Why
When patients first register and log into PKB, they should have a wealth of information, features, and data in their records to help them engage with their health and their Personal Health Records (PHR).
What
The library feature in PKB allows trusts and teams within the trust to give patients a digital copy of any advice, support, and information in one place, accessible at any time. This is much better than handing out leaflets or other information on paper as they leave the consultation or appointment.
The central library provides patients with a range of supportive information and high-quality, approved website links to help them better understand and manage their healthcare. The library can be organised into folders to make it easy to find what you're looking for, such as the trust intranet, hospital information, and condition information.
How
The central library is added to the trusts Patient Record Team (PRT), this is where all patient records are created and the first team to go live in the organisation roll out of PKB. Making it the central/universal library for the trust. The PRT coordinators are responsible for adding and updating the wealth of knowledge and information in the PRT library.
Most used feature
The library is an easy initial PKB feature for the trust to use with all of the patients who register. There can be trust updates, comms and feature information for patients to read.
Central Library
Maps of the hospital
Generic appointment information
Hospital information and updates
Newsletters
NHS leaflet website
General patient leaflets
Speciality team library
Links to National and local websites
Support group information
Profiles of the speciality team
Specific condition information
Patient leaflets
How to create library content
Once the trust has decided what links, information and resources they want in their library, the coordinator in the PRT team can add the content to their PKB live site. They can do that by following these basic steps.
When speciality teams start using PKB, the coordinator in each team can add and manage the library.
Speciality team library
Below are some examples of how speciality teams are using the PKB library feature with their patients. This is alongside the central library in the PRT.
Oncology
The PRT library has a folder with information about cancer treatments and diagnosis which supports patient on the 2 week wait whilst waiting on a consultation appointment.
Maternity
Maternity teams are creating folders in their library named first, second and third trimesters. Patients come in for their 8-week booking appointment with the midwife and all the leaflets/information given to them face to face instead are added to the PKB library.
There are also folders for Postnatal and post-birth contraception. This allows expectant mums to read the information any time, anywhere.
Renal
Renal-specific teams are using the library in a similar way by having folders with relevant information, advanced kidney care, and chronic kidney disease.
The Kidney Dietetics Service at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust supports acute renal patients - Read their case study here.
The service identified a range of resources to support patients at all stages of their care. These resources were added to the ‘Library’ feature so patients could access this information anytime. To begin with, the service added:
Recipe books
YouTube tutorials
Patient leaflets
Links to charities
Links to local health App libraries.
Peri-operative
Folders for preoperative health advice, pre-operative information, post-operative, and rehabilitation folders
Epilepsy
The team in Bedfordshire hospital are using the Library feature to provide an extensive library of information for patients and carers, ensuring the most relevant information is available and all in one place.
Another use of the library in epilepsy is:
A Paediatric Epilepsy team have created a 'Watch and Wait' team which is for children that have had a first seizure but not yet diagnosed as epileptic (and may never be) in which they provide information in the library for first aid, information about seizures etc.
Hywel Dda University Health Board
The Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Service has been actively using PKB since the beginning of 2019, Bringing care and support to ILD patients. The main objective of the team was to that ensure that:
Patients have access to information in a timely manner,
Clinical time spent with patients is effective,
Improved communication between clinicians: the team is comprised of a Clinical Nurse Specialist and a Pharmacist who can communicate with each other via PKB and can be present in message threads from patients.
Patient expectations are managed effectively,
The service uses a range of functionality within PKB to help them communicate with their patients, including:
secure messaging,
care plans,
library resources,
appointment details/ letters
changes in medications.
Digital Notts
Using the library for their 1.2 million patients to have access to key information.
Library stats
PKB can provide stats for the number of patients accessing the library page from our stats reports. Trusts can set the 'Datatype display' filter to the library and choose the date range that you are interested in from the 'Select data range' filter.
