CardioPod launched at NHS Camden

The CardioPod installed in a pharmacy

Assistive technology company Telehealth Solutions has launched a touch-screen CardioPod which it says will help GP practices and pharmacists deliver the NHS Health Check programme.

The CardioPod joins other ‘pods’ already launched by the company to deliver services such as automated check-in at GP surgeries or patient self-monitoring at home.

The CardioPod, which must used under the supervision of a trained professional, enables patients to have access to an NHS Health Check.

The health checks were launched in England on 1 April and aim to give adults aged 40-74 advice on their cardiovascular risk score and the action they can take to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised this week that the checks would become one of the new ‘entitlements’ for NHS patients that will replace centralised targets.

The CardioPod is a standalone unit that comes with scales and sphygmomanometer to capture basic vital signs information. A Cholestech LDX blood chemistry analyser is available as an option to add a lipid profile and blood glucose measurement in less than five minutes.

All tests are carried out at the point of care and patients receive instant feedback using the QRISK 2 risk assessment tool.

The information from the Health Check is uploaded to a secure database for analysis and review. The results of the discussion between patient and care provider are recorded by the CardioPod, with a print out for the patient to take away.

The action points can also be stored on the secure server for follow up when the next Health Check is carried out.

Jeremy Cummin, executive chairman of Telehealth Solutions, said: “Our aim is to carry out the Health Check as easily, effectively and as efficiently as possible and our telehealth system ensures both the patient and the people managing the patient’s care are immediately fully informed of the test results and advised course of action.”

The company said CardioPods had already been installed in NHS Camden and it had plans to extend installations in the rest of the UK in the coming months.