Health Call’s solution shortlisted for Reducing Healthcare Inequalities Award.by Health Call on 15th February 2023
We are delighted to announce that Health Call’s SMI Annual Physical Health Check Solution has been shortlisted for ‘Innovation and Improvement in Reducing Healthcare Inequalities’ in the Bright Ideas Awards. This digital solution was developed in collaboration with NHS Academic Health Science Network Northeast North Cumbria to help close the physical health gap for people with severe mental illness.
The Bright Ideas Awards celebrate the achievements of teams working within the NHS, industry and academia who have committed to improving patient services through technical innovation or better service delivery.
Health Call’s SMI Annual Physical Health Check solution is currently being rolled out across Primary Care Networks in the Northeast and North Cumbria. It is changing how care is delivered for people with Severe Mental illness. It is improving the accessibility of Annual Physical health checks by enabling them to be performed in a non-clinical setting where the patient is most comfortable, which is set to increase uptake to improve early intervention.
People with severe mental illness have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years less than the general population. In addition, huge health inequalities have existed for people with SMI. Chronic disease, obesity and cancer are also more prevalent in this group, and this physical health gap has widened.
Many people with severe mental illness don’t attend their annual physical health check at their GP practice, with traditional healthcare settings not meeting their needs. However, because most deaths in people with SMI are preventable diseases when an annual physical health check is missed, there are opportunities to pick up early warning signs and for timely intervention. Therefore this innovation is expected to improve outcomes for this group.
The portable kit and digital pathway provide clinicians to undertake high-quality health checks in non-clinical settings covering key information from the Bradford tool.Kit bags are equipped with the following:
Point of care blood testing device-
- Blood Pressure Monitor
- Class III medically approved scales (for BMI calculation)
- 4G tablet to record results and responses to Lifestyle/smoking/alcohol questions required for Annual Health Check completion
- BMI Tape measure
It is fantastic to have this work of the project recognised and to be shortlisted for this award. Congratulations to all of the other organisations shortlisted.
You can find out more information on our SMI Annual Physical Health Check Solution here: SMI Annual Physical Health Checks | Health Call | Digital Solution Health Call (nhshealthcall.co.uk)