TECHNOLOGY
NUTRITION SOFTWARE FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS In an age where everything seems to be run by technology and as a profession which sometimes is seen as being left in the dark ages, perhaps it’s time we should be embracing new software, apps and online consultations. There is some interesting software out there, useful to dietitians and nutrition professionals, all of which is worth taking a look. Here, I’ve compiled some software that I and other nutrition professionals find useful in different situations. PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
With the advent of GDPR, all client notes and emails need to be kept secure. There are a few options. If you don’t see a lot of patients then you probably don’t want to pay monthly for a software system. However, these platforms can be useful for storing all patient data, emails and appointment times securely. Whilst you can use something like Dropbox or G Suite for business, these can be cumbersome and do not allow for booking appointments or taking payments. Systems such HealthKit, Nutrium, Healthie and Oviva are well worth trialling. I like having templates for consultations already designed for me and being able to log in and find all information for all my patients in one place without opening a dozen files. HealthKit is free and allows you to give the patient a login to view data, or you can email them through the software. There are templates for letters and the ability to use video call software too; you can also book appointments and take payment. I use this system myself but have not tried out the video software part.
Priya Tew Freelance Dietitian
Nutrium is fairly new to the market and appears to be ever expanding its functionality, but there is a monthly payment starting at £24/month. This includes the ability to make meal plans, analyse food diaries and has a mobile app for the client to use. Healthie is another with a mobile app, billing, calendar and file storage for about the same price for the first five patients. Having an online diary system that you can view on the go and that patients can also view and book themselves into, can be a real timesaver. Gone are the back and forth emails, so, personally, I find using these systems saves me time and lowers my stress levels! Acuity is a good one for automatically taking bookings, payments, syncing with your other diaries to make sure there are no clashes. There are form integrations so you can gather information prior to meeting a patient and carry out initial screening. Other alternatives include vCita, SimplyBook.me and Timely. It is worth checking any system that will integrate into your website. More of us are moving towards working with some patients on a remote basis, via video calls. Again, it is important to make sure that any software you use is secure. Zoom allows you to set up a meeting with an ID code so that only the person with the code can log in. Other options are Skype for Business and Go to Meeting.
Priya runs Dietitian UK. She works with private clients and has a wide ranging portfolio of projects including the food industry, the media and writing articles.
www.NHDmag.com June/July 2019 - Issue 145
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Forestfield Software
email: sales@forestfield.co.uk
TECHNOLOGY
It is always a good idea to road test an app first before recommending it to patients.
DIETARY ANALYSIS SOFTWARE
The most popular of these is Nutritics, possibly due to it being web-based and easy to use. I particularly like the traffic light system built in for recipe analysis and the reports, however, you are limited to the number of recipes you can analyse. Other software available includes Dietplan 7 from Forestfield Software and Nutrium. With all of these software options, you can have a free trial first, so that you can try all of them out and decide which works best for your practice. Whilst there are other free options available, such as My Fitness Pal, these may not have the range of foods needed and often rely on other people adding in foods (which may not be accurate).
see the benefit! Other people have recommended Trello, Asana and Basecamp. This software can help you plan out your workload and time, work towards the launch of a project and work collaboratively with others. When it comes to finances, the good old Excel spreadsheet will suffice for many nutrition practices and I certainly used this system for many years. Having moved over to using financial software, however, the benefits are many: everything is saved in one place; you can send invoices; keep a track of your overall money in/out for the month and year; chase unpaid invoices; add in expenses and assign everything to categories as you go, so
BUSINESS
When working on other projects away from seeing patients, it can still be important to have a system that is secure for emails, storing documents and to access on the go from multiple devices. You have to pay, but G-Suite is a good one for coordinating all your day-to-day activities and work. Dropbox Business or iCloud can be used to store your files securely with password protection and keep them accessible when on the move, or working from multiple locations. Mailchimp, Constant Contact and AWeber are email marketing software packages that you can use for newsletters, landing pages and email campaigns. Mailchimp is very popular due to being free and user friendly. It is of course important to be GDPR compliant when adding anyone’s email address to such a system. Staying on track with projects and multiple pieces of work can be a headache. Personally, I’ve not found a software I like to help me with this yet (and am stuck with numerous to-do lists and notebooks), but I have dabbled and totally www.NHDmag.com June/July 2019 - Issue 145
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TECHNOLOGY Table 1: Nutrition apps Area of specialty
App
Low-FODMAP diet
Monash Uni Diet app, or FoodMaestro
Diabetes
Carbs and Cals
Head and neck specialties
LearnENT
Eating disorders
Recovery Record
Kids nutrition
Sugar Smart
it is ready for the end of your tax year. There are numerous options including Xero, FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Wave Accounting and FreeAgent. I especially like being able to take photos of my receipts and add them into the expenses as I go and add my mileage whilst in the car! Check that the one you choose is able to submit your tax return in light of making tax digital.
and adding text to photos. Something like pic play post is useful for posting multiple images or videos onto one post. Consider Color Story, Snapseed, or VSCO for editing photos and Buffer, Hootsuite, or Color Story again, for scheduling posts. Royalty free photos can come from sources such as Dreamstime, Pixabay and Unsplash.
SOCIAL MEDIA
There is a plethora of apps out there. Some that other dietitians have recommended can be seen in Table 1. It is always a good idea to road test an app first before recommending it to patients. Digital technology is there to help us, but try before you buy!
I firmly believe that as healthcare professionals we need to have a presence on social media, shouting out the right nutrition messages as loudly and creatively as we can. Some good software packages include Canva and Word Swag for making images
APPS
EVENTS & COURSES
• Quarter page to full page • Premier & Universal placement listings • NHD website, NH-eNews and Network Health Digest placements
To place an ad or discuss your requirements please call
01342 824073
dieteticJOBS.co.uk 10
www.NHDmag.com June/July 2019 - Issue 145
THE ROYAL MARSDEN FOUNDATION TRUST BRINGS YOU THE FOLLOWING EVENTS: 27th June: Foundation in Oncology for Speech and Language Therapists 8th July:
The Long-term GI consequences of Cancer Treatment
12th Sept: Swallowing and Communication Rehabilitation for People Diagnosed with Head & Neck Cancer For more information please visit www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/studydays