Self Care
Do you have an innovation that could be adopted quickly to deliver improvements in the field of self care?  
 

Ideas (Innovation and adoption)

Neo-slip: an aid to apply Anti-embolism stockings (TEDS) (#2573)
Innovation 'Elevator Pitch':
Multi Award Winning “Neo-Slip” aid to apply Anti-embolism stockings (TEDS) Designed by a nurse & proudly made in the UK.
Overview of Innovation:
Developed by Registered Nurse, Multi Award Winning Neo-slip® is a novel, innovative yet practical solution that aids application of compression stockings (TEDS).

Low friction Neo-slip® design creates a smooth foundation with a lubricious effect, on which to slide TEDS in place. Available in color-coded sizes, Neo-slip® enhances the comfort of application which enhances the comfort for patients. 

Neo-slip is easy to implement in a ward situation with improvements in patient experience. The use of Neo-slip improves patient safety, as the use of Neo-slip replaces the need for nurses to use plastic bags to ease application of compression garments (as many nurses do). 

Having won 21 awards and an appearance on BBC’s Dragons Den, this is a good quality British made innovation.

To see Neo-slip in action click on the image below.

 
Stage of Development:
Market ready and adopted - Fully proven, commercially deployable, market ready and already adopted in some areas (in a different region or sector)
WMAHSN priorities and themes addressed: 
Long term conditions: a whole system, person-centred approach / Wellness and prevention of illness / Education, training and future workforce / Wealth creation / Innovation and adoption / Person centred care
Benefit to NHS:
 Using a device to help with the application of anti-embolism stockings, often called thromboembolic deterrent stockings (TEDS), can potentially facilitate greater adherence to the use of stockings, and potentially reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). 


Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2010) recommends that, when patients are discharged with anti-embolism stockings, they understand the benefits of wearing them and the need for daily hygiene removal
 
In a 2015 study in a London trust was undertaken, where 35 nurses were interviewed. 
Most of these 35 staff were involved in changing, measuring and applying stockings on a 
regular basis. Fourteen spoke of the time it took to put stockings on and 32 spoke of difficulty in application: ‘it is a massive struggle’ and ‘it requires all my strength’. One of the main issues appeared to be pulling the stockings up over the patient’s heel. 


On average without the Neo-slip device the application of stockings took between 65 and 120 seconds. 
Neo-slip enhances patient experiences and increases patient safety (potential skin damage and infection control issues if a plastic bag is used). 

Online Discussion Rating
6.00 (1 ratings)
Initial Review Rating
3.80 (2 ratings)
Benefit to WM population:
Anyone receiving care and support within an NHS hospitals will value independence highly, as it brings with it dignity, control, self-esteem, and fulfillment. When caring for an elderly person, whether in a hospital or in their home, independence is key to ensuring happiness and improving the quality of life.
 
It is therefore imperative that in a care setting such as a hospital or visiting district nurses (in the patients home) will encourage independence as much as possible, in all aspects of life and daily activity.
 
This means enabling and supporting the person in your care to maintain an active mind and body as much as possible, within their abilities, whether that is something as simple as applying their own stockings or making a cup of tea.
Current and planned activity: 
Neo-slip is currently being used in 34 hospitals across the UK.  We plan to expand by attracting the attention of those who need to wear anti embolism or compression stockings and the hospital nurses or carers and relatives.
We will embark on a Marketing Campaign that is invested in the current Social Media Marketing Environment. The campaign will be designed to increase awareness of the way in which utilising our product will improve the quality of life.

