An eight-month project in Bristol to improve service for people with long-term conditions by using supported self-care involving technology was able to show a reduction in the use of healthcare services, an increase patients’ activation levels and lower patient blood pressure and HbA1c levels. This article outlines the project’s remit, content and outcomes. It includes reflections from the clinical lead, who also staffed the supported self-care hub, which was central to the model. Patients and clinicians were strongly satisfied with the project. Clinicians concluded that it helped with their consultations, while patients felt reassured, supported and better able to manage their own health.
The number of patients in this study is insufficient for the results to be statistically significant, but they do resonate with results elsewhere such as Hull and Liverpool on a larger scale. There is work under way looking at how to roll out the model across Bristol.
Primary Health Care. 27, 1, 20-25. doi: 10.7748/phc.2017.e1147
Correspondence Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Conflict of interestNone declared
Received: 03 April 2016
Accepted: 05 July 2016
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