In recent years, the healthcare industry has been undergoing a major transformation, with a focus on delivering patient-centered care that is more accessible, affordable, and convenient. One of the most innovative concepts that has emerged in this area is the NHS Hospital at Home initiative, which allows patients to receive medical treatment and care from the comfort of their own homes.
This approach involves the use of remote monitoring technologies, virtual consultations, and at-home testing to deliver medical care to patients who would otherwise have to be admitted to a hospital. As med-tech providers, we’re always looking for ways to improve patient care and reduce patient stress. One of the most exciting developments in this area is the rise of self-diagnosis and self-testing.
By delivering medical care to patients in their own homes, we can reduce the stress and discomfort associated with hospital stays. Patients can remain in a familiar and comfortable environment, surrounded by their loved ones, while receiving the treatment they need. This is a game-changer, empowering patients to take greater control over their own health and well-being.
Improving patient outcomes with at-home testing
With access to medical testing kits and diagnostic tools, patients can better monitor their health and identify potential health issues early on, without needing to visit a healthcare provider in person. Take Strep A for example. It’s a bacterial infection that can cause a range of symptoms, including sore throat, fever, and swollen glands.
Traditionally, patients would need to visit a healthcare provider in person to be tested for Strep A, which can be inconvenient, expensive, and time-consuming. However, with the advent of at-home tests, patients can test themselves for Strep A from the comfort of their own homes. The tests are easy to use with minimal training or instruction, and can be performed at a time and location that suits the patient.
Another key benefit of self-diagnosis at home is that it can reduce the burden on healthcare providers. By testing themselves for Strep A at the first sign of symptoms, patients can receive treatment sooner, potentially reducing the severity of the infection and the need for more invasive medical interventions. This can lead to better patient outcomes, lower healthcare costs, and higher patient satisfaction.
Similarly, patients with diabetes can use at-home blood glucose testing kits to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their medication as needed. And patients with high cholesterol can use at-home cholesterol testing kits to monitor their cholesterol levels and make informed decisions about their diet and exercise habits.
The future of medical care
The DHSC believes up to 20% of emergency hospital admissions are avoidable with the right care in place. Under the Hospital at Home model, healthcare providers can intervene before a condition becomes more serious, potentially reducing the need for hospital stays or expensive medical treatments. Healthcare providers can also focus their resources on patients who require more intensive care or treatment.
The Hospital at Home concept also offers significant cost savings compared to traditional hospital stays. By reducing the need for hospital admissions, we can lower healthcare costs and improve overall efficiency in the healthcare system. The home hospital concept is just one part of a broader shift towards patient empowerment and self-care in healthcare.
With the advent of new technologies and digital platforms, as well as self-testing and self-diagnosis, patients are increasingly taking a more active role in managing their own health and well-being. Self-diagnosis at home is also a valuable tool to bridge the gap for patients who may have limited access to medical care, such as people who live in rural or remote areas. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovations in at-home testing and diagnosis, which will help to transform the way that healthcare is delivered to patients. By promoting self-care and patient empowerment, we can help patients take greater control over their own health, improve their quality of life, and reduce the frequency of doctor visits or hospital stays. It’s an exciting new approach to patient care!
Both botox and dermal fillers are administered through injections and are classified as cosmetic treatments. Besides both being minimally invasive, they are very different in nature and the results they provide.
What is Botox?
Botox freezes muscles using purified bacteria, reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles brought on by facial expressions. Without movement in these areas, wrinkles become softened or even removed. It is commonly used to correct dynamic wrinkles such as lines on your forehead and crow’s feet.
What Botox cannot correct
Botox will not correct wrinkles and fine lines caused by sagging, known as static wrinkles. Static wrinkles include lines in cheeks, jowl, and neck. It is not a permanent solution, requiring repeated treatments every 3 to 4 months to continue experiencing wrinkle-reducing effects.
What are dermal fillers?
Sometimes referred to as soft tissue fillers, dermal fillers restore fullness to areas that have thinned due to aging, mainly around the cheeks, mouth, and lips. Products vary wildly with how long it takes to work and how long the filler lasts. Some fillers can last up to 2 years or longer with others falling short at 6 months.
