Video consultations - public and clinician views: consultation report

Appendix 6 Suggestions for improvements (other than related to IT and equipment

Community

Theme: Awareness

Suggestions: How will patients know when video consultation is an option?

Sense Scotland

Theme: Awareness

Suggestions: How does someone find out if there GP offers this service?

NCO

Theme: Awareness of Service

Suggestions: Aware that a small number of carer support service uses the 'Near Me' platform and keen to identify how this potential can be further utilised to support positive outcomes for carers.

NHS clinician

Theme: Education/Health

Suggestions: Near Me and how to meet with parents and schools together more easily perhaps by having a link to send out like Microsoft Teams have.

NHS Grampian

Theme: Feedback/Awareness

Suggestions: Allow feedback from patients who use Near me after their appointment.

Hospices

Theme: Financial

Suggestions: Grants to support families without good IT access to access it, to make this a fair and equitable choice for people.

NCO

Theme: Governance - National

Suggestions: Service users / carers should be part of any governance arrangements.

RCPE Lay advisers

Theme: Infrastructure - local clinic / hub

Suggestions: Provide appropriate infrastructure and support services which might be located at designated NHS clinics or via chat or similar online feature.

Chaplain

Theme: Infrastructure - local setting

Suggestions: Develop Near me as part of Health and social care hubs.

NHS clinician

Theme: Infrastructure - local setting

Suggestions: Community hospital near me hubs, as undertaken in Highland, could be a solution for patients who do not have / cannot cope with the technology.

Waverley

Theme: Infrastructure - local setting

Suggestions: Access services from relaxed and quiet environment from comfort of own home or another location people feel more comfortable with.

Waverley

Theme: Infrastructure - local setting

Suggestions: Have local places where people access smartphone or laptop or access to internet.

Waverley

Theme: Infrastructure - local setting

Suggestions: Local safe places where people could access Near me, when not an option to do this at home.

Advocacy

Theme: Integration of services

Suggestions: Near Me should be provided as part of HSCP.

Genetic Alliance

Theme: Integration of services

Suggestions: Integrate telemedicine into routine care practice with the necessary clinical assurance and data protection safeguards.

RCPE Lay

Theme: Integration of services

Suggestions: How might Near Me might be integrated with NHS 24?

Realistic Medicine

Theme: Patient education

Suggestions: While people are waiting in the virtual waiting area for an appointment education about having a good consultation.

Yellow Card

Theme: Patient education

Suggestions: Use the virtual 'waiting room' as a platform for promoting the Yellow Card Scheme.

Community

Theme: Patient Information

Suggestions: Information offered at face to face appointments could be emailed.c1

NCO

Theme: Patient Information/ accessibility

Suggestions: Information/publicity materials must be accessible in terms of content and format, widely promoted and distributed using a range of channels which reflects the different ways in which people access information.

NCO

Theme: Patient Information/ accessibility

Suggestions: Prepare Easy read information to provide a good starting point to ensure accessibility of translated materials.

NCO

Theme: Patient Information/ accessibility

Suggestions: Translated materials should be quality proofed.

NHS Grampian

Theme: Patient Information/ accessibility

Suggestions: Instructions on how to use Near me in their own language.

NHS clinician

Theme: Scottish Government / NHS boards

Suggestions: Scottish government advising NHS boards to add provision of videoconferencing-based services to all job descriptions - so that it is there from the outset and non-negotiable.

Hospices

Theme: Service planning/integration

Suggestions: Incorporate successful changes into recovery plans and future service model e.g. incorporate virtual hospice services into every role and relaunch as an integrated part of the service.

RCPE Lay

Theme: Support

Suggestions: Without appropriate support there is a risk that video consultations will exacerbate inequalities

Waverley

Theme: Support and guidance

Suggestions: To be able to access support if they have never use video before.

Hospices

Theme: Training

Suggestions: Support staff and volunteers around remote working (various ideas provided)

Marie Curie

Theme: Training

Suggestions: Practising by hosting a short staff meeting each week and bringing people into the 'waiting room'.

NCO

Theme: Training

Suggestions: Receive hands-on training on how to navigate the 'Near Me' system so that it does not feel overwhelming the first time it is used. This may be something that could be delivered by local carer centres.

NHS clinician

Theme: Training

Suggestions: Training course for clinicians that enables them to develop confidence (and that clearly shows the evidence base is already in place).

NHS Grampian

Theme: Training

Suggestions: Further training for staff on how to use Near Me with interpreters.

NCO

Theme: Training /leadership

Suggestions: To be confident in using the 'Near Me' system and to have a positive attitude about the benefits of it. If health professionals are not keen on using the 'Near Me' platform, it can lead to a poorer experience for the patient/carer.

Hospices

Theme: Training/support

Suggestions: Continued support for patients to use video consultations and online resources with confidence.