Patients and clinicians are to benefit from the latest healthcare app which targets people with multiple medical conditions.

The care of patients with multiple medical conditions is one of the greatest challenges now faced by healthcare providers and it is a key priority in the 2020 Vision Routemap for NHSScotland.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has worked with pharmacists, clinicians and researchers from across Scotland to convert this guidance into a downloadable mobile app. It is also available via the internet as a web-based resource. To date the vast majority of healthcare guidelines and processes have been designed for patients with single conditions but many have multiple chronic conditions, requiring multiple treatments and therefore guidance to ensure the on-going safe and effective use of their multiple medicines.

With its focus on the seven-step medicines review process, this app is a first for NHSScotland, providing clinicians with guidance at their fingertips, in clinical settings or community and features:

  • The seven-steps medicines review process, centred around the individual adult patient
  • Management of high risk medicines and of common high risk situations – e.g. multiple medicines and risk of falls in older people
  • Assessing cumulative risk of drug toxicity and adverse drug reactions as the number of a patient’s medicines increases
  • Numbers Needed to Treat, to support clinicians in assessing the effectiveness of a medication in reducing risk over a period of time

This mobile app will support all clinicians carrying out comprehensive face-to-face medication reviews with patients and carers. It is a key deliverable of NES’ Knowledge into Action Strategy, providing a unique practical tool to help practitioners to get evidence into action for safe and effective, person-centred care, in a complex area of practice, and in a way that responds holistically to individual patient needs.

Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Alpana Mair, who sponsored development of the app, said, ‘I am delighted to be able to offer this app to NHSScotland staff as a decision support tool that supports implementation of the polypharmacy guidance and delivery of the recommendations in Prescription for Excellence.

‘It will help to address the challenges of supporting people taking multiple medicines, and deliver better outcomes for patients with multiple conditions as a key priority for health and care in Scotland.’