EMIS Spotlight Issue 3

5

Uncovering hidden cohorts Piloting Pathway with three GP practices in their local area earlier this year showed Cheshire and Merseyside ODN had 465 people in the cohort that met the risk factor criteria in the search. A further 47 people had a confirmed Further investigation confirmed seven people from the 47 had no record of treatment on any healthcare database. These seven are being followed up by the ODN with their GP practice to confirm their Hepatitis C status. Two of these patients subsequently started treatment as a direct result of this pilot - both had historic risk factors and would not have been picked up from other Hepatitis C screening services. The peace of mind I’ve got from not having it, it’s just unbelievable. And I want to offer that to people daily.” Darren Shields - Peer Support Lead - Cheshire & Merseyside, The Hepatitis C Trust diagnosis of the virus with no recorded treatment in their primary care record.

Finding these patients in a relatively small local area shows the possibilities of using Pathway more widely to help eliminate Hepatitis C. Since these initial results were published the pilot has expanded, with a further practice joining in Cheshire and Merseyside, and Greater Manchester ODN coming on board too with a surgery in its area. In total, five practices across two ODNs have now identified more than 1000 patients who met the risk factor criteria for Hepatitis C, and already a further two patients have gone on to receive treatment. Proactive patient care The success of this pilot programme highlights the enormous potential of Pathway in improving health outcomes. By using clinical intelligence and data sharing, Pathway can play a vital role in identifying patients at risk of other conditions and diseases, letting healthcare teams intervene earlier and provide timely treatment. Pathway will be available to all practices across England within EMIS-X later this year, and the Hepatitis C Elimination pathway will roll out to further ODNs in England in the coming months. Interested in what Pathway could do for your organisation? Email info@emishealth.com to talk to one of our team today.

10/2023