Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital trials health tracker
Patients at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) are trialling the UK's first online health tracker. The iPad-based system allows patients to record details of their recovery from spinal surgery live online, before feeding the information back to clinicians. Unveiled by Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, HealthUnlocked Tracker will help trusts track the value of various patient pathways and reduce the number of outpatient appointments. Lansley said: "This is a great example of how healthcare innovation can make a real difference to patients' lives. We want to modernise the NHS because we believe that patients deserve the best and most innovative treatments available. We are committed to creating an environment in the NHS where new medical technologies like this can flourish." While in clinic, patients record their progress on an iPad, then once they get home they use the same system to track their progress over the internet. Matthew Shaw, consultant spinal surgeon at the RNOH, and the lead surgeon in the trial, said: "Having accurate information at my fingertips about my patients' recovery is groundbreaking. It ensures I can quickly get to grips with their perspective and provide them with first-rate healthcare. As well as saving me time it will also create new insights about spinal surgery for the NHS as a whole."
