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What
The Waiting Well initiative provides specific assistance to patients awaiting treatment or surgery. Hospitals can utilise PKB's care plans and library features to aid patients in self-management during the period leading up to their initial assessments or consultations. By sharing relevant information, patients can be supported in waiting well and stay informed about their position on the waiting list.
Why
There is much evidence to show that when people take simple steps before their surgery or treatment to improve or maintain their fitness, have a healthy diet and have good mental health, it aids their recovery. It also reduces the risk of their surgery or treatment being cancelled on the day because of them not being well or fit enough to have the operation.
How
Organisations can effectively initiate contact with all referred patients through eMeet and Greet, offering waiting well resources and maintaining communication from the very beginning. All these resources are conveniently accessible through the NHS App/Login.
Teams and organisations can simply and efficiently create a library of content for the patients in the waiting well team, providing generic information on healthy eating, weight management before and after surgery, and fitness and mental health support.
Current problems
Long waiting list
Unknown deterioration resulting in emergency admissions
Patients feeling lost and ringing for updates
Patients not fit for surgery
No education or support for patients
Paper and phone-based approach not fit for purpose
PKB benefits
Multi-channel welcome notification: immediate notification via the NHS App when a referral is received
Early onboarding: SMS prompts for unregistered patients to sign up for PKB with NHS login
Automated specialty team referral: direct connection to relevant teams and condition-specific information
Patient triage: questionnaires to optimise waiting list management based on patient preferences
PKB solution
Early health screening, assessments via questionnaires to triage screen and inform pre-assessment appointments
Shared Decision Support Tools care plans, NHSE validated
Condition specific aids, prepare patients for their appointments, inform decision making and support a robust consent process
Waiting Well resources, specialty-specific educational materials are available using PKB’s Library function
Key features
There are key PKB features all services can use to deliver health promotion and education to patients while they wait for their operation/treatment or outpatient appointments. A list of them is below.
Questionnaires
Patients can initiate a questionnaire by clicking Start Questionnaire on their homepage or directly within the NHS App. Once completed, the questionnaire can be sent to a professional or team.
Send questionnaires to assess a patient’s health situation or preferences. For example, this can be used to understand suitability for a pre-operative surgical hub and provide data to inform or reduce time for pre-assessment appointments
Questionnaire templates
Early health screening
Per operative questionnaire
Library
Disease and condition-specific education resources are available within PKB’s Library function to support all patients who are waiting well. Offer Prehab care plans with week by week guidance to ensure patients are ready for surgery
Waiting Well information
Prehab advice
Resources and websites
Care plans
PKB care plans can be used at every stage of a patient's condition journey; below are some of the care plan templates being used and templates that can be created.
Living Well for Longer
Monitoring condition plan (example cardiology monitoring care plan)
Rehab, physical activity and musculoskeletal health
Shared Decision Support Tools care plans, PKB has converted nationally validated NHSE Shared Decision Aids into PKB care plans. Use these condition specific aids to prepare patients for their appointments, inform decision making and ensure a robust consent process
Appointments
Appointment letters and appointments sent to PKB via integration
Manually entered appointments
PKB eMeet and Greet with Waiting Well Workflow
Further Information
PKB's enhance eMeet and Greet: a list of key features hospitals can use with all patients on any pathway
Hybrid mail and PKB: solution to reduce postage costs and increase access
Consent Care Plan Templates: informed consent care plan examples
Elective Recovery: how PKB can digitally support teams and patients at every stage of the pathway