In an article for the Reform Scotland think tank, Brian Whittle, who worked in the healthcare technology sector before becoming an MSP, argues that better use of technology could have real benefits for medics and patients alike.
The last few weeks have seen dramatic changes in the way the public access NHS services. Most face-to-face appointments with GPs have been replaced by with phone and video calls and the public are being encouraged to make greater use of the NHS Inform website and NHS24 phone service.
Brian believes one of the biggest opportunities for greater use of technology is in managing patient data. He argues that better systems would have allowed patients to be notified faster if they had to shield themselves at home during the coronavirus outbreak. There has been criticism of how long it took the Scottish Government to produce and distribute letters to patients, with examples across Scotland of people receiving the letters in error, or not receiving one when they should have.
Brian also pointed to the weaknesses in current NHS systems, with different hospitals and health boards using computer programmes that can’t share data with each other and trolleys full of paper patient files still a common sight in hospital corridors.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“There are a whole range of technologies out there that can make our health service work more efficiently and deliver a wide range of care more effectively. We’ve seen some of them used to great effect during the coronavirus outbreak.
If you’d asked most GPs 6 months ago if they thought it was possible to hold the majority of their patient appointments by phone or video call, they’d have probably all said no. While I’m sure that when this outbreak is over many patients will return to the doctor’s surgery, we shouldn’t just go back to how things were.
The technology exists today to make real strides in how the NHS manages data and delivers care to patients.
We’ve seen the absolute best of the NHS in how it’s dealt with the pandemic, but we’ve also learnt where there is room for improvement. Technology can help us better coordinate the NHS across the country, make it easier for medics to communicate and access patient information, and give patients healthcare worthy of the 21st Century.”
Brian’s full blog for Reform Scotland can be found at - https://reformscotland.com/2020/05/why-we-need-to-deploy-healthcare-technology-brian-whittle-msp/
