Optimising access and provision of interventional radiology service to patients by utilising a new referral system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasios Diamantopoulos ◽  
Iakovos Theodoulou ◽  
Stephanos Ghobrial ◽  
Vasilis Taliadoros ◽  
Narayanan Thulasidasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interventional Radiology ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Referral System ◽  
Referral Process ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Radiology Service ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
New Process

Objective: Implementing a streamlined interventional radiology (IR) service in the UK has been a challenge. This study aims to review a set of changes introduced in IR at a tertiary centre, including a new referral process and the designation of IR clinical nurse specialists. Methods: A new process of referring patients to IR using a single generic referral pathway was implemented, replacing an order dropdown-based system. A qualitative survey was designed and distributed as a single-use web link in order to assess the satisfaction and impact of this new process. Responses were based on Likert scale and pertained to perceived qualities of the new referral process. Data analysis was performed to identify specialty and grade-specific trends and possible differences amongst groups. Results: Findings from 98 respondents revealed a strong overall satisfaction with the new referral method and support for its continuation. Subgroup analysis by specialty, concluded medical specialties rated the new referral system more favourably than surgical specialties across all aspects: time efficiency, ease of use, periprocedural support and overall user experience. The new system also increased departmental productivity with an increase in the number of patients treated by 11.2%. Conclusion: Micropolicy changes within individual IR departments such as the replacement of a request-based referral system to one which puts IR in control of vetting and patient flow is one of many changes that reinforce the transformational phase of this specialty. Advances in knowledge: Micropolicy changes within IR departments are key in the progression and widespread recognition of the specialty.

scholarly journals Durable Continuous-Flow Mechanical Circulatory Support: State of the Art

Hearts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-138
Author(s):  
Antonio Loforte ◽  
Luca Botta ◽  
Silvia Boschi ◽  
Gregorio Gliozzi ◽  
Giulio Giovanni Cavalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Transplantation ◽  
Continuous Flow ◽  
Mechanical Circulatory Support ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Circulatory Support ◽  
Pulse Modulation ◽  
Ventricular Assist ◽  
Old Patients ◽  
Number Of Patients

Implantable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) systems for ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy have emerged as an important strategy due to a shortage of donor organs for heart transplantation. A growing number of patients are receiving permanent assist devices, while fewer are undergoing heart transplantation (Htx). Continuous-flow (CF) pumps, as devices that can be permanently implanted, show promise for the treatment of both young and old patients with heart failure (HF). Further improvement of these devices will decrease adverse events, enable pulse modulation of continuous blood flow, and improve automatic remote monitoring. Ease of use for patients could also be improved. We herein report on the current state of the art regarding implantable CF pumps for use as MCS systems in the treatment of advanced refractory HF.

scholarly journals Self-Care IoT Platform for Diabetic Mellitus

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2006
Author(s):  
Jai-Chang Park ◽  
Seongbeom Kim ◽  
Je-Hoon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Target Range ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Blood Glucose Levels ◽  
Iot Platform ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Glucose Management ◽  
The Relationship

Diabetes mellitus is a severe chronic disease, and the number of patients has increased. To manage blood glucose levels, patients should frequently measure their blood glucose and analyze which lifestyle habits affect blood glucose levels. However, it is hard to record and analyze the relationship between their blood glucose levels and lifestyle. The internet of things (IoT) is useful to interconnect, monitor, obtain, and process data between various devices used in everyday life to fulfill a common objective. This paper proposes an intelligent self-care platform using IoT technology that helps patients with chronic diabetes manage their blood glucose levels in their target range. In particular, we developed various devices called the self-care IoT pack. It consists of five different types of devices to obtain blood glucose levels, physical activities, food intake, medication, sleeping, and so on. They can collect blood glucose levels with lifestyles that automatically impact the patient’s blood glucose level. We also devised a self-care application to display and analyze the data obtained from the IoT pack. Consequently, the proposed self-care IoT platform collects the blood glucose levels and the lifestyles without any burden of record. By reviewing the accumulated information, the patients can find bad habits in blood glucose management and improve their lifestyle.

Interventional Radiology service provision and practice for the management of traumatic splenic injury across the Regional Trauma Networks of England

Injury ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1031-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Hughes ◽  
Ashley Scrimshire ◽  
Laura Steinberg ◽  
Petros Yiannoullou ◽  
Katherine Newton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interventional Radiology ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Splenic Injury ◽  
Radiology Service ◽  
Trauma Networks

scholarly journals Assessing DNA rates within first time psychiatric referrals and the extent to which DNA rates are reduced by an SMS reminder service

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S315-S315
Author(s):  
Henry Coates
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
First Time ◽  
Communication Preference

