Research and Innovation

Virtual robots are now handling admin-style tasks at Ipswich Hospital, including GP referrals. The robot monitors the electronic referral system and when a new referral arrives, it gathers key clinical data and downloads several documents which it then records ready for clinical review. This was previously carried out by medical secretaries, freeing up valuable time to talk to patients and deal with queries.

Virtual robots are also helping hospital teams at Colchester reduce the number of wasted outpatient appointments by working behind the scenes in the electronic patient records system. Patients are sent a text message before their appointment to remind them about their hospital visit, if apatient selects to cancel the appointment, virtual robots ‘pick up’ the cancellation, search for the appointment and notify the clinic.

Partners have collaborated on an exciting new digital pilot with schools in Essex. Eight primary and secondary schools participated in ‘Digital Healthy Schools’ – a global first – seeing pupils engaging with mobile apps to help them manage their health. In collaboration with teachers and students from the schools, the programme has been co-created around a website, where health apps can be searched, compared, risk rated and downloaded – and even recommended to friends and family.

Anglia Ruskin Health Partners (ARHP), Active Essex, Essex County Council, and ORCHA (the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications) collaborated to explore whether there was an appetite amongst schools, children and young people to engage with digital in this way. The response was overwhelming, with all schools keen to provide their young people not just with new ways to engage with digital, health and wellbeing, but to provide a wider range of stu- dents with a unique leadership opportunity.

This was all about empowering children with information and en-couraging them to take a pro-active approach to their own health and to assist with their physical and psychological health needs. With 170,000 health apps already available and growing every day, this in- novative programme provided a secure and assured environment for children to find and use the best apps on the market. They re- searched apps from the categories that most interested them, including: exercise, sleep, mental health, diet and first aid: then compared, downloaded and recommended them to peers, teachers friends and family.

It also provided a unique touch point for conversations across the generations with children keen to assist both parents and grandparents with their health needs, by recommending apps for their conditions or lifestyle needs. Schools participating in the programme included Clacton Coastal Academy, Colchester Academy and Philip Morant School and College.