Irish journal of medical science
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The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) continues to have implications for how healthcare information is managed and shared. This presents challenges as telemedicine plays a more central role in service healthcare service provision, particularly since the beginning of 2020. We aim to measure how improved communication through a GDPR-compliant messaging app can influence time-dependent key performance indicators for hip fracture management in a tertiary-referral trauma hospital. ⋯ Irish Hip Fracture Database Standards present a challenge to orthopaedic departments competing with other hospital specialties for access to beds and theatre space. The introduction of a GDPR-compliant social media messaging service has contributed to significantly reducing the time to surgery for these patients. Streamlining communication through messaging services has and continues to be vital to improving care for hip fracture patients, both in the healthcare environment and beyond.
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General practice has a key role in diagnosing patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) and referring them to appropriate services. ⋯ Irish GPs displayed good understanding of contemporary VHD treatment options but reported low confidence and inconsistent practices in evaluating patients for VHD. Improved access to echocardiography might help address these deficiencies, but reorganisation of services will be required in a resource-limited public health service.
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Appendicitis is the most common abdominal emergency in England accounting for 40,000 admissions per year. The Good Surgical Practice guideline by Royal College of Surgeons England (RCSEng) defines criteria detailing what constitutes a safe and comprehensive operation note. High-quality operation notes enable continuity of care and safe post-operative management. ⋯ The implementation of an operation note proforma has the ability to significantly improve operation note quality. This simple and effective intervention to improve operation note quality has the potential to improve post-operative safety and continuity of care post laparoscopic appendicectomy.
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Chronic respiratory diseases are responsible for significant patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare use. Community virtual ward (CVW) models of care have been successfully implemented to manage patients with complex medical conditions. ⋯ A CVW model facilitates the delivery of combined specialist and generalist care to patients with chronic respiratory disease in the community and improves symptoms and health status. The principles of the model are transferable to other conditions to improve overall health and reduce emergency hospital care.
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Informed consent is an integral part of the process prior to any surgical procedure [1]. Flexible cystoscopy is a common day case urological procedure and it is the gold standard investigation for visible haematuria [2]. ⋯ Postal consent is commonly used for gastro-intestinal endoscopy procedures. Postal consent for flexible cystoscopy is not well reported in the literature. Our study shows postal consent to be a suitable form of gaining informed consent for flexible cystoscopy.