Technology trialled to speed up diagnosis and treatment of blood borne viruses
Academics from Teesside University and healthcare professionals from South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have collaborated to trial new technology which could speed up the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis and HIV patients.
A software application has been developed by the two parties with the aim of assisting GPs and healthcare workers to make decisions about blood borne virus (BBV) testing in real time.
The technology has recently won the Medipex NHS Innovation Award for Primary Care, as well as the Bright Ideas in Health Award for development of an innovative device or technology.
The team of researchers and experts, led by Dr David Chadwick, consultant in infectious diseases at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Professor Paul Van Schaik, professor of psychology at Teesside University and Dr Gareth Forbes, a GP at Leadgate Surgery in Consett, have developed a software module which can be applied to the database of existing medical records. It provides an automatic prompt to GPs and other healthcare workers each time a BBV test should be recommended for a patient, speeding up the process and potentially enabling quicker diagnosis and treatment.
The technology is currently undergoing pilot testing in several GP surgeries and, if successful, could ultimately lead to quicker diagnosis and treatment, improved patient outcomes and also reduce transmission of BBVs.
Professor Van Schaik, who has researched and published in areas around technology acceptance for over 20 years, and is testing the acceptance of the new system from patients and healthcare workers. said: “The two main factors with any new technology are usability and usefulness.
“Is it easy to use? Will GPs be able to make better and more informed decisions? Will it improve patient outcomes? The data from the pilot testing should provide the answers to these kinds of questions.
“The impact, if successful, would be the take-up of this technology across the country and improved outcomes for patients. It would be a relatively small addition to the existing system that has the potential to make a significant difference.”
The decision to test for BBV is still in the hands of the GP, but the technology provides an automatic prompt based on existing medical information, rather than having to read through individual patient records.
There is often a reluctance for GPs to offer BBV-testing due to issues around the process of consent. It is also a time-consuming process as GPs have to examine each patient’s individual medical records before being able to make an informed decision.
Dr David Chadwick said: “We hope this innovative technology will reduce late diagnosis of HIV, along with viral hepatitis. As well as being a great accolade for South Tees, it also recognises the important contribution of my research colleagues at The James Cook University Hospital, in primary care and at Teesside University.”