Serving a population of over 13,000 patients on the East coast of Scotland, Carnoustie Medical Group are one of the highest users of SurgeryPod in the UK, undertaking on average a massive 500 tests per month.
The team at Carnoustie use SurgeryPod as an integral part of the care pathway for patients with long term conditions. Patients are introduced to SurgeryPod at their reviews and are encouraged to use the Pod to continually monitor their own health.
Secret to success
Processes around using the Pod have been embedded and are championed by the team who provide clear instructions and assistance to patients to show them how to use it correctly and to its full potential. Information about SurgeryPod is also displayed on digital screens situated in the waiting room and in addition to this, the team have produced short instructional videos for their website which include information on SurgeryPod and the steps to use it.
Patients are also invited to use the SurgeryPod before their appointment, the information is entered straight into the patient’s medical notes and is available to the Doctor or Nurse immediately, thus giving more quality time with the patient.
With the vast number of patients carrying out tests, the team at Carnoustie realised another Pod would be advantageous in enhancing patient care and a second Pod was then installed. With two Pods now in place, Carnoustie carry out in excess of 500 tests per month and are the front runners for saving their practice both time and money by making full use of SurgeryPod and its protocols.
Speaking of the Pod’s success, Lydia Roncone of Carnoustie Medical Group said:
“We promote the Pod to patients as “their” facility which they have freedom to access at any time. At first, some patients were nervous when looking to use the Pod, but we are always on hand to support them.”
Reaping the benefits
By using the SurgeryPod effectively, the team have been able to reduce the amount of time that patients with long term conditions are waiting to be reviewed. It has also improved the use of their Health Care Assistants’ time which has been most beneficial.
Additionally, the practice team have been proactively contacting patients who have used the SurgeryPod where results have indicated Hypertension. In some cases, these patients initially only used the Pod out of curiosity, therefore capturing these results has been invaluable to the practice.
Additional protocols and questionnaires can also be added to the SurgeryPod to suit the needs of each individual practice, these include but are not limited to:
Contraceptive Pill Check
New Patient Check
Anxiety Screening
Alcohol Screening
Epilepsy
UTI
Asthma
Breathlessness Scale
Speaking of Carnoustie’s SurgeryPod success story, Product Manager for Microtech Group, Maria Timson added:
“I am absolutely delighted that Carnoustie Medical Group has been able to utilise the SurgeryPod product to its full potential and is in the top 1% for SurgeryPod usage in the UK. The product has many benefits to both practices and patients and is a fantastic addition to any practice who wishes to empower their patients to monitor their own health. Congratulations to all involved at Carnoustie Medical Group for making this such a huge success!”
April 2019
