons why. They identified six main barriers:

  • Design and function
  • Information and awareness
  • Service provision
  • Psychological barriers
  • Support network
  • Societal barriers

They concluded there needs to be a shift in emphasis from the clinician being the expert, to more patient-specific solutions with designs and decisions based on each person’s needs. 

NIHR Evidence

Consultation on the future of the informatics profession

The Federation for Informatics Professionals (FEDIP) is holding a consultation on the future of the informatics profession in collaboration with the NHS.

FEDIP want to hear from all those working in health and social care whose role includes any aspect of informatics

Responses to the consultation, which is supported by professional bodies, will be used to help improve access to training and development.

The consultation closes on 1 June with a final report due to be published in July.

Federation for Informatics Professionals

Community responses, health inequalities and COVID-19

The Health Creation Alliance has published four new reports this year centred around community engagement, health inequalities and COVID-19.

Learning from the community response to COVID-19 considers what all community facing NHS stakeholders can learn from the community response to COVID-19, including practical guidance.

Primary Care Networks and place-based working: addressing health inequalities in a COVID-19 world provides insights from those working to address health inequalities outside the NHS about how primary care might access potential solutions.

How can Primary Care Networks succeed in reducing health inequalities? considers the outputs of three multi-stakeholder events held during 2020.

Digging deeper, going further: creating health in communities shares best practice from communities and those undertaking community strengthening roles within statutory and voluntary sectors.

The Health Creation Alliance

Self Management Awards 2021 open for entries

The Self Management Awards 2021 are now open for entries.

The annual awards are hosted by PIF member the ALLIANCE and are an opportunity to promote self management across Scotland.

Applications close on 21 June. Click on the link below for information on categories and how to apply.

ALLIANCE

Event: Unlocking The Digital Front Door – keys to inclusive healthcare

National Voices is set to launch its report Unlocking the Digital Front Door: keys to inclusive healthcare at the Engagement Practitioners’ Network conference.

National Voices chief executive Charlotte Augst and Alice Williams, from the Accelerated Access Collaborative, will be joined by key note speaker, UK vaccination lead Dr Emily Lawson.

A panel of speakers will offer insight into innovations designed to combat exclusion and provide inclusive remote support.   

The event takes place on 19 May. Click on the link below to book your place.

NHS England

Study: Factors affecting use of an eHealth tool for self management

A study has examined the experiences and factors affecting use of an eHealth tool for self management among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Findings indicated the level of motivation and health literacy along with comfort with IT tools affected use of an eHealth tool over time.

Benefits including behaviour changes were mainly expressed after 12 months had passed and mainly among users.

The authors said the findings are of importance when designing eHealth tools and when considering whether they are appropriate for self management.

JMIR

Assessing England’s response to COVID-19: A framework

The King's Fund has published a framework to help untangle the complicated interactions between different elements of the pandemic response in England. 

It is also calling on the government to immediately start work to establish a public inquiry into England’s response to COVID-19.

The King's Fund says learning the lessons from coronavirus would allow England to better prepare for any future pandemic and understand the general weaknesses and strengths of its health, care and public health systems. 

The King's Fund

Video: Why patient experience is more important than you think

The Heads of Patient Experience (HoPE) Network has published a video explaining its work throughout the pandemic.

The core objective of the HoPE Network is to improve the experience of care by:

  • Supporting the development of leadership capability and skills in patient experience for improvement.
  • Sharing emerging practice, learning and experience.
  • Shaping policy, nationally and locally.
  • Working collaboratively in quality improvement in experience of care.

Watch the video on Vimeo via the link below.

HoPE Network

Updated guidance on diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation

NICE has published its updated guideline on the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation.

The update addresses several areas where new evidence has become available since publication of the previous guideline in 2014 including:

  • Tools to calculate the risk of bleeding when considering the use of anti-clotting drugs.
  • The role of newer anti-clotting drugs.
  • Treatments that aim to destroy or isolate the abnormal sources of electrical impulses in the heart that may be driving atrial fibrillation.

NICE

COVID-19 vaccination programme: updated protocols and PGDs

The list of COVID-19 vaccination programme patient group directions (PGDs) has been updated online by Public Health England.

Public Health England

Study: Navigating dietary advice for multiple sclerosis

A new study explores the experiences of adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) when navigating dietary advice.

Authors examined people's attitudes when making dietary decisions and their needs regarding resources and education.

Six themes emerged from the Australian study including confusion about where to seek dietary advice, scepticism towards national dietary guidelines and wanting dietary guidelines for MS.

Researchers found people with MS are highly motivated to make dietary changes and improve their health.

They concluded MS‐specific dietary resources and nutrition education need to incorporate ways to increase autonomous forms of motivation. 

Wiley Online Library

The Brain Tumour Patients' Charter of Rights – new translations available

The International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA) has published new translations of The Brain Tumour Patients' Charter of Rights. 

This charter launched in July 2020 and is supported by more than 90 patient organisations, medical societies and others.

It can now be downloaded in the following languages: Catalan, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish. 

Click on the link below to access multilingual versions. The English version, with accompanying toolkit, is available here.

IBTA