Safe sharing of ECGs and Echo Reports reduces unnecessary referrals

Published: 25th September 2019

The IG secure Consultant Connect App is the “most used” photo app in the NHS for teledermatology and can be used on any personal smartphone. Doctors are increasingly turning to it for many other specialties where there is a need to quickly and safely share high quality images.

Take cardiology as an example; ECGs and Echo Reports are routinely performed to diagnose cardiac problems and clinicians often need to seek specialist advice to interpret them. Responding specialists tell us that there is no standard way to share an ECG trace, meaning that a patient might be referred straightaway or the GP may try to fax an ECG to their local hospital. Faxed ECGs are usually of a poor quality, leaving the specialist with no other choice than to recommend an outpatient appointment.

The diagram below shows how the Consultant Connect App is being used by GPs to provide a high quality image to specialists. Users can efficiently and safely send images via the app on their own mobile. If they need to, they can also directly call specialists using the app. As you’ll also see, target response times are quick and reliable encouraging GPs to seek advice rather than making an referral.

Click here to download the PDF or click below to view the diagram.

Contact us on 01865 261467 or hello@consultantconnect.org.uk if you have any questions or would like to discuss the above.