Decrease or remove the shadow or wrinkle under the eyes caused by the lower eyelid
Fill in or soften the look of recessed scars
Fill in or soften static wrinkles, especially on the lower face
The main differences between Botox and fillers
Differences include:
Botox: freezes muscle groups to prevent wrinkles caused by facial expressions, and is mainly used in the upper face, forehead, and eyes. Botox treatments generally last three to four months.
Dermal fillers: use hyaluronic acid (and similar chemicals) to plump areas that have lost natural contours and smoothness. It is used to reduce the severity of wrinkles around the cheeks, mouth, and lips, and anywhere else where people have lost fullness. Dermal fillers can also be used to flatten out scars and forehead wrinkles. Dermal fillers can last up to and beyond two years depending on the product.
If you have been following the news in the UK, you might have seen reports of Strep A infections that are popping-up all over the country. But trying to get an appointment with a healthcare professional might be difficult, as there is already a lot of pressure on the National Health Service (NHS). Plus, your child might not have Strep A, but the patients at the healthcare service provider do, and so there is a chance of getting infected when you visit.
How do you get infected?
Strep A spreads in a similar manner to how COVID is spread. It is a bacterial infection that spreads through contact with droplets from an infected person. These can be passed when the infected person talks, coughs or sneezes. Infection is increased if you touch your nose, mouth or eyes when these droplets are in the air, something that small children are prone to do often.
What are the symptoms?
The following are some of the symptoms you should look out for in yourself, or family:
A fever of 101° celsius or more
Swollen lymph nodes
Pain or difficulty swallowing
A red rash on the face that is also elsewhere on the body.
What should I do?
Rapid Strep A tests are available directly to the public. They work very similar to how a COVID test works. Ask your child to lift and tilt their head back while opening their mouth. You can then use a swab to take a sample from the back of their throat and tonsil area.
That sample will then be used to perform a rapid strep test. You will get a result usually in a matter of minutes. If you are unsure, directions are usually supplied with the test for further information or you can contact a healthcare professional. If the results are unclear, then do a second one.
What if the results are negative?
There is a chance that the bacteria isn’t developed enough for the test so it is always advisable to do a second test a few hours later. If the symptoms worsen over time, or if you are concerned, then take your child to a healthcare professional. But if the test is negative and the symptoms clear up on their own, with rest and good fluid intake, it could have just been a mild infection.
If the tests are positive?
The cure for Strep A is usually a round of antibiotics which can be offered to you by a healthcare professional. Place a sanitary mask over yourself and your child when you visit the healthcare professional so as to not cause further spread of the bacteria to others. Take the test result with you to show the professional. They might want to do their own test as well just to confirm it is Strep A.
Your child or family member can be at home during recovery. The important thing is to take the full course of medication, get rest and increase your fluid intake. The healthcare professional will be able to inform you of anything else you might need to be aware of. Recovery can take anywhere from 10 to 14 days.
Create a Home Hospital
Home hospitals are always a first choice when children are involved, when possible. Children respond better to the comfort and familiarity of being at home for a small child, as opposed to being in a different space with strangers. Parents can be comforted and ensure their child is with them and can monitor their child’s health.
Other benefits of being at home include:
Reduced stress for the patients
Reduced stress for the caregivers or family members
Better and quicker functional levels
Increased suitability for patients and carers
Reduced cost than being in a hospital
More personal care
Strep A can easily be cured if caught in time. Just be mindful and aware during this time when there are an increased amount of cases, with your children, family members, and yourself.
Many changes occurred during the pandemic, including more employees choosing to work remotely in a hybrid environment. In addition, there was a wave of mental health awareness and policies put in place to cater for it. Communities came together and communication technology improved to fill in the missing pieces that the lockdown created. One of the developments that came out of the pandemic was an escalation of the concept of a ‘Home Hospital.’
Many changes occurred during the pandemic, including more employees choosing to work remotely in a hybrid environment. In addition, there was a wave of mental health awareness and policies put in place to cater for it. Communities came together and communication technology improved to fill in the missing pieces that the lockdown created. One of the developments that came out of the pandemic was an escalation of the concept of a ‘Home Hospital.’
Why are home hospitals becoming a trend?
