What are we trying to do?

We are undertaking an evaluation of the Virtual Wards service being implemented across Greater Manchester.

 

 

Why is this important?

The health and care systems across England have been challenged with implementing a Virtual Wards service by December 2023. Recently, ARC-GM researchers Prof. Emma Vardy and Dr Gill Norman co-authored a Position Statement published by the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) about virtual wards in relation to older people.

 

The BGS definition of a virtual ward is

 

“a time-limited service enabling people who have an acute condition or exacerbation of a chronic condition requiring hospital-level care to receive this care in the place they call home, either as an alternative to hospital admission or by facilitating an earlier discharge from hospital.”

 

NHS England describes virtual wards as

 

“allowing patients to get the care they need at home safely and conveniently, rather than being in hospital” (see here for more information).

 

 

Crucially, virtual wards deliver a variable combination of remote monitoring and face-to-face treatment in the person’s normal place of residence (at home or in a care home). Virtual wards supported by NHS England funding will include an element of technology to help staff to monitor patient physiological observations remotely.

 

A recent rapid evidence synthesis (RES) published in Age & Ageing by Prof. Vardy and Dr Norman from ARC-GM, indicated that there is limited evidence of clinical effectiveness of virtual wards. Importantly the publication includes a practical synopsis of terminology used in clinical practice in relation to virtual wards, hospital at home and remote monitoring.

 

Our planned evaluation of virtual wards in Greater Manchester offers us an opportunity to work closely with our key stakeholders to inform regional and national decision making.

 

Prior to this study, we did a systematic review of technology-enabled innovations of virtual wards and hospital at home. The analyses, which included 69 studies (38 randomised and 31 non-randomised) and described 63 interventions, found that none of the technology-enabled care at home models explored put people at higher risk of readmission compared with hospital-based care. There also appeared to be no additional risk of mortality due to use of technology-enabled at home models. It was unclear whether inpatient-level care at home using higher levels of technology provided additional benefits. 
 

 

 

How are we doing it?

We are taking a mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) approach to answer questions that have been highlighted by GM Stakeholders (including public contributors) as being high priority.

 

 

 

Who are we working with?

• Health Innovation Manchester
• The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership
• The Greater Manchester Virtual Ward Programme Board

 

 

More information:

 

 

Programme Manager
Dr Ross Atkinson
ross.atkinson@manchester.ac.uk