Our new website is due to launch in January 2018 and we plan to create a variety of information leaflets.  We are developing posters to provide to the hospitals and we have a sales team who will facilitate the introduction of Neo-slip into new ward areas.
What is the intellectual property status of your innovation?:
Registered design, pending patent and trademark
Return on Investment (£ Value): 
high
Return on Investment (Timescale): 
6-12 mon
Ease of scalability: 
Simple
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Neomi 29/11/2017 - 02:40 Sign Posted 2 comments
Muscle stimulation (NMES) for self treatment of many chronic conditions (#2512)
Innovation 'Elevator Pitch':
Intensive,home self treatment of many chronic medical conditions involving muscles, circulation and joints using a unique muscle stimulator  is  safe, well tolerated,  effective,  inexpensive and supported by  high quality clinical evidence.
 
 
Overview of Innovation:
Neuromuscular Electronic Stimulation (NMES) therapy represents a unique treatment  modality  for  intensive “self care” of chronic conditions where  therapist  assisted   hospital or clinic  based  conventional treatment might be disruptive, prohibitively expensive and often ineffective. With 6 FDA indications this therapy is widely adopted in the USA.
 
Conditions suitable for  treatment  include Arthritis, rehabilitation after SCI, TKA, THA, Stroke and  others. Treatment of wounds, and avoidance of DVT using electrotherapy are both currently under review by the Cochrane Collaboration.Recent research has shown that Sarcopenia can be reversed with improvements  in ambulation and  balance which may enable and  prolong  self–sufficiency.
 
For optimum effectiveness home self- treatment  should  be well  supervised  and in order to enable supervision we can provide a web based “Virtual Clinic “. This establishes a  reassuring “circle of care” around the patient and allows  ongoing contact between clinicians and patients.
 
The Neurocare™NC2000  (FDA and CE certified)  intended  for this project is a safe, non-invasive Neuromuscular Electronic stimulator (NMES). Its unique electronic design allows high powered (for full muscle involvement) stimulation at very low current (for comfort and safety).
 
It differs significantly from conventional NMES systems in that it recruits both “active” and “inactive” or injured muscle fibres, strengthening and re-educating the muscle by simulating exercise using a higher maximum output (300volts+) whilst only producing less than 10 milliamps of current. Devices can be purchased or rented.
 
With minimum familiarisation patients can self-treat with the Neurocare™ NC2000  reducing the need for lengthy and costly stays in hospital or clinic. A therapy simple  to operate and well tolerated means that treatment episodes with the Neurocare™  2000 in the self-care setting can be more frequent and intensive thereby promoting faster relief from symptoms and  full recovery . 
A recent article on  treating diabetic ulceration and other complications of diabetic foot and a  list  of clinical evidence for NMES treatment for the above and many other  chronic conditions  is available on request from Neurocare™  Europe Limited.
 
Effective, low cost therapy, patient self-administered, allows intensive treatment at a time convenient to the patient and delivers major treatment cost reduction for HCAs and greatly improves HRQoL  for the patient.
 

 
Stage of Development:
Market ready and adopted - Fully proven, commercially deployable, market ready and already adopted in some areas (in a different region or sector)
WMAHSN priorities and themes addressed: 
Long term conditions: a whole system, person-centred approach / Education, training and future workforce / Wealth creation / Clinical trials and evidence / Digital health / Innovation and adoption / Person centred care
Benefit to NHS:
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Benefit to WM population:
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Current and planned activity: 
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What is the intellectual property status of your innovation?:
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Return on Investment (£ Value): 
N/A
Return on Investment (Timescale): 
N/A
Ease of scalability: 
N/A
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Patricia Forrester 19/09/2017 - 18:49 Archived Login or Register to post comments
Video guides to getting the most out of life with a long-term conditions (#2390)
Innovation 'Elevator Pitch':
The Sound Doctor is the leading source of film and audio patient information in the UK, offering a coherent and authoritative learning programme encouraging effective self-management of long-term conditions.
Overview of Innovation:
The Sound Doctor self-management library includes more than 300 short films and animations covering diabetes, COPD, dementia, heart failure and other conditions. The material is of exceptionally high quality and offers a structured programme of education, which can be a lifelong companion for people living with a long-term condition.

