Following the initial success of the agenda cards and the diabetes coach prototypes, the healthcare professionals involved in the Design Council’s health project have begun to find ways of developing each solution within a clinical context.
With the support of Bolton Primary Care Trust, they have formed a group called BOND (Bolton New Deal) to help drive a new diabetes healthcare agenda for the community, and to undertake a more in-depth evaluation of the prototypes.
Starting with the agenda cards, the BOND team, supported by the Design Council, has recruited five GP practices, four diabetes nurses and nine patients to undertake a more in-depth study of the proposed system.
Initial feedback from this first clinical study has been good, with both patients and practitioners reporting positive results. This initial phase has also revealed that using the agenda cards doesn’t increase the length of appointments, and that by helping patients to focus on the real issues, sessions are often more productive.
In February 2007, this prototyping phase will give way to a long-term pilot, involving 15 GP practices and 250 patients over a two to three year period.
‘This pilot study will provide vital qualitative and quantitative information about how exactly the cards work in a clinical context, and whether they offer long-term benefits to patients,’ explains Nick Morton at the Design Council. ‘GP practices have signed up to the pilot by choice, and the fact that so many are willing to get involved is a measure of their frustration in the current system, and their enthusiasm for new ideas.’
Crucially, the health project and the BOND team have won the support of hospitals, clinical groups, acute trusts, government special advisors and the commercial sector. This support will prove vital as the BOND team works to develop the second part of the project – the Me2 diabetes coach concept.
‘The agenda cards represent level one support, for frontline clinical staff,’ explains Morton. ‘The next level involves the introduction of a diabetes coach to help patients maintain their health regimes long term. Several interested parties have understood the benefits of this approach, and the BOND team is already in talks with potential funders to help drive this part of the project forward.’
