The way outpatient services are being delivered in Wales is undergoing a period of transformation to ensure that it delivers the care for patients in a prudent and value-based way for a sustainable health-care model for the future.
COVID has led to a significant backlog in review of referrals in secondary care and as capacity is not going to match demand, innovative ways of managing patients differently to reduce unnecessary referrals are eagerly sought.
COVID has also provided a trigger for a more rapid adoption of the change process leading to the use of more digital solutions such as virtual working and contacts with patients made electronically. There is the need to ensure the correct patients access secondary care services with an emphasis to support more activity in the primary care and community setting, as well as a more self-directed model of care.
To support this transition to more primary and community care as well as digitally supported models of care SBRI are seeking innovations to support three key areas:
- Theme 1: Management of conditions that require multiple tests for either a decision to refer/treat or as part of a disease surveillance pathway.
- Theme 2: Patient-clinician digital communication.
- Theme 3: Review of images/samples.
For more information on this competition, visit: https://sdi.click/outpatients, the closing date for entries is 14 May 2021.