Positive Outcome Snapshot

• Simple to use, easy to interpret
• Fewer mistakes made
• Provides a broad perspective of patient wellbeing concerns
• Fewer personnel hours consumed inputting and collating data.

Fact File

Measure Well Client: Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre (SROMC), Harrogate Hospital

Sector: UK National Health Service  Cancer Treatments

Interventions/Services: Complementary therapies including, reflexology, massage, Bowen technique, reiki, Daoyin Tao, relaxation sessions, auricular therapy

The Situation

The SROMC at Harrogate Hospital was issuing ‘Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing’ (MYCaW) in paper form to measure the outcomes of patients affected by cancer.

Outcome measurements are crucial to understanding how patients experience the services SROMC offers. Staff needed to learn how to adapt treatments and patient conversations and know when to seek extended support.

The Challenge

The paper forms posed multiple challenges because they were time-consuming and required many personnel hours. The paper forms were difficult to collate because numerous people were involved in patient treatment. Covid restrictions and staff isolation also resulted in prolonged time frames and extensive administrative backlogs.

SROMC needed an all-encompassing solution to measure the outcomes vital to improving the knowledge of a multidisciplinary team, including service reviews and the value and benefits patients gain. The data needed to be robust and acceptable to support funding applications and department sustainability.

The Solution

SROMC registered for the Measure Well Multiple Users platform and Warwick Holistic Health Questionnaire (WHHQ) access to obtain a measurement of patient outcomes that are recognised as a gold standard and accepted by clinicians. They wanted an efficient, cost-effective, and easy-to-use platform for patients and staff.

The Outcome

Patients could simply and quickly complete the WHHQ forms at home using the Measure Well system. No manual input from paper forms was needed, so fewer mistakes occurred, and staff felt more confident in the accuracy of reported measurements.

Patients aren’t always aware of how low they feel and filling in questionnaires can be a positive therapeutic task. When patients become aware of their improved wellbeing, they want to help themselves more. SROMC staff found that completing the WHHQ empowered patients and that the reports helped therapists to direct patient conversations towards areas of concern with significantly improved outcomes.

The Benefits

Staff at SROMC have gained huge time savings since using the WHHQ. The results are easy to collate and review because the reporting process is automated. Storage issues are no longer problematic because the questionnaires are completed, stored and reviewed digitally. Data is comprehensive and staff have the peace of mind that everything needed to make informed decisions is included.

“Before implementing the WHHQ, I felt that things were being excluded. The process was sporadic and messy in terms of collation. It was time consuming and took up a lot of space holding onto paperwork for the required period. Results are now available immediately, and it’s easy for patients to complete.”

Julie Crossman, Lead Complementary Therapist