Solutions for the NHS
The NHS Long Term Plan has identified respiratory disease as a clinical priority over the next 10 years
The NHS aims to:
Enable early and accurate diagnosis of respiratory diseases by supporting staff training to deliver tests such as spirometry
Expand pulmonary rehabilitation services across the country so patients who would benefit, complete treatment in a good quality service
Improve appropriate prescribing of medicines and method of review, and support patients so use their inhalers properly
Design and develop tools and programmes that will support patients to manage their condition themselves and receive personalised care
Improve the treatment and care of people who present with community-acquired pneumonia
For more information on the NHS Long Term Plan please visit: NHS Long Term Plan on Respiratory Disease
LungHealth for the NHS
Navigating for better care.
LungHealth believe our intelligent technology can assist this ambition through accurate diagnosis and management of COPD and asthma using the most up-to-date disease management guidelines guidelines.
Anonymised reports from the data collected can show health care commissioners details of improvements in patient care and NHS cost savings.
Every year lung conditions cost the NHS £11 billion, with asthma and COPD costing £3 billion and £1.9 billion respectively.
Our software improves diagnosis and long term care while creating considerable savings for the NHS. The economic evaluation of LungHealth has been published in peer reviewed journals, with some CCG localities having the possibility to reduce spend of circa. £600K during the first year of LungHealth implementation.
British Lung Foundation - Estimating the economic burden of respiratory illness in the UK
We aim to:
Enable early and accurate diagnosis of respiratory diseases by supporting staff training to deliver tests such as spirometry
Expand pulmonary rehabilitation services across the country so patients who would benefit, complete treatment in a good quality service
Improve appropriate prescribing of medicines and method of review, and support patients so use their inhalers properly
Design and develop tools and programmes that will support patients to manage their condition themselves and receive personalised care
LungHealth in the Primary Care Setting
Spirometry is a useful tool to aid accurate diagnosis of lung conditions such as COPD and asthma. However, research indicates variable degrees of mis-diagnosis, from 10%-40% of patients. In 2014, a UK study compared grading of airway obstruction in the Primary and Specialist care settings and found the proportion of patients who had misclassified airway obstruction, was significantly greater in the Primary care setting (43.4%) when compared to the Specialist setting (9.3%).
Access the full paper here.
LungHealth’s Guided Consultation can easily be used during consultations by clinicians (doctors and nurses) in primary care without the need for specialist respiratory knowledge, thus reducing mis-diagnosis and improving patient outcomes. In addition, as NICE/GOLD guidelines have been embedded into the software, clinicians have access to these guidelines at subsequent consultations to assist long term management (our drugs library is updated quarterly, and guidelines updated within 3 months of publication).
Asthma & COPD Services Provided to the NHS
The LungHealth Guided Consultation software helps to deliver the high-level objectives of the Department of Health’s COPD Spirometry and Assessment Service Specification. This supports clinicians in meeting the success principles set out in managing COPD as a long-term condition. In addition to providing improved diagnostics and comprehensive delivery of NICE/GOLD guidelines, the software provides opportunities for PCOs and primary care to achieve significant savings.
Features of the COPD Guided Consultation:
Recording patient and identity numbers
Recording of clinical assessment and spirometry tests
Comprehensive recording of signs and symptoms
Recording all components of COPD reviews for QOF indicators
Identifying advanced disease with a record of signposting / discussion of wishes for palliative end-of-life care
Referrals for smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation, and oxygen assessment
Provides individual patient reports
Provides practice and locality reporting to inform service management
We provide mentoring and upskilling for HCPs to improve clinician knowledge and confidence in the diagnosis and management of asthma and COPD in the primary care setting using Guided Consultation.
One
Specialist Respiratory Nurses with extensive knowledge and experience in the use of LungHealth’s Guided Consultation tool visit each practice to deliver a 3 day training programme
Two
We consolidate the training with a follow-up visit 6 months later
Three
We provide long-term mentoring through the LungHealth Guided Consultation test site
LungHealth’s software can be used remotely to support telephone or video consultations.
We increase healthcare efficiency, while providing convenience and benefitting the environment.
“Very easy to use and ensures you get a good history, which aids an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.”
— Practice Nurse