Touch screen health Print E-mail
Written by John White, Healthpoint Technologies Ltd   
The provision of touch screen healthcare information in pharmacies has long been an objective of the community pharmacy strategy in Scotland. In August 2005 David Dalglish, Chief Pharmacist of the Borders Health Board, took the decision to install touch screen systems in two of the local community pharmacies. The pharmacies, in Eyemouth and Jedburgh, are independently owned.

The main criteria were that the system had an extensive topic list as well as providing statistical information on the topics that were accessed by patients, the reasoning being that David needed hard data to advance his case with the Health Board. His vision was to provide this technology to at least 10 pharmacies in the Borders area. This article examines the reasoning behind the decision that David Dalglish and the team in Borders took to invest in this technology, the important aspects of touch screen systems and the results so far.

The borders


The Borders Health Board serves a patient population of about 110,000 and has 25 community pharmacies. The board has an established history of adopting innovative ideas to improve the health service it provides. An obvious example is the pilot scheme the board is running in three of its pharmacies to manage hypertension. The decision to purchase the touch screen healthcare information system was taken during the financial year 2004–05. The first two units were installed on 1 August 2005, then recently a further two pharmacies had the system installed, all funded by the health board.

The investment


David Dalglish previously owned a pharmacy in the Borders area and had practical experience of the earlier versions of touch screen information systems. He realised the potential for delivering up-to-date health information to patients at an economical price. Recalling that encounter, David said: “My immediate thoughts were that the touch screen systems fitted so many requirements of the Scottish Community Pharmacy Strategy. Key among these was the ability to get quality information to patients and a necessary resource that pharmacists could use proactively to improve patient care and health.

“The touch screen system we chose not only provides patients with a free printout, it also reinforces the Work Incentive for Health agenda as well as making a vital contribution to the public health agenda." The former is extremely important as patient recall of any medical consultation is poor and the free printout ensures that the relevant information is there for the patient. “On top of that the system provided excellent signposting information for patients. This is particularly important where, in some of our communities, the pharmacy may be the only medical resource available to patients.”

The new Scottish pharmacy contract came into force on 1 April 2006 and David sees a vital role here for touch screen information systems. “Not only do I see touch screens reinforcing the quality of services such as smoking cessation and emergency hormonal contraception, but also being directly involved in enhancing such elements as the minor ailments scheme, the acute and chronic medication services. As the rollout of touch screen information systems continues across the Borders, the future also holds the prospect of local information incorporated into the system and helping to deliver to patients an excellent information tool.”

Results so far


Statistics obtained from the first six months in the Eyemouth and Jedburgh pharmacies make interesting reading. Both these stores allow patients to access the system and pharmacy staff to use the system proactively to aid them in their health advice roles. Not surprisingly, high blood pressure, colds and asthma feature high up in the number of topics accessed. The colds topic is seasonal and still one of the most popular reasons for patients visiting pharmacies in Scotland. The appearance of both high blood pressure and asthma indicates the importance attached to these two subjects and reflects the resources that are directed at two of the biggest health challenges in Scotland.

On the public health side, smoking sustains a number of hits, again reflecting the drive in Scotland to encourage smokers to give up and the importance of community pharmacies in this strategy. Both pharmacies have amenorrhoea as one of their top subjects and this may give the Borders Health Board the opportunity to reflect on a condition that worries many women.

The statistics also throw some light on particular local health problems. For example, head lice and attention deficit disorder attracted a lot of interest in Eyemouth while in Jedburgh body fat calculation was a particular concern. This again reflects a national public health challenge for Scotland on the scourge of obesity and its subsequent problems, such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

At the time of writing, the results are available only in a basic format and will need to be analysed and tabulated properly to give a unique insight to the primary health challenges facing Borders in two of their communities.

Critical aspects


My background as a community pharmacist has helped formulate in my own mind what are the important aspects of touch screen health information systems. These criteria are not only for the individual pharmacist to consider but also the health board or primary care trust interested in funding this technology:

  • What is the accreditation of the information on the database?
  • Does the system promote the pharmacist’s role?
  • How often is the information updated?
  • Are there any features that will help the pharmacist fulfil the extra services in both pharmacy contracts north and south of the border?
  • What is the technical backup and training offered with the system?
  • How reliable is the hardware?
  • Will you still be trading in three years’ time?

These are all pertinent questions. However the three most important ones for the community pharmacist are the promotion of the pharmacist’s role, the updating of the information on the database and the accreditation aspect. For a health board or primary care trust, features such as statistical information, reliability and the relevance to the services they are trying to provide will be the major considerations.

The role of any touch screen health information system is to back up and extend the advice given by the pharmacist. Indeed, it should be seen to encourage patients to appreciate and understand the pharmacist’s new role. Hence, by definition, the system must include a section on how the pharmacist can help the patient. The second important feature is the updating of the database. The more often a system is updated the more relevant the information. Every three months should be the standard that the provider should achieve.

As a pharmacist you must have faith and confidence in the information provided. It is your reputation on the line. Ask yourself which UK-based organisations have endorsed the product and what process is in place to screen future information.

In conclusion


The first results are extremely encouraging and demonstrate a definite desire in patients for access to this type of health information. It also demonstrates that a community pharmacy is the ideal conduit for this type of information portal. Indeed, the use of a good touch screen health information system will reinforce the statement made by the Chief Pharmacist of Scotland: “We have walk-in health centres in Scotland already – they are called community pharmacies.”

If you are interested in how a touch screen information system can help your health board save money or help your pharmacy business, please contact the NPA.
 
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