The Christie becomes first specialist cancer trust to deploy CardMedic
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust has deployed CardMedic to help reduce health inequalities for patients, making it the first specialist cancer trust to use the healthcare communications app.
The CardMedic app will help The Christie to bridge communication gaps, such as language barriers or cognitive impairments, between clinicians and patients to reduce health inequalities.
A former Rewired PitchFest winner, CardMedic supports instant translation between clinicians and patients using a mobile device. The app also holds a library of hundreds of pre-written medical scripts that replicate healthcare conversations.
The content is available in multiple languages; as sign language videos; in real-aloud format; or in easy-read format with pictures.
Bethany Allen, digital nurse implementer at The Christie, said: “Many of our patients do not speak English as their first language, and some cannot speak English at all.
“Since using CardMedic, we can be reassured that we are communicating with patients effectively and sensitively, which is essential in cancer care.”
The technology is used during ward rounds and clinical shifts when interpreters or multi-lingual staff are not available.
Allen continued: “Having this tool means we can safely and effectively talk with patients with additional communication needs when an interpreter isn’t available. It means that we can deliver the same standard of care that we do to our English-speaking patients, or those that don’t have additional communications needs.”
The trust is also working with CardMedic to co-create new content for its flashcard library, developing specific oncology scripts to help cancer patients communicate in spite of any barriers they may face.
The solution has been deployed across the whole trust and is now used by 100 nurses, doctors and pharmacists at four sites: Withington, Salford, Oldham and Macclesfield.
The technology was originally made available for nurses, but a use case was identified in the pharmacy, where it is now being used to ensure patients are comfortable with the medication they’re taking.
Dr Rachael Grimaldi, chief executive at CardMedic, said: “I’m delighted that CardMedic is helping to improve access to care for more patients at The Christie.
The new use cases the trust has found is a testament to how innovative and forward thinking the team is, all the while putting patients first. The Christie already delivers exceptional cancer care, and I’m overjoyed that CardMedic can be a part of the story!”
