August 2017

Project name: Emergency department asthma patient referral management program

Project Period: August 2017 - December 2019

Joint Working Project Summary: 

Background

Independent to this joint working project, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust developed an electronic patient identification system which aims to assist with the identification of patients attending the emergency department with poorly controlled asthma who should be referred to the specialist respiratory department.

Key Priorities and Aims

1. Improve the care of patients with asthma who present to emergency department with an asthma exacerbation, to ensure they are followed-up appropriately within specialist asthma care, in line with the BTS/SIGN and NRAD guidelines
2. Determine if the use of an electronic patient identification system can help to improve post-ED attendance patient review and identify patients with poorly controlled asthma in line with BTS/SIGN guidelines
3. To utilise audit data to evaluate if specialist review is appropriate for patients identified post-implementation of the electronic patient identification system
4. Publication of the audit results to share best practice on  a process to achieve better patient follow-up and management in line with BTS/SIGN guidelines

Project Approach

The project group will:

• Produce a baseline report on the number of asthma patients who have attended the emergency department in the 6 month beginning on the date 12 months prior to the Actual Commencement Date and the follow up review provided as per BTS/SIGN guidelines
• Daily virtual triage to identify patients requiring specialist review with help of codes from electronic patient identification system
• Produce a report following the introduction of the electronic patient identification system and virtual triage  on number of asthma patients with emergency department visit and specialist follow up

Expected Outcomes for this Project: 

Patients

• Improved care for patients who present to emergency department with an asthma exacerbation, to increase likelihood that such patients are followed-up appropriately within specialty care, and in-line with BTS/SIGN and NRAD guidelines.
• Optimal patient management

Trust

• Post electronic system assessment output: Determine whether the use of electronic patient identification and triage leads to patients being followed-up by specialist centres (tertiary care) in line with BTS/SIGN guidelines
• Assess change, if any, in the 28, 60, 90- day and 6-month re-admission rate to emergency department

Novartis

• Improvement in asthma pathways such that patients with severe uncontrolled asthma are identified and directed to appropriate specialist care, some of whom could be eligible for a Novartis treatment

Start Date and Duration: August 2017, 36 Months