Hammersmith and Fulham PCT use SMS to help smokers quit

Wednesday 14th October 2009

GP practices in NHS Hammersmith and Fulham have used text messaging to collect information on patients’ smoking status and invite patients for smoking cessation advice.

The primary care trust used iPlato’s Patient Care messaging system to send text messages to 6,085 patients from 22 surgeries requesting a patient’s smoking status.

Of those patients, 45% responded to the request with a valid status with one practice receiving valid responses from 57% of patients sent the message. Replies came back as an email to the GP surgery.

The PCT found that 80% of respondents replied with three hours of receiving the message and 95% within 24 hours.

Find out more about using SMS to quit smoking

Carolyn Churchi

Published on 2 Oct 2009

Patient with telehealth webcam

Patients across Scotland will be able to see a consultant over a webcam and have their symptoms assessed ­electronically as part of a move to roll out the use of new technology in the

health service.

People in rural areas of Aberdeenshire and in Orkney are already using the technology at their GP surgery or community hospital to seek advice from doctors at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Now the Scottish Centre for Telehealth will be integrated into NHS 24 to expand the use of technology in patient care across the country, and to allow experts to treat patients’ conditions from afar.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “New technology offers some incredibly exciting possibilities for ­giving people better access to healthcare in the 21st century.

“The Scottish Centre for Telehealth has already been helping individual NHS boards devise ways of using technology to reach out to patients in our more ­isolated areas, and those with ­

mobility issues.

“But by integrating it within NHS 24, we can ensure that use of telehealth is spread right across Scotland and benefits patients in all our communities.”

Read more about article on Scottish Cantre for Telehealth