Synopsis named finalist in the Health Tech Awards 2020

Intouch with Health is delighted to announce its digital pre-operative platform, Synopsis, has been nominated for an award at HTN's Health Tech Awards 2020.

The Health Tech Awards 2020 celebrate great technology, partnerships, teams and innovations making a difference across health and care.

Synopsis has been named as a finalist in the Efficiency Savings of the Year category. This award nomination is in conjunction with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in recognition of the significant results achieved since deployment in February 2020.

Following the deployment of Synopsis at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Rachel Foley, Senior Sister Pre-Operative Assessment Countywide, WRH Theatre Admission Unit said:

“100% of Anaesthetic referrals and reviews are completed on Synopsis. Earlier POA interventions are allowing us to identify patients at high risk of being unfit for their operation and intervene sooner and with more effective medical input to ensure they stand the very best chance of their surgery going ahead. Our elective surgery patients can now complete their health history questionnaire from the comfort of their own home, in their own time, then submit the answers in real-time to our clinical teams.”

Digital pre-op process inside and outside the hospital

Synopsis has been named as a finalist in the Efficiency Savings of the Year category following a project to transform the way Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust carries out pre-operative assessments (POA) and to make the process more efficient for patients waiting for operations and the staff that deliver their care.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust provides hospital-based services from three main sites - the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre, and Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

The Trust provides a wide range of services to a population of 580,000 people in Worcestershire as well as caring for patients from surrounding counties and further afield. On average, Worcestershire Royal Hospital completes 14,000 pre-operative assessment each year.

Patients can complete their pre-operative health questionnaire remotely

Following the deployment, patients no longer need to visit a hospital to complete their POA health questionnaire. Instead, using a link sent by the Trust to their phone or tablet, patients waiting for elective surgery can complete their questionnaire at home, in the office, or on the move. They no longer need to block time out of their day to physically travel to hospital for their POA appointment with a nurse. Instead, Synopsis Home gives patients the option to complete their POA questionnaire anytime, anywhere.

Synopsis supports risk assessment levels and improves time efficiencies

For the Trust’s staff, Synopsis saves time and facilitates instant information sharing. When a patient completes their questionnaire at the hospital via Synopsis iQ, the answers are shared instantly with the Trust’s pre-op team, removing the need to use, access and store paper records. Risk assessment levels are supported (including ASA, POSPOM and Stop-Bang scores), alongside cardiac risk and lung risk levels, providing care teams with all relevant information to triage patients with high levels of efficiency and accuracy.

Results since launching Synopsis at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust:
  • Between Go-Live of Synopsis Home on the 21st May, and the 30th June, 50% of pre-op patients used Synopsis to complete their POA questionnaire outside of hospital.
  • In July, this number increased further, with 64% of patients using Synopsis Home to complete their POA questionnaire out of hospital
  • Hospital activity time of a pre-assessment has reduced by 21% - this reduction increases to 49% if just Synopsis Home is used
  • Across the trust’s four hospitals, teams reached their target of completing 750 POA questionnaires using Synopsis by the end of the first month of deployment (February), demonstrating positive uptake by hospital staff
  • In March, staff completed 795 POA questionnaires using Synopsis, a steady 6% increase on the first month of deployment
  • The lag time between the patients being referred for a pre-assessment appointment and completing their triage questionnaire has been reduced from weeks to days. On average a patient is sharing their triage questionnaire back to the hospital within just 3 days
  • POA can be completed safely within a two week period as a result of an increasing number of patients completing their questionnaires remotely
  • Removing face-to-face POA visits by patients has supported the trust’s infection prevention and control measures in the wake of COVID-19 by minimising the number of patients in hospital buildings and enabling vulnerable pre-op patients to continue to shield from home and only attend hospital if absolutely necessary.
  • 31% of patients using Synopsis Home are choosing to complete their POA assessment during their lunch break (12 - 2pm), demonstrating the importance of greater convenience for patients.
  • 42% of patients using Synopsis Home are aged between 55 - 74 years old, demonstrating the technology has been embraced by older generations.
Remote Patient savings

For the patients that have only used Synopsis Home between May 2020 - August 2020, this group of patients has saved;

  • 199 hours
  • 1,025 Kg CO2
  • 5,271 miles
  • 722 hours inside the hospital
  • £1,877.20
Find out more

To learn more about Synopsis iQ and Synopsis Home, please contact the team on info@intouchwithhealth.co.uk

Health Tech Awards 2020 Nomination