PKB is currently being utilised by sexual health teams in numerous regions throughout the UK. These teams have identified the following workflows as highly effective.
Sexual health clinic
When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, the team had to cease all walk-in appointments as quickly as possible. Still wanting to deliver the services to their patients and needing to replace all their face-to-face appointments with a virtual alternative, they came up with a new way to use PKB, which has worked so well for both patients and the team hasn't returned to their old way.
Delivering care through PKB using the secure messaging functionality gives patients and the team the ability to deliver care virtually through their personal health records.
Patients send secure messages to professionals, including images
Images do not have to be stored on local system to be shared with the clinical team
Removed apprehension about sharing images on a digital platform
Explanations given by professionals on how to send messages within PKB
Care delivered through PKB
No face-to-face appointments needed
Here, you can find comprehensive instructions on how to send a photo through PKB secure messaging in the PKB manual.
Workflow
When a patient contacts the team through PKB, the professional replies to the patient with:
Standard instructions on how to send an image
Pre-meeting questionnaire for triage
Patient has a Sexual Health ID (not NHS)
Data added under sexual health privacy label in PKB
No face-to-face appointment needed
When a sexual health team use secure messaging with patients, its important to check the privacy labels are set as Sexual health to reflect sexual health systems.
Additional benefits to the patients
More convenience for patients who no longer have to take time off work or arrange childcare
No travel costs for patients
60% of patients in the satisfaction survey stated that they are happy to send photos securely via PKB
The ability to share their sexual health data discreetly and securely with the clinicians and healthcare professionals they choose
With patient and staff satisfaction high, the team will continue to build on their use of the platform to support patients to access sexual health services without stigma.
Key PKB features
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.
Teams using the questionnaire tool can ensure the outcome of clinical reviews is recorded and the patient has a copy. Teams can also identify patients suitable for virtual appointments or pre-operative assessment questionnaires.
PKB's advanced questionnaire functionality
The features include:
Scoring and calculations
Branching, allowing patients to complete the parts of the questionnaire that are relevant to them
Coded fields questionnaires can be mapped to clinical codes
Patients can save drafts
Send questionnaires to patients who aren’t registered or already in your team
Questionnaire templates
Pre clinic questionnaires
Post-operative questionnaires
Assessment for adult care in the day surgery unit
Messaging
Patients have access to message their healthcare team (saving time on the phone)
The Admin team can triage messages. Either resolving or passing onto another speciality team
Universal Messaging is the ability for patients to message clinical and non-clinical teams
Team-based messaging allows teams to automatically receive secure messages and questionnaires/consultations as a group rather than as individuals
Patient initiated messaging
Ability to share vidoes, files and images securely
Library
Disease and condition information with advice and resources
Treatment plans, for example, a rehab program with videos and advice a patient needs to watch and read each week
Details and links to National and local support groups and website
Professional alliance information
Care plans
PKB have a care plan toolkit with examples of care plan templates used by teams. There is a process for teams to amend care plans or create new ones here. A selection of peri-operative care plans is below.
Personalised care plan templates
Disease care plan with individualised templates with escalation plans
Sexual health care plan example can be found here
Add and view data
Patients can view hospitals and GP data where an integration with PKB has been set up
Data can include sharing blood tests, x-ray reports, clinic and appointment letters, appointments and discharge summaries
Patients can add information themselves, including operations and conditions
Patients can track key measurements and add any symptoms related to their orthopaedic condition
Comms
Provide clear information for patients on how to use PKB pre- and post-surgery and what support the teams provide digitally.
Comms to staff on the new clinical and patient digital pathways
Further information
Sexual health care plan templates: informed consent care plan and workflow diagram
Sexual health minor procedures: how PKB can be used in day clinics
Contraceptive pill checklist: workflow and care plan template example
Improving access to health service: a case study from a sexual health clinic using PKB