The challenge
Growing staff shortages are forcing our health systems to change. There is a shortfall of ~84,000 staff in primary care, resulting in patients struggling to get GP appointments. Some are resorting to attending A&E departments. The NHS strategy is focused on developing a new model of general practice with an expanded multi-disciplinary team drawing on the skills of other healthcare professionals. The NHS is funding 26,000 new Allied Healthcare Professionals within primary care networks by 2023/24; and AHP roles (nurse practitioners, nurse prescribers, physiotherapists) are expanding to see patients in GP clinics, taking on assessment and referral decision-making.
These multi-disciplined teams will need support in initial clinical assessment at the first point of patient contact. Technology can enhance and augment their clinical skills, as well as make considerable efficiencies across the whole patient care journey. The ideal solution is the Dem Dx clinical reasoning platform (CRP), the only AI-driven platform focused specifically on upskilling Allied Healthcare Professionals.
The solution
DemDx is pioneering a world where allied health professionals in primary care and community services can provide clinically accurate and consistent triaging through the use of a medically certified Clinical Reasoning Platform digital application (CRP). We are helping to redefine workforce and healthcare professional roles at a time of financial and operational stress.
With CRP, nurses, paramedics and other frontline clinicians are able to assess patients, order tests and make referrals before the patient sees a doctor. The platform guides the APs from a presenting complaint through associated symptoms to a list of differentials at every step, supported by media, national guidelines and offers tailored clinic-specific actions. Dem Dx helps improve overall clinical care, reduce healthcare delivery costs and use doctors’ time more efficiently and effectively.
Dem Dx has made me a lot more confident in my clinical reasoning and my handover referral notes are more comprehensive and faster as my pathway is already captured.
Occupational Therapist, Rochdale Urgent Care Centre
The impact
Evaluation of CRP has demonstrated:
- Improved adherence to gold standard NICE guidelines in 66% of cases.
- Increased confidence, reported by 86% of AHPs
- Increased patient capacity by 15%
- Reduced patient waiting time by 10% in A&E setting