Concentric Health: Remote consent supporting organisational recovery

By Dr Dafydd Loughran, Concentric Health CEO

By Dr Dafydd Loughran, Concentric Health CEO

I wonder what the world will look like when you read this? It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Alongside the slower pace of the world are sectors at full throttle. If you’re reading LifeStories you’ve probably seen the NHS at full throttle recently. Thank you, from us at Concentric Health, to all those who have adapted and driven innovation in response to the pandemic. Concentric Health is a Welsh healthtech startup on a mission to transform how we make decisions about our health. Our core product is a digital consent application for procedures and treatments. It digitises the traditionally paper-based consent process, shares accessible information that can be made bespoke for each individual, and guides patients through their journey. Changing plans, at pace In March, as the pandemic escalated on an exponential curve, it was clear that our initial pilot plans at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust needed to change. Contrary to an internal conversation the preceding week, where we wondered how much of a negative impact COVID-19 may have on the business, it would be a challenge of scale that would be the focus of the following months. Remote consent was suddenly front and centre. Regular communication with clinicians on the ground meant that, from the relative calm of our repurposed home offices, we could feel the urgency and the need. The teams knew, painfully and personally, that non-Covid care such as cancer cases could not be left forgotten.

Managing risk The aim was to limit exposure, to limit risk, but to operate where necessary. Operate in as safe an environment as possible, but manage all other aspects of care across the trust from the safety of home. We have all seen the mobilisation of video consultation across the NHS recently (Concentric was introduced alongside this) to support consultations, share personalised information and record consent.

Organisations recovering It was clear that, despite being forced into adopting remote consent, both clinicians and patients were quietly content with the change. Patients, from the comfort and safety of home, had the information they needed and the guidance of their clinician on video call, without the anxiety of hospital waiting rooms, the frustration of parking difficulties, and currently also the COVID-19 risks. As we creep out of lockdown, the burden of delayed care will become the focus. Over 500,000 operations have been postponed due to the pandemic in the UK alone. During 2020, the art and science of organisational recovery will be in maximising activity whilst minimising risk. With that in mind, ‘remote if possible’ as a mantra is here to stay. The plethora of digital health solutions will not only facilitate this, but also find ways to transform the old ways for the better. We see digital, remote consent as a key part of that jigsaw.

Get in touch To find out more about Concentric and explore whether we can help in your context visit www.concentric.health or say hello via daf@concentric.health.

Acknowledgements We have been supported by a Welsh Government COVID grant to add remote consent functionality to the Concentric application, aiding the organisational recovery of health boards and trusts.