Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is piloting a telemedicine video clinic to help cancer patients. The telemedicine initiative is part of a clinical trial looking at treatment for myeloma cancer (cancer of the bone marrow.) The telemedicine pilot is running for 12 weeks and allows our patients to attend consultations at our hospital while the Consultant Haematologist is based in Blackpool.
The trial, which has been running since 2010, is a randomised study for newly diagnosed myeloma patients of all age groups.
Navdeep Kaur Brar, Research Nurse, and lead nurse for the trial, said: “This is an exciting and innovative way for us to provide care to our patients; it allows us to work in a more efficient way, and provides continuity for our patients.”
Edward Denny, who has been a part of the trial for four years, said: “This was a really interesting experience, it’s different – because the doctor isn’t actually in the room with you, but you get used to it after a while.”
Dr Mark Grey, Consultant Haematologist at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “This is the future of outpatient clinics, allowing the clinical staff to work more efficiently and provide benefits for patients.”
