GP-Led Hypertension Health Promotion Campaign Delivers Response Rates Of 76%

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Hypertension
Article Date: 21 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Recent results from a text messaging campaign for calling hypertensive patients in for periodic blood pressure reading ran by the Lea Surgery in City & Hackney tPCT has delivered response rates of 76%.

From searches made on their GP system, the surgery sent out a group text message to selected patients inviting them to call the surgery to make an appointment. Within three weeks of sending the text invitation, 149 out of 197 patients had had their blood pressure checked. These results have highlighted just how effective iPLATO Patient Care Messaging can be for health promotion campaigns.

Having high blood pressure is one of several 'risk factors' that can increase your chance of developing heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions. Treatment includes a change in lifestyle risk factors where these can be improved - losing weight if you are overweight, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, cutting back if you drink a lot of alcohol, stopping smoking, and a low salt intake. If needed, medication can lower blood pressure. Periodic monitoring of patients blood pressure is essential for supporting them reducing the risk for serious complications and conditions.

Dr Goel, GP at the Lea Surgery said: "Getting hold of the right patients for periodic reviews at the right time is often cumbersome. The system makes it a lot easier.''

Jonathan Mason, Head of Prescribing and Pharmacy at City & Hackney tPCT, said, ''The recent use of the iPLATO system by the Lea Surgery to support their hypertension campaign is another good example of the healthcare initiatives that are currently being positively supported by iPLATO Patient Care Messaging within City & Hackney tPCT. As the majority of City & Hackney GP surgeries now have the iPLATO capability, we look forward to more success stories to come.''

Funded centrally by the tPCT, the service has been adopted by 41 of City & Hackney tPCT's GP surgeries and is being used to address important Public Health concerns such as Smoking, Flu, Childhood Immunisations, Breast Screening and Obesity.

About City and Hackney

City and Hackney Teaching Primary Care Trust is responsible for improving the health and well-being of local people by ensuring that appropriate services are available in the right place and at the right time. The PCT does this by entering into agreements with health care providers, such as hospitals, to provide a wide range of different health services, ensuring that patients have a choice about where they go for treatment. It also directly provides community-based health services such as health visiting, physiotherapy and district nursing, and is responsible for developing primary care services in conjunction with GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists. City and Hackney Primary Care Trust was set up on the 1st April 2001 and employs around 560 staff.

About iPLATO

iPLATO is a privately owned limited company founded in London in the autumn of 1999. In 2003, iPLATO was awarded a SMART Feasibility Grant by the Department of Trade & Industry to study the feasibility for national implementation of a system to remind outpatients about scheduled appointments using text messaging technology.

Since completing the study, the company has invested substantial resources towards overcoming the barriers to entry of the healthcare market and now provides successful healthcare solutions to NHS organisations throughout the United Kingdom - building a promising business around its flagship service 'Patient Care Messaging'.

The European Venture Contest, organised by the European Commission, recognised iPLATO as one of the top ten early stage technology ventures ready to "reshape their industry and to conquer the global market" and featured on the Red Herring Europe Top 200 of companies to watch in 2006. iPLATO began 2008 with extensive (PCT funded) roll out of Patient Care Messaging to GP surgeries across 10 Primary Care Trusts.

http://www.iplato.net