'See what I see' Remote clinical assessment for people in care homes using head-mounted technology

Delayed assessment and treatment of older people who fall ill in residential care homes is a common problem due to the limited availability of GPs. This can result in unplanned hospital admissions, which can be confusing and unsettling for patients, and lead to deterioration in their condition.

This project led by Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford Clinical Commissioning Group aimed to address this issue with an innovative solution that allows more timely assessment of care home residents by GPs in Eastbourne.

The project involves the use head-mounted technology to enable the GP (both in and out of hours) to undertake a clinical assessment of the patient in the care home via a care home member of staff, rather than attending in person.

This novel ‘see what I see’ approach allows a hands-free assessment at the care home, with real-time visual and verbal two-way communication between the GP, care home member of staff and patient. This can improve the quality of life for those people who might otherwise be admitted to hospital, avoiding disruption and possible loss of independence.

Testing of the technology was undertaken in two GP practices and two care homes in Eastbourne.

Collaborative working between all partners helped move things forward when obstacles were faced. There was some nervousness about using the new technology, which was overcome by encouraged users to share any problems with the project team.

Contact details

For more information about this project, please contact Fiona Streeter, Deputy Director of Organisational Development and Corporate Affairs, Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford Clinical Commissioning Group or Gill Potts, Senior Programme Manager, Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network.