Aims1) To assess the average wait time for patients to be offered an appointment and to establish any correlations between longer waiting times and 'Did not attend (DNA)' rates 2) To assess the number of patients who have opted into the text message appointment reminder service and whether this had an effect on DNA rates.BackgroundResearch has indicated that the Did Not Attend (DNA) rate in Psychiatry is estimated at 20%, twice that of other medical specialties (1). With NHS Digital estimating that DNAs cost the NHS £1 Billion per annum, there has been much interest in reducing the rate of DNAs within Psychiatry (2). Findings have shown that short waiting times are associated with higher rates of attendance (3). In addition, poor appointment attendance within Psychiatry is also associated with increased disease severity and higher rates of hospital admission (4).MethodWe conducted retrospective data collection on 99 patients referred to Professor Oyebode between January 2018 and August 2019. Our data collection involved assessing time the referral was received, time to first appointment and the patient's communication preference (e.g. whether they opted in to the SMS alert service). All data collection was conducted through use of RIO and coded/ammonized into a Excel spreadsheet. No sampling methods were employed and our population only consisted of first-time referrals to Professor Oyebodes clinic.Result1) We found no correlation between a longer waiting time to first appointment and an increased DNA rate.2) All patient waiting times between 1st January - 31st August were within the maximum limit set by national guidelines3) Opting into the text messaging service remains severely low. Of the patients audited, 95% had not completed a communication preference form. Overall, it is still unclear whether the text messaging service has a positive impact on DNA rates.ConclusionOur data have shown no significant correlation between a longer waiting time and an increased DNA rate for first time Psychiatry appointments. Secondly, we have concluded that between the audited period, waiting times were still within the maximum 18 week wait set by the Mental Health Standards. Finally, we can conclude that uptake of the text messaging service remains very low at 4%. Due to a limited sample size of only 4 patients, it is still unclear from this audit whether opting into the text messaging services will have a positive decrease on the number of DNA's.

scholarly journals Robust capacity planning for accident and emergency services

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1757-1773
Author(s):  
Elvan Gökalp
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Planning ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Simulation Optimization ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Planning Problem ◽  
Accident And Emergency ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Impact

Accident and emergency departments (A&E) are the first place of contact for urgent and complex patients. These departments are subject to uncertainties due to the unplanned patient arrivals. After arrival to an A&E, patients are categorized by a triage nurse based on the urgency. The performance of an A&E is measured based on the number of patients waiting for more than a certain time to be treated. Due to the uncertainties affecting the patient flow, finding the optimum staff capacities while ensuring the performance targets is a complex problem. This paper proposes a robust-optimization based approximation for the patient waiting times in an A&E. We also develop a simulation optimization heuristic to solve this capacity planning problem. The performance of the approximation approach is then compared with that of the simulation optimization heuristic. Finally, the impact of model parameters on the performances of two approaches is investigated. The experiments show that the proposed approximation results in good enough solutions.

The Experience of Conducting Mortality and Morbidity Reviews in a Pediatric Interventional Radiology Service: A Retrospective Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Tuong ◽  
Ziv Shnitzer ◽  
Carolyne Pehora ◽  
Perry Choi ◽  
Mark Levine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interventional Radiology ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Radiology Service

‘Callback’: increasing access to, and improving choice in, a multi-level, multi-purpose low-intensity service

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 124-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim White ◽  
Michael Ross ◽  
Carol Richards ◽  
Vicky Manson ◽  
Sandra Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Significant Problem ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Referral System ◽  
Referral Process ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Multi Level

AbstractIn a previous paper auditing individual therapy in the STEPS team, we demonstrated a significant problem with attrition for both CBT and person-centred therapy. We argued that a root-and-branch change to the referral process was needed. This paper looks at the system which replaced it. ‘Callback’ allows self-referral with service users able to leave a phone message at any time. Clinicians call back and carry out a protocol-driven assessment, arranging, where appropriate, services at the end of the call. Reporting on the first 2500 calls, 92% of callers were successfully called back. Individuals were, on average, called back in 8.4 hours. Eighty-six percent of callers were offered an intervention within the STEPS service. They entered these STEPS services, on average, 9.4 days after the initial phone call. Of all callers 15.6% were offered individual therapy. Of these, 93% attended the first appointment and 82% completed a course of treatment. The results suggest that Callback is a significant improvement on the GP-referral system it replaced and provide evidence supporting the utility of ‘multi-level, multi-purpose’ services in primary care.

The treatment of paediatric burns with concentrated surfactant gel technology: a case series

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (Sup6) ◽  
pp. S12-S17
Author(s):  
Timothy P Pittinger ◽  
Danielle Curran ◽  
Michel HE Hermans
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Agent ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Anatomical Location ◽  
Paediatric Patients ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Paediatric Burns ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Topical Antimicrobial

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of a surfactant-based technology for the management of burns. Method: In a retrospective review, paediatric patients with different types of burns were treated with the gel technology. In some patients, the treatment was combined with a topical antimicrobial agent. Primary objectives of the review were the assessment of healing, healing times and ease of use of the material. Results: The wounds of 15 paediatric patients with different types of burns, particularly with regard to depth and anatomical location, were evaluated using a retrospective chart review. It was found that the surfactant gel technology, with or without the topical antimicrobial agent, assisted in autolytic debridement, and that time to re-epithelialisation was short and within the range of those obtained with other established treatments. Conclusion: The number of patients and wounds in this evaluation is small but the study indicates that the gel technology provides a safe and effective way to treat smaller burns in paediatric patients.

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