The aims of The Sound Doctor self-management programme are:
 
1. To reduce the number of avoidable admissions (and readmissions) to hospital
2. To reduce the need for face-to-face contact with clinicians (and to improve the quality of meetings which do take place)
3. To improve the quality of care for patients (and patient experience of their care)
4. To help people get the most out of life through effective self-management

The self-management library

Developed after consultation with key charities, leading clinicians and patient groups, the films offer detailed and practical advice about taking control of a long-term condition. There are between 40 and 60 films on each condition, including interviews with all the healthcare professionals that people will come across in the course of their journey. There is also reassuring advice from people living with each condition about taking day-to-day control. The Sound Doctor puts your healthcare team in your pocket, available 24/7.

Examples
With diabetes we cover diet, activity, medicines, blood glucose monitoring, risk factors and complications among many other aspects of living with diabetes. In the COPD library breathlessness, anxiety, exacerbations, breathing control and inhaler techniques form the basis of a structured package on all aspects of the disease.
In each case the material is motivational, positive and reassuring. 
 
Evidence and testimony
The Sound Doctor has a demonstrable role in improving self-management, reducing the need for face-to-face contact with healthcare professionals and hospital admissions. In addition it has been exceptionally well received by patients.

The films are extremely well reviewed by healthcare professionals and other experts and, in evaluations, users overwhelmingly report increased knowledge and confidence as well as fewer visits to the GP and fewer hospital admissions. We also know that the films improve people’s experience of their care, 99% willing to recommend them to others with the same condition.

The Sound Doctor is currently being used in several CCGs as well as Hospital Trusts and community pharmacies. 
Stage of Development:
Market ready and adopted - Fully proven, commercially deployable, market ready and already adopted in some areas (in a different region or sector)
WMAHSN priorities and themes addressed: 
Long term conditions: a whole system, person-centred approach / Wellness and prevention of illness / Digital health / Innovation and adoption / Person centred care
Benefit to NHS:
Effective self-management of long-term conditions is a core component in reducing costs and improving outcomes.
 
The Sound Doctor library is not an ad hoc series of films touching on a few subjects that might be of interest to someone with a long-term condition. It is a comprehensive, structured education programme that can be a companion for life.
 
An evaluation carried out in West Leicestershire in December 2016 among long-term users of The Sound Doctor found:
 
96% of users understood their condition better
98% learned new information about their condition
96% felt more confident about managing their condition effectively
88% had a better understanding of their medicines (10%not applicable)
93% have changed their self-management technique
98% found The Sound Doctor easy to use
99% found it a useful addition to their healthcare
99% would recommend The Sound Doctor to others with a similar condition
 
Crucially:
 
92% of users reported fewer visits to their GP
62% said they had been to hospital less often
 
The Sound Doctor films are designed to reduce the need for face-to-face contact with clinicians and to reduce the number of hospital admissions and re-admissions.
 
ROI
 
Costs are reduced in various ways including GP appointments at an average cost of £25 and hospital admissions. One COPD exacerbation avoided can save, on average £1,960. Our films focus on medicines management, inhalers techniques and recognising and coping with exacerbations. Other, intangible, benefits are derived from decreasing reliance on social care through increasing the independence of users.
 
In general, other costs can be reduced by:
 
  • Fewer complications of diabetes
  • More people living independently at home (reducing costs of social care)
  • Fewer bed days in hospital
  • Better adherence to medications and effective use of inhalers
  • Fewer referrals for physiotherapy caused by back pain
 
Testimony from users is exceptionally positive.
 
Why try The Sound Doctor?
 
Self-management is the key to reducing the costs of treating long-term conditions in a testing financial climate. The Sound Doctor is a class-leading information product that can achieve this.
 
“The quality of the product is, in my experience, unmatched anywhere in the world.”
Dr Charles Alessi, Senior Adviser Public Health England

For more information please contact Rosie Runciman: rosie@thesounddoctor.org (Tel) 01285 850887
Website: www.thesounddoctor.org
Initial Review Rating
5.00 (1 ratings)
Benefit to WM population:
All the benefits outline above apply equally to the West Midlands population. This is a versatile and scalable product which has been adopted in several CCGs and hospital trusts around the UK. 

