Health chiefs reveal plans to use technology to ‘transform’ support for patients with neurological disorders.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is developing a new app and website to help people suffering from conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and migraines.
The aim is to create a digital ‘one-stop-shop’ where local patients can access guidance at the touch of a button, helping them live in the community.
The service includes advice on managing symptoms, coping with common problems such as sleep and memory, links to support groups and charities, and much more.
It also provides referral guidelines to help local GPs identify the most appropriate pathway for patients, reducing the need for people to attend hospital appointments when care is available in the community.
Eilidh Gallagher, clinical services manager at NHSGGC, welcomes plans for a new app that will take about a year to develop.
she said: The internet is full of information, but finding reliable sources is very difficult.
“When patients first come to us, we do our best to provide them with the knowledge they may need, but in the early stages of agreeing to a neurological diagnosis, Patients simply forget what they were told or lose the documents they were given.
“These new apps and websites will change everything. When the resource goes live, it will include links to advice, information and services that patients, their caregivers and loved ones can trust and access 24 hours a day, anywhere. ”
Gallagher also emphasized the benefits referral guidelines bring to general practitioners who want to provide appropriate care to their patients.
“Because of the variety of neurological conditions offered by NHSGGC or partner organizations and charities, and the sheer number of care and support services available, it is a real challenge for GPs to identify the most appropriate pathway for their patients. You may feel that it is a challenge.
“This may allow GPs to refer patients to hospitals when other routes are more appropriate.
“By providing clear referral guidelines to GPs, the new app and website could help address this problem and potentially reduce unnecessary referrals to hospitals, which may require hospital visits. A patient can get the care they need more quickly.
“It will truly be a one-stop-shop for patients and everyone involved in their care.”
