Coracle Consort in practice
The Healthcare industry is an example of Coracle-Consort playing an important role within a partnership. You can find out more about our healthcare work here
Background
Helicon Health delivers digital healthcare to improve outcomes and reduce the cost of chronic disease. Helicon’s unique, integrated package of services helps clinicians and patients collaborate effectively for better shared care, closer to home. Their focus is on cardiovascular disease, starting with atrial fibrillation, stroke prevention and heart failure.
The Issue
Stroke affects more than 150,000 people a year in the UK with 1 in 5 strokes being associated with atrial fibrillation, the most common rhythm abnormality.
The drug warfarin is extremely effective here and can reduce the likelihood of stroke by around 66% in people with atrial fibrillation. People who self-test to monitor their warfarin therapy suffer fewer blood clots and bleeding than those who rely on doctors or other healthcare professionals monitoring them at clinics or GP practices.
In order to achieve the goal there is a recognition that education is required for everyone. Education can support the tools and systems that ensure self-care can be delivered safely and effectively.
Helicon have worked through trials to overcome a variety of potential barriers. In terms of the education piece of the mix, the initial focus was on face-to-face training, but they recognised the need to move towards an e-learning approach.
The Solution
Coracle worked with the team at Helicon Health to deliver a branded portal at heliconhealth.mycoracle.com based on the Osprey-VLE platform.
The site launched with e-learning courses based on Helicon content focussed on:
- A patient's guide to anticoagulation management and stroke prevention
- CPD for healthcare professionals: Anticoagulation management and stroke prevention
- Management of DOACs
Coracle worked with Helicon to deliver webinar demonstrations pre-trial for a number of NHS trusts across the UK; prepared post trial surveys and assisted in user experience testing which involved observing users from a range of target groups whilst they were asked to perform a range of tasks on the site.
The learning content is based on existing print material trialled and tested by Helicon. By bringing it online, however, Coracle added new features to raise engagement and guide users along their learning journeys. This included quizzes, tests, specially commissioned videos, social learning and of course Osprey-VLE.
The Outcome
The result was content tailored to the needs of busy patients and healthcare professionals who learn at home or at work, while travelling or even on a mobile at the nearest Starbucks.
Helicon proved that their approach to self-monitoring can stop preventable strokes and save the NHS money. In one clinical commissioning group in north London it is estimated to have prevented 37 strokes among an over-60 population of 57,290 - saving an estimated £592,000 per annum in stroke care.