We are particularly keen to develop our product and produce new material for and in the West Midlands as a local company benefiting from the Serendip programme at iCentrum.
Current and planned activity: 
When funds permit, The sound Doctor intends to continue producing new libraries of films addressing other conditions. In particular we plan a comprehensive package of films covering stress, anxiety and depression; alcohol; further musculo-skeletal conditions and weight management.
 
We are open to discussion on co-producing this and other material with CCGs, hospitals or local authorities in the West Midlands
What is the intellectual property status of your innovation?:
The Sound Doctor owns all IP in all products. Material is generally licensed to clients on an annual or monthly basis (min 12 months) and allows access for up to 100,000 users.
Return on Investment (£ Value): 
high
Return on Investment (Timescale): 
6-12 mon
Ease of scalability: 
Simple
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Dominic Arkwright 30/05/2017 - 11:51 Sign Posted Login or Register to post comments
Backpack-Friendly Professional Support When You Need It Most (#2369)
Innovation 'Elevator Pitch':
We enable employers to provide a one stop support package for employees in times of need. They phone a single phone line to access support for issues inc. emotional support, managing physical & LTC's and providing signposting to local services 
 
Overview of Innovation:
What is BackPack?
Backpack enables employers to provide a one stop support package for their employees in times of need.
Employees phone a single phone line to access support for a range of issues including emotional support, managing physical and long term conditions and providing signposting support to local services offering support in a range of areas including managing finance, debt and other issues. 
The BACKPACK Online Portal
Clients log in with their membership reference to access;
 
Information on;
  • Long Term condition management
  • Local information to support
  • How to access BACKPACK services
 
Access to;
  • Self-Diagnostic forms
  • Quizzes and exercises
  • Checklists
  • Webinars and video information
  • Useful articles and Blogs
 
What Support Is Provided?
Lifestyle Support around long-term conditions- diabetes, HIV, other
Emotional Support 
 
Stage of Development:
Trial stage - Trial stage to prove that the idea actually works as intended
WMAHSN priorities and themes addressed: 
Mental Health: recovery, crisis and prevention / Long term conditions: a whole system, person-centred approach / Wellness and prevention of illness / Education, training and future workforce / Wealth creation / Digital health / Innovation and adoption / Person centred care
Benefit to NHS:
People with mental and physical health conditions will learn to self manage and are less likely to present to primary or secondary care. This will reduce the pressure on services.
This early intervention model, which follows the Preventative Model will reduce demand on the health and social care ecosystem.
We will evaluate the project outcomes. 
We will share best practice
Proactively identify needs through the 'on-boarding' triage programme
Initial Review Rating
4.60 (1 ratings)
Benefit to WM population:
We seek to improve the physical, social and mental well-being of the WM population
People in the WM will recive fast and easy access to personalised care at the early stages of their needs
People will be able to access information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week- at a time to suit them
People will grow their capacity to self manage their own condition or that of the people they care for.
Easy access to mental health resources will help to prevent conditions escalating, improving the recovery time.
Deliver value to the client form first contact through proactively identifying needs at the 'on-boarding' triage programme
Current and planned activity: 
We plan to pull on all our strengths to deliver this innovative programme;
Health Exchange's current triage system used to deliver a holistic well being service for NHS
Citizen Coaching's online course delivery and impact measurement framework. Citizen is a member of Living Well Consortium- delivering IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapy) inteventions.
Our indepth knowledge of the employee assistance market 
Our multi-channel approach to well-being services, blending online and physical interventions
I-SE's strength in taking social enterprises to the market place and operationalising new concepts

