SiKL - A Smartphone-Held Record for People with Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle Cell Disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in England. Without prompt diagnosis and proper treatment, it can be a serious source of morbidity and mortality. As part of a programme of work to improve the care of people with Sickle Cell Disease the Global eHealth Unit in the Department of Primary Care & Public Health at Imperial College London has developed SiKL.

SiKL is a replacement for paper-based patient-held records for Sickle Cell Disease. The purpose of SiKL is to give patients a way of organising and communicating their health information during routine healthcare encounters and in emergencies. SiKL was developed with input from clinicians from Imperial College Healthcare Trust in the UK and based on existing paper-based records and emergency information letters given to people with Sickle Cell Disease.

SiKL has a number of potential advantages over paper-based record. Firstly, it won't run out of space. Secondly it's more likely to be available in an emergency since many people carry their phone at all times. Finally, it shifts the balance of information towards the patient by putting them in charge of their record. It is specifically designed to help patients record information themselves. Simplified data input methods and data validation rules are used wherever possible. SiKL is a tool for patients, and does not replace the need for traditional medical records.

The best way to assess whether SiKL is something you could use in your practice is to try it out. SiKL is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Comments

Integrating Work Coaches for Employment Support in GP practices

The integration of Work Coaches (WCs) & Disability Employment Advisors (DEAs) into UK General Practice (GP) provides an innovative approach to bridging the gap between health & employment services. We now reflect on the findings of our recent study led by Shriti Patani, Lara Shemtob & Kabir Varghese in collaboration with colleagues from the Department of Primary Care and Public Health at Imperial College London. The study explored the benefits & challenges of integrating emplyment support services in primary care from the perspectives of GPs & work coaches. What’s the context? Employment is a critical social determinant of health, with unemployment linked to poorer physical & mental wellbeing & reduced quality of life. Traditionally, individuals seeking employment support access services through Jobcentres. However, barriers including stigma or lack of awareness - especially in people with disabilities or long-term health conditions -...

Family Medicine Residency Training Program in Saudi Arabia

Dr Ahmed Al-Mujil is a Family Medicine Doctor from Saudia Arabia on a one year attachment to the Academic Dept of Primary care at Imperial. In this blog he gives us a unique insight into Family Medicine training in Saudia Arabia. The Family Medicine Residency Training Program in Saudi Arabia was established in 1994, at which time the first edition of the curriculum was written. Since then, Family Medicine and medical education have undergone significant changes. The curriculum was revised many times, until recent adoption of the Canadian Medical Education Directive for Specialists- CanMeds competencies framework in which the “competent physician” seamlessly integrates the competencies of all seven CanMEDS Roles. (Medical expert, Collaborator, Communicator , Leader , Health Advocate, Scholar and Professional). The duration of training in Family Medicine is four years starting from the first of October every year. All trainees must go through the rotations in their traini...

Say hello, wave goodbye...

Our GP Derm and Paeds Course Lead Dr Emma Metters sadly left us this month to take a new post at St George's. She reflects on her time at Imperial below: My time as GP Derm and Paeds Course Lead has come to an end but the good news is the wonderful Senita Mountjoy is returning from her maternity leave to take up the post again. She brings so much energy and enthusiasm for the courses that she was instrumental in the design of initial delivery of. I am sure she has many ideas of where she wants to take them so watch this space for new and exciting teaching developments on the horizon. This is not really goodbye as I will be continuing my involvement in Imperial in various ways so may well cross paths with some of you again. I have really enjoyed my time at Imperial, in several different roles, and have gained a wealth of experience which I will be taking with me to my new role as Clinical Lecturer in Primary Care at St George’s University. I hope many...

Imperial College London Primary Care

Search This Blog