The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB) is working with Lenus Health to digitally transform the breathlessness diagnostic journey at Community Diagnostic Centers (CDCs) in Leicester and Hinckley.
Configuring the Lenus Diagnosis The product started at Leicester CDC in April 2024 and is expected to go live by September 2024. It will go live at Hinckley CDC when the site opens in 2025.
Both CDCs, run by University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust, will integrate patient test results into the pathway, in line with GP Direct Access guidelines.
Shortness of breath affects around 10% of the UK population and is often complex to diagnose, leading to long delays in treating patients.
The implementation of the Lenus digital journey tool aims to accelerate diagnosis by combining triage, parallel testing and a streamlined, integrated and structured approach to diagnostic data capture, meaning patients can receive a earlier treatment through the CDC rather than having to go to the hospital.
Commenting on the project, Dr Louise Ryan, GP and Clinical Lead for Respiratory Diseases at Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB, said: “Breathing difficulties affect many patients in our area and this initiative will, in many cases, help us to to diagnose the underlying cause in GP practices, without having to refer patients to secondary care”.
Dr Rachael Evans, consultant respiratory physician and clinical lead for the existing breathlessness pathway at University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust, said the Trust's research showed that “delays in diagnosis are associated with worse outcomes for patients.” patients and hospital admissions, and that earlier parallel testing can help. “.
“This project has the potential to improve the local situation through the effective implementation of the shortness of breath diagnostic pathway via CDC and Lenus software, enabling early remote intervention from a specialist if necessary,” added Dr. Evans.
Jim McNair, director of Lenus Health, said: “Diagnosing shortness of breath is complex and we are delighted to be working in partnership with healthcare providers across Leicestershire to optimize activities and bring together data to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment time.
“This not only helps the patients themselves, but also reduces pressure at the gates of our hospitals due to undiagnosed and untreated illnesses. »
To complete the implementation in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB, a Accelerated Knowledge Transfer for Innovation (AKT2i) project, funded by InnovateUKbetween the University of Leicester and Lenus Health, will help generate evidence on the benefits of the rollout.
In February of this year, Lenus Health implemented the first in a series of its diagnostic products within the CDC, with a heart failure tool at Fleetwood Community Diagnostics Center.