 
What is the intellectual property status of your innovation?:
BACKPACK (TM) This will be a collaboration between Health Exchange, I-SE (Initiative for Social Entrepreneurs) and Citizen Coaching. We seek advice on how to progress this. All three busineses are social enterprises.
Return on Investment (£ Value): 
high
Return on Investment (Timescale): 
0-6 mon
Ease of scalability: 
Simple
Co-Authors:
Graham Beaumont
Sarah Crawley
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Martin Hogg 18/05/2017 - 13:40 Sign Posted Login or Register to post comments
Web-based Cardiac Rehabilitation programme - 'Activate Your Heart' (#2353)
Innovation 'Elevator Pitch':
ACTIVATE YOUR HEART (AYH) is an online self-management Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) programme that has been designed by cardiac rehabilitation specialists and patients at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
Overview of Innovation:
The ACTIVATE YOUR HEART (AYH) programme can be offered as an alternative way of delivering cardiac rehabilitation that is time and location independent.AYH was launched in November 2012 and is currently part of routine clinical care within the UHL NHS Trust.
The aim of the programme is to help people with coronary heart disease to manage their condition more effectively. It provides advice and support for individuals to make lifestyle changes and reduce their risk factors for coronary heart disease. Progress is monitored throughout by a CR specialist. AYH is password-protected and only those registered can access the programme. There is a mobile version of AYH. Over the last several years we have tested the acceptability and effectiveness of a web based approach to CR as an alternative to our hospital based programme
Patients proceed through four stages, each stage comprising specific tasks and individualised exercises. Interactive elements allow patients to record and monitor their weight, stress levels, smoking habit and exercise levels. Automated goals are generated based on the patient’s risk factor profile, such as the need to lose weight, stop smoking or exercise more.

The AYH web-based programme collates the following information; activity/exercise levels, stress levels, smoking cessation, goals (generated and own goals – achieved/not completed), how many log ins, how many questions to the ‘ask the expert’ link or forum.
Process outcomes
Uptake will be monitored and completion rates for
  1. Self-management programme offered in the community (closer to home)
  2. Uptake of cardiac rehabilitation (AYH website)
Value outcomes
  1. Improved quality of care for patients with cardiac disease
  2. Reduced A&E presentations for chest pain
  3. Reduced follow up appointments for chest pain
  4. Reduced readmissions rates for chest pain.
 
Patient & Public involvement - Two patients from our Patient and Public Involvement Group were asked to help develop our online cardiac rehabilitation programme. Both patients made a very positive contribution to the development of AYH, helping with the design and testing of the programme.
 
Very positive patient feedback "It has provided focus through its goals - and discipline in changing eating and exercise habits which I believe will be maintained in the future. An invaluable service - thank you."
 
Increased uptake to CR programme. There is a proposed ‘best practice tariff’ for patients diagnosed with MI.
 
Stage of Development:
Market ready and adopted - Fully proven, commercially deployable, market ready and already adopted in some areas (in a different region or sector)
WMAHSN priorities and themes addressed: 
Long term conditions: a whole system, person-centred approach / Wellness and prevention of illness / Education, training and future workforce / Digital health / Innovation and adoption / Person centred care
Benefit to NHS:
The benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) are well established (Domain 1 of the NHS Outcomes Framework), although uptake remains disappointingly low at 50% (NACR report 2016). The NACR report acknowledged that ‘more should be done to support these options as part of the menu of approaches offered by programmes, as this can only help to improve uptake and adherence to CR’. The report also suggested that’ greater innovation in the mode of CR delivery, aligned with core evidence based components, should be undertaken by providers and commissioners to capture the large group of patients that are presently not taking up the offer of CR’.

