The NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme has played a really big part in CardMedic’s success, with myself being fortunate enough to be a fellow on the programme. We were honoured to be featured in the programme’s latest health inequalities case study, which highlights how CardMedic is helping to make care more equitable across England.
You can read the full case study in the equality hub on the NHS England website, but here’s my take on how we’re helping the NHS to address health inequality.
Poor communication between patients and clinicians is a major blocker to health equity
Communication barriers are a major contributor to health inequality. Up to 50% of the population will experience these barriers at some time in their lives, which could be due to language, blindness, deafness, learning difficulties or other cognitive issues. As a result, patients’ ability to access and understand their care is negatively impacted, and in a modern health and care system, this is completely unacceptable.
How does CardMedic help to improve communication between patients and clinicians?
CardMedic is an ever-growing A to Z library of prewritten clinical scripts which can be converted into more than 40 languages and other formats including sign language videos and easy read, to help patients and clinicians to overcome any communication barrier. The app, which has a version that is free to download, can be used on mobile, tablet, or desktop, so it is readily available to clinicians whenever they need it.
What impact is CardMedic already having in the NHS?
Already, 20 NHS trusts and ICSs are using CardMedic to improve communication and reduce health inequalities for their patients. We’re seeing amazing use cases in cancer care, maternity, and among learning disability nurses, to name just a few. And, when solutions like CardMedic are coupled with well planned, comprehensive initiatives like the Core20PLUS5 framework, we are well equipped to address health inequalities and improve care experiences for those who are often underserved.
Please do get in touch with us if you’d like to see how we can help to make care more equitable at your organisation.
