‘Health Elevator’ sees HSE Digital Transformation, CarePlus Pharmacy and eight other other leading organisations join forces to empower the public on healthcare
Longford-Westmeath TD and Minister of State, Robert Troy, today took part in the Health Elevator rapid health check, which is being rolled out on a pilot basis by the HSE and CarePlus Pharmacy. The free programme uses a combination of health checks, expert advice and digital technology to help people understand, maintain and improve their health. This phase will involve a total of 500 participants across 5 CarePlus Pharmacy outlets nationwide.
The Health Elevator marks the latest step in the HSE’s Digital Health Transformation Strategy, entitled ‘Stay Left, Shift Left’-10X, which focuses on moving health and care closer to home, where patients are empowered to improve their self-care and be healthier. It aims to transition from reactive care pathways, by utilising remote monitoring and real time information, to a proactive approach with ongoing management and preventative health screening.
Participants in the Health Elevator programme will first be asked to fill out a questionnaire which examines their own health and wellbeing and some of their family’s medical history. Next, they schedule an appointment at their selected CarePlus Pharmacy, where a trained healthcare professional will run through checks relating to:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Blood tests, including cholesterol, Hb1Ac
- Blood pressure
- BMI (Body Mass Index)
- Lung function
- Waist circumference
Each appointment will take ten to fifteen minutes. Immediate test readings are recorded in the Full Health Medical system, while blood samples are sent for testing to Eurofins laboratories. The results of these checks and the initial questionnaire are combined and reviewed by an algorithmic assisted system and medical professional who will issue a detailed report with recommended follow-up actions. The information is then released to the Personal Electronic Health Record, supplied by Patients Know Best, where each participant will be able to view their results the following day. It is envisaged that an individual personal electronic health record could form the basis of a future national digital health platform and a key tool to allow individuals better manage their own health.
As part of the programme, each of the 500 pilot scheme participants is being provided with a Fitbit device and digital app to monitor their health and wellbeing in the long run.
Taking part in the pilot programme, Minister Troy underwent the series of checks at Woods CarePlus Pharmacy in Mullingar today and said: “I am very supportive of the use of digital technologies and innovations to help improve and benefit society. Measures that improve patient outcomes and enhance their healthcare experience are to be welcomed and I look forward to seeing my results over the coming weeks.”
Director of Digital Transformation at the HSE, Professor Martin Curley, says today is an important step in the implementation of the National Digital Health Transformation Strategy: “A key principle of ‘Stay Left, Shift Left-10X’ is to help Ireland to be a digital health leader in Europe by 2025. As part of that, we’re driving the evolution of digital interventions which deliver 10 times the benefit – for example processes that are 10 times faster, 10 times cheaper, lead to a 10X reduction in inpatient admissions and so on. The Health Elevator – Rapid Health Check programme/Living Lab is a fantastic example of the kind of radical innovation we want to help us achieve those aims and I’m delighted we’re working with CarePlus Pharmacy and others to make that a reality”. Today is a brilliant example of architectural innovation and an accountable care ecosystem at work’
John Carroll is a pharmacist and Chief Executive Officer at Navi Group, CarePlus Pharmacy’s parent company. He says the Health Elevator aligns perfectly with the company’s approach: “We believe the community pharmacist is an integral part of everyone’s healthcare team. Their expert knowledge and the valuable relationship of trust they have with their customers means they’re ideally placed to help manage health on an ongoing basis. We see a real opportunity for pharmacies to step up and play a significant role in preventative healthcare in Ireland and we’re proud to play our part in that patient care pathway.”
Dr Ann Shortt, Chief Medical Officer of Full Health Medical said “proactively identifying chronic disease risk factors early and addressing them, quickly, can transform health and significantly reduce lifetime costs and burden associated with chronic disease”.
Pharmacist John O’Shaughnessy from Woods CarePlus Pharmacy in Mullingar says the system prioritises some of the most common health concerns among his customers: “Everyone can face the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and anxiety or stress. The good news is that these concerns can often be prevented – and this is an aspect of care that CarePlus Pharmacy has always aimed for- helping people manage their own health better, with the support of their community pharmacy team”.
Partners in Health Elevator Living Lab include Careplus Pharmacy, HSE Digital Transformation, Full Health Medical, FitBit, Google, Patients Know Best, Amazon Web Services, Eurofins, Roche and Trikmedika.
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