Today I return to that long term plan and a piece of it which has so tickled the national consciousness that it made the News Quiz.
To touch quickly on “Skype consultations”. Skype for various reasons is problematic – it requires both parties to have a login, whereas our video solution works with a one time link. But headlines have been overblown. We now know that when offered the choice, only about 1 in 1000 patients are choosing video. It may grow a bit, but I don’t see it becoming a huge channel.
Let’s move on to the NHS App.
I will share a little of my medical history, and I hope you don’t find this too much information, but I get fungal nail infection.
So in the interests of science I wanted to test how the NHS App would help with my condition, using its 111 online algorithm, and my presenting symptoms of “brown and broken toenails”.
You can see the whole process in this 3 minute video which is how long it took.
It asked me 12 questions, of which 1 was possibly relevant, 10 irrelevant and 1 frankly embarrassing. The outcome was self care, but with absolutely no specific advice on what to do.
I have tried the same input with the Babylon AI chatbot, which couldn’t find anything relevant and asked whether I had any more symptoms (as if the waiter told me the fish option was off).
I have tried the same input with EMIS Patient.info. Its first option was “Fibre and Fibre Supplements” on which I clicked, and they tried to sell me a hearing aid.
I have tried the same input with NHS Choices, and the first option was sepsis, that well known affliction of toenails, though it did have Nail Problems as the fifth item, which does have relevant information on fungal nail.
I gather about 10% of the population has this, and whenever I mention “brown and broken toenails” to a doctor, the first thing they say to me, without even looking, is “fungal nail”.
If the might of government, of major corporations and £millions of venture capital can’t get toenails right, what hope have they when conditions are complicated and serious? I must leave the question with those qualified to assess them.
On Twitter Dr Dave Triska writes:
“I consulted with 3 people today with a near identical ‘cough’ presentation, recognised the ill one (whom I knew to be stoic and was concerned they had contacted me). Guess what? Sick. As. Algorithm would have missed that.
I just tried my sick patient will all big 3 symptoms checkers. All falsely reassured. From an algorithm point of view, they were right. Likely URTI. Except it wasn’t…
How would I program into an algorithm that the barn door URTI I did also bring down needed to be seen because I knew they’d lost someone to lung cancer and would be worried? That a visit and chat helped them in ways that aren’t measurable against outcomes?”
All falsely reassured.
No doubt you find that very concerning, but consider the specification on which we were invited to bid by a CCG yesterday:
Essential criterion: “Is able to fully triage the patient and signpost to the most appropriate service with no GP intervention using a solution where indemnity lies with the supplier and not the practice”
You’re welcome.
Harry Longman
PS. We do offer self care help with askmyGP, but we don’t claim that it reduces demand or diverts patients. We aim to make it as fast and simple as possible. Please try it yourself, with “brown and broken toenails” or anything else. This is exactly what your patients would see.
The NHS App and the toenail test
Today I return to that long term plan and a piece of it which has so tickled the national consciousness that it made the News Quiz.
To touch quickly on “Skype consultations”. Skype for various reasons is problematic – it requires both parties to have a login, whereas our video solution works with a one time link. But headlines have been overblown. We now know that when offered the choice, only about 1 in 1000 patients are choosing video. It may grow a bit, but I don’t see it becoming a huge channel.
Let’s move on to the NHS App.
I will share a little of my medical history, and I hope you don’t find this too much information, but I get fungal nail infection.
So in the interests of science I wanted to test how the NHS App would help with my condition, using its 111 online algorithm, and my presenting symptoms of “brown and broken toenails”.
You can see the whole process in this 3 minute video which is how long it took.
It asked me 12 questions, of which 1 was possibly relevant, 10 irrelevant and 1 frankly embarrassing. The outcome was self care, but with absolutely no specific advice on what to do.
I have tried the same input with the Babylon AI chatbot, which couldn’t find anything relevant and asked whether I had any more symptoms (as if the waiter told me the fish option was off).
I have tried the same input with EMIS Patient.info. Its first option was “Fibre and Fibre Supplements” on which I clicked, and they tried to sell me a hearing aid.
I have tried the same input with NHS Choices, and the first option was sepsis, that well known affliction of toenails, though it did have Nail Problems as the fifth item, which does have relevant information on fungal nail.
I gather about 10% of the population has this, and whenever I mention “brown and broken toenails” to a doctor, the first thing they say to me, without even looking, is “fungal nail”.
If the might of government, of major corporations and £millions of venture capital can’t get toenails right, what hope have they when conditions are complicated and serious? I must leave the question with those qualified to assess them.
On Twitter Dr Dave Triska writes:
“I consulted with 3 people today with a near identical ‘cough’ presentation, recognised the ill one (whom I knew to be stoic and was concerned they had contacted me). Guess what? Sick. As. Algorithm would have missed that.
I just tried my sick patient will all big 3 symptoms checkers. All falsely reassured. From an algorithm point of view, they were right. Likely URTI. Except it wasn’t…
How would I program into an algorithm that the barn door URTI I did also bring down needed to be seen because I knew they’d lost someone to lung cancer and would be worried? That a visit and chat helped them in ways that aren’t measurable against outcomes?”
All falsely reassured.
No doubt you find that very concerning, but consider the specification on which we were invited to bid by a CCG yesterday:
Essential criterion: “Is able to fully triage the patient and signpost to the most appropriate service with no GP intervention using a solution where indemnity lies with the supplier and not the practice”
You’re welcome.
Harry Longman
PS. We do offer self care help with askmyGP, but we don’t claim that it reduces demand or diverts patients. We aim to make it as fast and simple as possible. Please try it yourself, with “brown and broken toenails” or anything else. This is exactly what your patients would see.
Try Bramley Demo Surgery, patient facing
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