Clinical Health Coaching Helps Gp Practice Empower Patients And Bring Transformation Of Care

A clinical health coaching programme for patients with long term health conditions commissioned by Parker Drive Practice & Manor Medical Centre, Leicester City CCG, has shown dramatic results in clinical improvements in patient care, quality improvements and activity reduction for the NHS.  Interim results from the project, which launched in September 2015, are impressive with an evaluation of the GP practice showing a 100% reduction in attendances at A & E, an 80% reduction in Home Visits and a 57% reduction in attendances at Out of Hours.

A large GP practice spread over 2 geographical locations with different demographic populations commissioned a Clinical Health Coaching service from specialists Totally Health to patients registered with Parker Drive GP practice and their branch practice Manor Medical Centre. 68 patients with long term health conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and heart failure, were recruited within the two practices, with patients aged between 61-70. The Totally Health clinical team undertook a review of clinical records for the period and condition within the service and the comparative period prior to the service starting.

The aims of the GP Practice were to provide additional support for their patients with these chronic diseases, reduce number of Out of Hours and A&E attendances and reduce the number of unplanned hospitals admissions.   Overall results included a:

• 50% reduction in unplanned admissions
• 47% reduction in secondary care out-patient appointments
• 39% reduction in contacts with all health professionals in local services
• 30% reduction in GP/Practice Nurse appointments
• 22% reduction in community healthcare appointments

Ensuring patients that patients were better educated about their condition and had a greater insight into the access to specialist medical support was a key part of the work and patient improvements from the project included:

Some 95% of patients with diabetes showed an improvement in their latest HbA1c results following the scheme. In addition, there was a 23% increase in podiatry and retinal screening among the patients with diabetes.

The evaluation also found there had been a 95% increase in the number of medication rescue packs prescribed to patients with COPD.

Across all the patients enrolled in the scheme there was a 47% increase in the number of patients with a documented long-term condition review and a 44% increase in the number of patients who received a flu vaccination.