30th March 2020

Automated Coronavirus symptom checker to go live

Inhealthcare has developed an automated symptom checker for the daily screening of thousands of people for signs of coronavirus before their routine outpatient appointments. 

The system goes live this week. City Health Care Partnership (CHCP) receives around 1,000 patients every weekday at its clinics and typically arranges another 1,000 nurse visits in community settings.

The onset of coronavirus means these patients must be screened before they have any contact with healthcare professionals. CHCP does not have the capacity to do this manually so turned to Inhealthcare to develop a digital alternative.

The company’s remote monitoring technology connects with the individual patient on the morning of the appointment via automated telephone calls and text messages and relays a request to complete a symptom questionnaire.

The patient’s response to the questionnaire is analysed and any warning signs are flagged up for CHCP, allowing healthcare professionals to prepare accordingly or provide the patient with guidance.

Patient records are updated automatically through Inhealthcare’s integration with all major NHS systems. If any patients don’t respond to the request, they are sent reminders and alerts are raised for any patient not responding.

Community nursing teams will soon have access to the patient responses through the Inhealthcare professional smartphone application, providing them with the latest information out in the field and enhancing the information already available through the clinical record.

Bryn Sage, chief executive of Inhealthcare, said: “As a digital health company, we will do everything we can to protect our brave NHS staff as they carry on with their vital jobs of providing care to people in the community.

“We have been inspired by the collective efforts by everyone involved in setting up this new NHS service so quickly during a time of crisis.

“It is a simple and scalable solution to a difficult challenge faced by CHCP in common with all healthcare providers and will ease pressure on the NHS at a time when every single resource is needed in the battle against coronavirus.

“We are ready and willing to share our learning with other NHS providers as they look to launch similar services.”