As hospitals needed space and beds during the pandemic, a re-evaluation was done to determine precisely who needed to be in a hospital and who, for all intents and purposes, actually just rested at home, with monitoring and stand-by care. Home Hospitals became an obvious solution, and many medical aids and healthcare professionals jumped on board.
The benefits of a Home Hospital
Hospital at Home gives patients the choice of treatment for various illnesses in the comfort of their homes. This way, they can be with their loved ones while they are closely monitored and treated with medical resources. In addition, this can help patients avoid nosocomial infections and the inconvenience of being away from their homes and family.
Other benefits of being at home include:
Reduced stress for the patients
Reduced stress for the caregivers or family members
Better and quicker functional levels
Increased suitability for patients and carers
Reduced cost than being in a hospital
More personal care
What kind of care is available for home hospitals?
Some of the care provided in an in-home hospital is identical to the hospital method, including oxygen, inhaler devices, IV treatment, blood and heart rate monitoring, physio, occupational therapy and general vitals monitoring. A lot of the monitoring technology can provide real-time results to physicians and healthcare professionals remotely, allowing checks to be done digitally. Patients are still considered ‘hospital patients’ and will be visited regularly by a nurse or physician.
It is possible to deliver medication and medical supplies at home. Training on taking medications or using devices, including intravenous therapy, may be given if the patient wants it. In addition, some businesses offer transportation for patients who need transportation for care or physical examinations to and from a medical facility.
Who is using home hospitals?
Home Hospital is usually an option for patients requiring intensive, hospital-level care for acute conditions that generally require an acute hospital bed in a patient’s home for a short episode through multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Professionals and healthcare providers should be able to determine who considers this option.
Some areas of the UK already provide a wealth of home hospital care for older people who require regular monitoring. But studies have shown it is not a solution for all, although those that are able to have the option prefer it.
Nurses can bring their own equipment to the patient’s home, including their sanitary kits, examination gloves, and monitoring devices and essentially set up in the comfort of the patient’s home.
Organisations are looking for easy, cost-effective methods to perform on-site testing in batches or on demand. Regular fluid testing can be problematic with samples being tampered with, or getting results to the lab within a time limit can be difficult. This is why many businesses are turning to oral fluid testing for quick and easy solutions.
Oral testing has been around for over a decade. Still, it has only been in the last several years that significant advancements have made this the obvious solution for on-site testing. Because most testing within the workplace is usually a procedure or precaution, businesses are looking for a test they could keep on-site that is easy to use. According to the Quest Diagnostic Annual Drug Test Index, up to 97% of candidates yield a negative drug result, and no further testing is required.
How are they Performed?
An oral fluid test is almost impossible to tamper with once the cotton has been swabbed. In addition, it is one of the least invasive methods of performing a drug test as no needles or urine samples are required.
The cotton swab or collection stick is brushed gently against the inside of a patient’s cheek. That sample is then analysed for substances. Most test results can be determined on-site within a few minutes, but the more complicated ones get done at the lab.
What can it detect?
The substances a saliva drug test can detect depends on the test being used. They can be used to test for any one of these substances individually or in combination when using a multi-panel drug test.
Here are some of the most common substances checked for during a mouth swab drug test and how soon they can be detected in your saliva:
Benzodiazepines: Also known as “Benzos”, commonly used as a form of tranquilliser. Household names include Valium and Xanax.
Marijuana.
Opiates: A common type of opiate is heroin.
MDMA: Commonly known as ecstasy or molly.
Methamphetamine: Commonly known as crystal meth.
Each drug has its specific window and results time.
Benefits of Using a Saliva Drug Test
Saliva drug tests can be accurate up to 98% of the time. But there can be some issues when testing falls out of the specific detection window or on the abilities of the person performing the test. Usually, urine and blood tests are more accurate.
The advantages of doing a saliva drug test, rather than alternatives, are:
It is more cost-effective than a urine or blood sample
Less chance of the sample being tampered with
It can detect substances early
The results are usually fast
The test is easy to administer
Conclusion
Salvia drug tests must be administered within a small window frame as drugs generally do not stay in the saliva for long periods. But the cost-effectiveness, user-friendly aspect and accuracy typically make it an ideal testing device within the workplace.
If you are considering drug tests in the workplace, contact one of our consultants at Dr. Adams Laboratories for advice on what products would suit your needs.
