NHS Lothian Dynamic Scot Pilot

HISES are collaborating with the Midlothian Community Respiratory Team (MCRT) within NHS Lothian on a small-scale pilot test of the Dynamic Scot COPD digital support service.

  Individuals with COPD are being offered remote monitoring of their symptoms through a digital service that can be accessed via a smartphone, tablet or computer. Patients get daily text message reminders to complete a symptom diary to help them reflect on their COPD symptoms and to track their health over time and manage their condition.  This service gives them access to secure asynchronous messaging for self-management advice from the MCRT clinicians. There is also self-management COPD advice within the patient support site https://support.nhscopd.scot

Claire Yerramasu (Advance Practitioner Physiotherapist) is the lead clinician for the MCRT pilot and she has received positive feedback from the patients using the service so far.   The patients are reporting that answering the daily questions is easy to do and making them recognise their symptoms more readily.  This helps them to decide on their next course of action and sometimes alter their decisions as to when to take their rescue medications.

This pilot test is part of a wider Dynamic Scot project which is a unique collaboration that brings together public sector, innovation and industry partners.  The project will evaluate the benefits of the new service with a view to informing future scaling up across Scotland for people living with COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major healthcare Challenge. It is anticipated that digital tools and services, when integrated into COPD Care Pathways have the potential to transform COPD management to a proactive preventative person-centred care model that empowers patient self-management and enables clinicians to provide tailored intervention and risk assessment.