ACTIVATE YOUR HEART (AYH) web-based CR programme was developed an alternative approach to providing support to patients with the diagnosis of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) but with remote supervision. AYH is an online self-management Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) programme that has been designed by cardiac rehabilitation specialists and patients at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. Our initial development was supported by a Shine Innovation award from the Health Foundation. AYH is also documented in the National Institute for health and care excellence (NICE) website; https://www.nice.org.uk/sharedlearning/maximising-access-to-a-cardiac-rehabilitation-service-through-service-redesign-and-an-innovative-web-based-approach-activateyourheart

 The AYH web programme also addresses the British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR) core components for change which includes; Lifestyle/cardio-protective therapies/psychosocial health/risk factor management, health behaviour change,exercise performance (Physical activity, risk factors, psychosocial, anxiety & depression and quality of life.
 
During our local Care Quality Commission (CQC) review AYH was highlighted under the heading of ‘Innovation, improvement and sustainability’, they also identified that there was a positive working culture at Glenfield, and innovative practices, particularly in cardiac and respiratory rehabilitation’.
 
Benefit to WM population:
AYH provides patients with an alternative choice to conventional cardiac rehab programme, one that better suits their lifestyle needs. The AYH Cardiac Rehabilitation programme is able to promote self-management, influence physical, psychosocial, and behavioural changes in a low to moderate risk group of patients.
Following a pilot study that we conducted using AYH, we found that 65% of patients who were enrolled on to the AYH programme would not have attended any other Cardiac Rehab programme. Uptake to cardiac rehabilitation within our trust is approaching 65%, well above the national average.
AYH programme has the benefit of being able to produce reports however data collection would continue via the local department specific database.
Staff would receive direct training from Cardiac Rehabilitation team within University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust and have on-going telephone/email support in relation to patient and website queries for the year (Mon-Friday).
Activate your Heart provides patients with choice and a location and time independent rehabilitation service.
Over the last several years we have tested the acceptability and effectiveness of a web based approach to CR as an alternative to our hospital based programme, see evidence below;
Evaluating the Interactive Web-Based Program, Activate Your Heart, for Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients: A Pilot Study. Brough C, Boyce S, Houchen-Wolloff L, Sewell L, Singh S. J Med Internet Res 2014;16(10):e242 URL: http://www.jmir.org/2014/10/e242/ doi:10.2196/jmir.3027
Exploring the experience of using a web-based cardiac rehabilitation programme in a primary care angina population: a qualitative study. Reena Devi, Christine Carpenter, John Powell, Sally Singh. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation | Vol. 21 | No. 9 | pp 434–440
A Web-Based Program Improves Physical Activity Outcomes in a Primary Care Angina Population: Randomized Controlled Trial, Devi R, Powell J, Singh S; J Med Internet Res 2014;16(9):e186, URL: http://www.jmir.org/2014/9/e186, DOI: 10.2196/jmir.3340, PMID: 25217464, PMCID: 4180351
Current research:
 
A Web-Based Cardiac REhabilitatioN Alternative for Those Declining or Dropping Out Of Conventional Rehabilitation: The WREN Feasibility Study. Two site blinded RCT. NIHR RfpB funded study.
 
Development of a web based rehabilitation module for those with Chronic Heart Failure.
Current and planned activity: 
AYH web-based programme has been developed for many years. It was re- launched in its current format since November 2012 where it has been embedded into the clinical service. Therefore we can offer years of expert knowledge of the site alongside our specialist clinical knowledge.
The AYH web-based CR programme is now being utilised by Trusts within the NHS to include; Forth Valley and Lothian, Leeds and Lincoln (research trial).Therefore training for the website has been delivered to a number of individual Trusts.
What is the intellectual property status of your innovation?:
Cardiac rehabilitation, University Hospitals of leicester NHS Trust own the licence for AYH web-based CR programme.
UKFast owns and operates all its datacentres and internal procedures independently.We have a sub contract with HARK 2 who maintain and update the websites.
All software management and support would be managed by UHL NHS Trust and HARK2.
Return on Investment (£ Value): 
medium
Return on Investment (Timescale): 
6-12 mon
Ease of scalability: 
Simple
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sally Singh 10/05/2017 - 12:18 Archived Login or Register to post comments

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