Supporting Digital-First Pathways
During the pandemic, health and care systems rapidly implemented digital technology to reduce the need for physical contact between patients and clinicians.

Overview
Optimising digital interactions to improve patient outcomes during Covid-19
Identifying and sharing best digital practice
Focus on primary care, care homes and acute & community care
Detailed Programme Information
We are supporting our health and care partners across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly to facilitate effective and equitable digital-first care.
Together we are aiming to identify areas of best digital practice that can be rapidly shared and spread across the region to improve patient outcomes. These ‘digital-first’ care pathways are enabling health and care teams to rapidly exchange information and clinically manage patients at a time of social distancing.
Impact includes:
- By the end of April 2020, every general practice in the South West was using video to consult with patients, compared to 5% before the pandemic.
- Our work has contributed to as much as a 50% increase in patient throughput at some vaccination sites as part of wider support given to enable system improvements.
Primary care
Supporting general practices to optimise the use of online and video consultation tools to care for patients.
Care homes
Using digital technologies to enable communication between care homes and the health and care system.
Acute & community care
Supporting local acute and mental health trusts to optimise the use of video to support patient care.
For more information, please contact our Programme Manager, Maja Jorgensen.