Applying the lessons from Audiology and Diagnostics across Physiology Diagnostics

The Audiology Service Improvement Programme has been working with pilot sites and more latterly prototype sites to test the principles that can be applied to audiology clinical services to deliver benefits for patients. The improvement team are now about to investigate the potential for applying those same principles across Physiology Diagnostics.

The emerging key principles which will be explored further are:

• Access to services in the community – saving on secondary care overheads, adding quality to patient experience through ease of access
• Direct access to audiology services as the default pathway – streamlining the pathway, reducing waiting times and saving on appointments in ENT
• Implementing One-stop pathways as default – encouraging adoption of the assess and fit , MDT working – saving on multiple appointments and making best use of available resources
• Developing standardised protocols and pathways for those identified with complex hearing problems –providing early diagnosis and making best use of specialist resources, saving on ad hoc visits / follow ups

What are physiology diagnostics?

Physiology diagnostics (sometimes referred to as physiological measurement) is an umbrella term that refers to a range of diagnostic tests and treatments across a broad spectrum of clinical areas, which are usually performed by healthcare scientists (HCS) or in some clinical areas involve a multidisciplinary approach.

The clinical areas included are:

• Audiology
• Cardiac physiology
• Gastro-Intestinal physiology
• Neurophysiology
• Ophthalmic science
• Respiratory physiology
• Urodynamics
• Vascular technology

For a more detailed description of these services click here »

The approach

NHS Improvement will identify a number of clinical departments across a number of Physiology Diagnostics disciplines and work with them to map their clinical processes. After clarifying the whole referral to treatment process sites will work with NHS Improvement in partnership to identify which of the emerging principles from Audiology, could be adapted and applied across some of the other clinical specialties. Information about which sites and services we will be exploring will be published here shortly.

This work will be linked to other work across the existing programmes within NHS Improvement to ensure alignment and cohesion.