The Doctor Can See You Now

The ability to extend your reach to patients who are unable, or do not need, to visit a hospital, clinic, or doctor should be worth considering by all UK health services to provide a flexible and quality service. This approach would eliminate distance barriers for patients who currently have no alternative but to undertake difficult journeys to access healthcare. These days it is quite rare to have a local hospital with a 24/7 service within remote and rural areas.

Telemedicine itself is not a new idea, however we are seeing an increased interest in, and deployment of, various forms of the concept by NHS trusts and police forces who are eager to investigate new ways of reaching out to their communities.

Take a look at this short video from South West London and St Georges Mental Health Trust who have adopted Skype for Business as their platform to engage directly with patients. Especially those with hearing difficulties.

[embed]https://youtu.be/cBi30jFERB0[/embed]

Technology doesn't have to be complicated to provide an extension to your overall service and if this was of interest please get in touch with your Microsoft representative to understand how this can be achieved within your facilities.

Also, an interesting article around what Brighton NHS is doing for stroke parents and Skype for Business can be found here.