iPLATO, the developers of myGP®, have made several upgrades to its Remote Consultation module in a bid to help users meet the needs of patients during the current Covid-19 outbreak. Improvements include adding Remote Consultation ‘Enterprise’ capability which allows teams of clinicians to collaborate across multiple GP practices in providing digital care to patients.
Released late last week, the upgrade enables practices to use Remote Consultation to filter and review all appointments, whether booked via the myGP app, by phone, patient walk-in or using another online system. The clinician can review the booked appointments with the aim to triage and assess the patient ahead of time. This means clinicians can ensure that medicine reviews, asthma reviews and other routine appointments are conducted remotely, reducing footfall to the surgery as well as reviewing consultations due to take place with vulnerable or at-risk patients.
From within Remote Consultation on the myGP platform, clinicians can send messages to patients, either to gather further information, such as travel history, or to inform them that their appointment will be conducted remotely, with video consultations being initiated from within the same platform. Further changes to the module also involve including several filters, so that appointments can be viewed by appointment type, booking type, booking method or a free-text search function for keywords such as ‘cough’ or ‘fever’.
In addition to the upgrades to Remote Consultation for GP practices, iPLATO are launching a first version of Remote Consultation ‘Enterprise’ this week. Enterprise will enable an approved clinician to use the platform to triage and initiate a video of message consultation with someone at any practice, a solution designed for PCNs and CCGs to optimise digital health services across their population.
Talking of the developments CEO Tobias Alpsten commented:
‘Using the myGP platform to manage everything from outbound patient engagement, appointment booking through to triage and video consultation primary care can continue to play its key role in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. As our solution is web-based it means that a clinician can use the platform from his or her own device while working from home, triaging appointments and conducting them remotely while possibly being in isolation. Our customers have highlighted the speed and difference that this functionality has made when selecting the most appropriate appointment type for each patient and we are continuing to work with our customers and patients to best understand what further developments we can continue to make to ensure the myGP platform best fits the needs of primary care during this time.’
myGP, accessed via a smartphone app by patients and through a secure web interface by clinicians, is the UK’s largest independent medical app with 1.6 million active users. Currently used in over 6,500 GP practices, myGP was the most downloaded medical app in the UK in 2019.
ENDS