App allows hospital patients to self-test and monitor their health
Archive image: the Gastroenterology team, Jacqueline Roscoe, IBD nurse specialist (centre) and Dr Pushpakaran Munuswamy, Gastroenterology Department Lead (far right). - Credit: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease can now self-test and monitor their condition from the comfort of their home, thanks to a new app in use by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
The app transforms their smartphones into a test reader, so they check their own samples. More than 200 patients from Broomfield, Basildon and Southend hospitals are using it.
Dr Pushpakaran Munuswamy, the Gastroenterology Department lead, said: “I’m seeing a huge difference already, because we can escalate treatment within a day or two of requesting the test.
"Previously, there was a wait of around four to six weeks or even longer.”
Jacqueline Roscoe, IBD nurse specialist, said: “The feedback from patients has been excellent.
“These kits give the patients a better understanding of how their disease is doing, so they can see if their inflammatory markers are high or under control, and then take appropriate action. This provides real peace of mind which is hugely important.”
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