New point of care blood test reduces wait for results from 10 days to six minutes at South London and Maudsley Mental Health Trust
ReStart and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust have joined forces to pioneer a new antipsychotic blood testing process for patients which delivers results within minutes.
The new finger prick test, provided by Saladax Biomedical, reduces the need for traditional blood testing, cutting the time spent waiting for results from 5-10 days to around 6 minutes.
South London and Maudsley have collaborated with integration and interoperability provider ReStart to connect systems across the whole Healthier South East London ICS and the wider LHCRE, One London.
This means results data can be moved quickly between collection devices, allowing it to be displayed in real time. This supports rapid clinical decision-making regarding dose adjustments, based on side effects and symptoms. The new process saves time and resources, with the potential to reduce inpatient bed stays to 3 weeks, instead of 3 months.
Andy Meiner, Chief Revenue Officer, for ReStart said: “We are proud to be the interoperability provider to South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. They remain the mental health experts within the NHS, spearheading ground-breaking research which in turn improves patient outcomes, saves resources and shortens care journeys.”
Having instantaneous results at the Point of Care (PoC) means that patients are better informed and demonstrate increased adherence and engagement with their treatment. This has led to improved patient outcomes.
The work utilises TIE interoperability across data collection points, patient records and Cogstack AI for the processing of results.
Stuart MacLellan, chief information officer at South London and Maudsley said: “This new blood testing system has the potential to significantly reduce the length of inpatient stays. This is invaluable given the significant demand for NHS mental health services now.
“Not only does this test reduce pressure on services, it empowers patients, giving them more control around their care – ultimately improving outcomes. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this can have across the NHS, as it continues to benefit our organisation.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without interoperability provider ReStart, allowing results data to be seen in real time and supporting rapid clinical decision making.”
Sal Salamone, founder and CEO of Saladax Biomedical, said: “The ability to partner with an outstanding organisation such as South London and Maudsley NHS Trust to implement our PoC device was an incredible opportunity to fulfil the vision for our company.
“From the improved patient-friendly blood collection to providing immediate test results while the patient is present, will significantly improve patient care and the drug’s effectiveness. In addition, this disruptive technology will dramatically impact the use and efficacy of clozapine drug treatment.”
To aid this work, the South London and Maudsley team have created a visualisation display for the outputs of the PoC test results, which gives clinicians direct access to results and the ability to calculate trends across defined time periods.
The published studies that have been carried out to date, show considerable benefits in financial, planning and patient outcomes related to this new test technique. Under the new testing and medication regime, patients can be stabilised on clozapine at a much shorter time, saving thousands and improving patient’s lives.
Join ReStart and Stuart MacLellan from South London and Maudsley to find out more about the ground-breaking work at a webinar on 25th November at 12.30pm. View the agenda and register by visiting Interoperability Challenges faced by the NHS | Digital Health
Contact: [email protected] for more information.
The Research
Point-of-care measurement of clozapine concentration using a finger-stick blood sample – PubMed (nih.gov) Click here
First Use of Clozapine Point of Care Testing in Acute Inpatient Psychiatry: Preliminary Report – PubMed (nih.gov) Click here
About ReStart
ReStart is the leading integration and interoperability supplier working with over 80 healthcare organisations. The company has provided integrated care for more than 20 years. www.restartconsulting.com
About South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest mental health Trusts providing the most-extensive portfolio of mental health services in the UK. The staff serve a population of 1.3 million people across four South London boroughs supporting 5,000 in care patients and more than 40,000 patients in the community. Home – South London and Maudsley (slam.nhs.uk)
About Saladax Biomedical, Inc.
Saladax Biomedical, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets assays that provide rapid therapeutic drug levels for essential and life-saving medicines prescribed by psychiatrists and oncologists. Since 2007, Saladax’s proprietary technology has been used in clinical laboratories or point-of-care settings to assist clinicians in monitoring and optimizing patient care. www.saladax.com
