Blog | Intouch with Health digital pre-op saving the NHS millions!

From Intouch with Health CEO, Mike Sanders

In August, Intouch was delighted to announce the acquisition of Synopsis – the leading developer of software for pre-operative assessment for hospital patients.

Even earlier than August, we were busy welcoming on-board the entire Synopsis team. We've been hard at work getting up-to-speed with existing Synopsis projects and sales pipeline, ensuring that the transition was as smooth as possible for not only the Synopsis team, but also  Synopsis customers.

Now the transition period is complete, it feels like a sensible time for me to explain a little more about why we chose to acquire Synopsis, and what this means for Intouch with Health going forward.

Innovative technology driving healthcare efficiencies

At Intouch, our mission is to drive healthcare efficiencies to improve the patient experience using digital innovative technologies, and to put control into the hands of the people that matter;  patients and healthcare professionals.

To stay true to this mission, we must continue to develop and transform ourselves and the technology we offer. Put simply, in order to help our customers to continue to transform (especially within the challenging financial landscape in which the NHS operates), Intouch with Health must continue to innovate.

Having previously brought Synopsis iQ (the leading Synopsis product) into Intouch projects as part of our eco-system of approved partners, we knew from experience that Synopsis fits seamlessly within the Intouch Platform.

Our own patient journey platform will continue to grow and develop, with this new progression into preoperative care being the next significant milestone. Having explored Synopsis in great detail, it was clear how it drives significant efficiencies, leading to an improved patient experience whilst simultaneously providing substantial clinical, organisational and financial benefits for hospitals.

Why does the preoperative assessment process matter?

Surgery typically accounts for 40% of total hospital expenses, yet it typically generates around 70% of the revenue. Surgery and anaesthesia are the engine room of the hospital, where many costs are focused and where most revenue is generated. The preoperative process is the fuel for that engine, and Synopsis is the key to ensuring this process is efficient and effective.

Synopsis allows hospitals to manage the entire assessment – from initial questionnaire through to post-operative outcomes digitally. Synopsis can;

  • reduce administrative burden
  • improve staff utilisation
  • reduce triage time
  • remove the paper trail (including paper / printing costs)
  • reduce cancellation rates
  • increase patient throughput
  • reduce risk from litigation
  • increase data security
  • provide an ASA or similar score
  • maximise theatre usage

Synopsis puts control back into the hands of the healthcare professionals, ensuring the preoperative assessment process is as efficient as possible. Efficiencies in this area can make a significant impact on the patient experience, and to the hospital, both operationally and financially.

Success with Synopsis at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Aintree University Hospital has used Synopsis iQ since December 2018. Between December 2018 and October 2019, 9,790 (890 per month) patient assessments were completed in this time, using Synopsis iQ to great success. As a result of launching Synopsis iQ, the hospital has enjoyed the following benefits;

  • an average clinical time saving of 27 minutes per patient achieved within 6 months of launch
  • demonstrable ROI achieved within just 10 days!
  • total in-year saving of £2.7 million with a phase 2 (conservative estimate) anticipated  to deliver a further £4 million saving
  • zero cancellations of on-the-day surgery due to pre-assessment recorded in the initial 4 months of go-live
  • 93% positive patient feedback on Synopsis iQ follow-up questionnaire
The future

Since we announced the acquisition of Synopsis, and introduced it to our customers at our digital transformation event at the London Stadium in September, we’ve received a substantial amount of interest from NHS Trusts nationwide who are keen to replicate the success of Trusts using Synopsis - such as Aintree. We anticipate supporting more Trusts nationwide implement Synopsis iQ to enjoy the immediate benefits. We’ll also be releasing information on additional pre-operative solutions in due course – so watch this space!

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