Pioneering CardioPod will change face of patient care
An Edinburgh pharmacy has become the first in Scotland to introduce Telehealth Solution’s pioneering new CardioPod.
And patients at Apple Pharmacy in the city’s Eyre Place can now use the technology to check vital signs and undergo comprehensive health checks without visiting their GP.
The CardioPod can be installed in pharmacies and GP surgeries, allowing patients easy access to vascular health checks carried out by a trained professional.
Afterwards, users will be given expert advice on their cardiovascular risk score and advised how they can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes and kidney disease.
Apple Pharmacy manager Georgina Coulson, who carries out checks on patients in the pharmacy, explained: “The CardioPod allows us to undertake health checks that previously would have taken time for results to reach the patient. With these advancements, we can provide cardiovascular health checks by trained professionals in a short time frame and have the results instantly. The risk can then be significantly reduced through providing accurate advice and support to those who may require it.”
As a standalone unit, the CardioPod comes with scales and sphygmomanometer to capture basic vital signs information. A Cholestech LDX blood chemistry analyser is available as an option to add a lipid profile.
The CardioPod is very patient-friendly with a clear and easy-to-use touch-screen and patients can answer the standard health check questions themselves.
The cardiovascular risk score is then calculated on the CardioPod using the industry standard risk assessment tool Qrisk2 and is displayed visually as a square of smiley and sad faces whose proportions vary with risk level.
Mary Scanlon MSP, the Scottish Conservatives health spokeswoman, officially launched the CardioPod at Apple Pharmacy on September 1.
Mary commented: “As I represent constituents in the Highlands and Islands, which include many remote communities, the concept of the CardioPod offering people remote access to vital cardiovascular checks is of particular interest to me and I am delighted to have been part of the launch.
“I would like to congratulate Apple Pharmacy for taking the step to become the first in Scotland to have a CardioPod installed and also commend Telehealth Solutions for pushing the boundaries of 21st century primary healthcare.”
Also present at the launch were Telehealth Solutions chairman Jeremy Cummin and key industry players Andy Carver of the British Heart Foundation, Dr Andrew Marsden of NHS National Procurement and Alex MacKinnon, who is head of corporate communications at Community Pharmacy Scotland.
Alex was keen to sample the machine for himself and agreed to undergo a comprehensive cardiovascular test on the day.
On his experience, he said: “I think the CardioPod is great as it is so easy to use and I was impressed that even the electronic scales were linked directly into the main body of the machine.
“It is certainly something we could trial at the Community Pharmacy Scotland stall during one of the many party conferences we have coming up next year. It is so patient friendly, as there is a lot of patient interaction, and people also get their results presented to them then and there.”
Posted on Wednesday, 09 September 2009