SCT Projects
ENT Tele-Endoscopy
The Scottish Centre for Telehealth (SCT) is currently supporting all NHS Boards across Scotland to pilot the use of Telehealth where it is appropriate to redesign and improve patient access to health care no matter where they live.
Telemedicine has been used successfully in a number of clinical areas
such as dermatology, cardiology and neurology. This is when telecommunication
technology is used to transfer images via videoconferencing to specialists.
It can help reduce the need for patients to travel to major cities and
hospitals to receive their care and treatment.
Nationally numerous specialist services are currently under pressure,
ENT being one example where endoscopy is now a key diagnostic tool.
ENT Consultants also report increasing patient referrals for assessment
from primary care. In addition to this there is increased pressure to
meet the National Waiting Time target of 18-weeks by December 2007 with
a focus on the rapid assessment of patients referred with possible ENT
tumors NHS HDL(2007) 09
The initial project will take place in the North of Scotland where
discussions have taken place with local staff and for which there is
the equipment, clinical enthusiasm and expertise to pilot the use of
the technology for the assessment of patients with symptoms of airway
cancer.
The redesign project for ENT tele-endoscopy is being jointly sponsored
by the Improvement & Support Team, SEHD Directorate of Delivery
to develop the use of technology to provide clinical advice, consultation
and improve the delivery of healthcare services. Therefore lessons from
this work that have validity to the rest of NHSScotland will be key
and can be rapidly spread through the IST network of improvement programmes
as appropriate.
The first two tele-endoscopy clinics went live from Aberdeen to Shetland on the 25th of July and 29th of August and subsequent clinics will run every month. Patients on Shetland are delighted with the new service and many of them have stated that it is much better than having to travel to Aberdeen for their appointment.
This work has now been written up and published in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. The full reference is: