People living with life-limiting conditions in Cardiff will be given digital wristbands as part of an initiative to enhance care pathways.
The supportive care team at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has begun the rollout of the Wristband Initiative, a transformative piece of work helping people with life-limiting conditions manage their care more effectively.
Currently, 89% of people with an end-of-life condition will use unscheduled care via the Welsh Ambulance Service and 38% of these will go on to be admitted to hospital.
And, despite 80% of people preferring to pass away in the comfort of their own home, 46% will actually die in hospital.
The Wristband Initiative aims to help empower patients to live their lives as confidently as possible knowing decisions about their care will be communicated in the event they become unwell.
The initiative involves suitable patients wearing a wristband from OneLife iD with a QR code as a means of sharing important medical information among different healthcare professionals when they need it.
The wristband is worn like a watch, with the QR code taking people to a personalised webpage with the patient information uploaded and kept updated by their healthcare team.
Information is only shared with the patient’s permission, with details including medical illnesses, treatment and medication information, allergies, emergency contacts, and treatment preferences.
“Hospital care is often the default for deteriorating patients, and the information provided instantly with the wristband can help healthcare colleagues respect their wishes and provide the most-appropriate care,” said a spokesman for the health board.
“The wristbands have been piloted with an initial 10 patients needing supportive care for heart failure, adult congenital heart disease, and interstitial lung disease.
“Following its success, another 200 wristbands have now been delivered for an additional rollout.”
Preliminary feedback so far has revealed that patients feel more confident to make the most of their remaining time knowing they will be well cared for and their wishes respected.
Respecting patients’ wishes is critical to the project’s success. In its first 10 patients it has already led to reduced hospital admissions, better contact with a patient’s care delivery team, and ensured one patient was in their preferred place when their condition deteriorate and they needed end of life care.
Clea Atkinson, a consultant in palliative medicine, said: “The Wristband Initiative gives patients the comfort of knowing that, wherever they are, the healthcare professionals looking after them will have instant access to the information that matters most.
“It empowers people to stay at home and feel more confident.”
This initiative has been funded by The Macmillan End-of-Life Care Social Investment Fund, which will see Macmillan Cancer Support invest £36m into end-of-life services across the UK with no financial return.
The Macmillan team provides programme, clinical, financial and data analytics expertise at no cost to the partners.
Macmillan provides upfront funding for services and it is repayable if mutually agreed outcomes are met, thereby absorbing the risk.