Continuing Care During COVID-19
The Challenge We Face
Across the UK millions of people require support and rehabilitation services to help manage their Long Term Conditions (LTCs) and overall health. Unfortunately, as a result of measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, face-to-face, clinic based services are being temporarily stopped and people are requested to stay at home, which is interrupting care for a vast number of people. Further to this, isolation measures are increasing the risk of inactivity, which is proven to be a major contributing factor to a deterioration in mental and physical health.
Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, identified the need to support those in isolation to manage their own health as part of the overall goal of reducing deaths from all causes during COVID-19. In order to do this effectively, we must utilise technology and remote services to provide a continuation of care for those that need it and, as much as is possible, reduce the future impact of this crisis on peoples’ health outcomes and the NHS.
What Are We Doing?
KiActiv® are continuing to deliver our remote, technology enabled services to support people with Long Term Conditions or undergoing Rehabilitation, to improve their self-care. We are currently delivering services in the following areas across the NHS and we also have additional capacity to help people stay healthy at home using everyday physical activity.
- Long Term Condition Management (Type 2 Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease, Lymphoedema and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
- Rehabilitation Services (Frailty and Falls Prevention, Pulmonary Rehabiliation)
- Prehabilitation Services (as part of a surgical pathway for Colorectal Cancer)
We have witnessed astonishing behaviour change amongst over 1000 NHS patients in a short period of time and many are accompanied by truly heart-warming stories of better health.
The recent response from participants with Long Term Condition’s and other Rehabilitation services to us continuing to provide care has been overwhelmingly positive. We are witnessing that people are readily embracing the limitations to their environment and finding new ways to be active for the benefit of their conditions, and their mental wellbeing. This reflects our previous experience of housebound individuals and those in a restricted environment showing resilience and ingenuity to benefit the health.
What is KiActiv® Health?
KiActiv® Health is a personalised and guided online service that empowers people to increase physical activity within their everyday lives, and without the need for visits to clinics or gyms. We integrate clinically proven behaviour change technology in an interactive personalised dashboard that uses data from an accurate activity tracker and dedicated remote mentor support. It is focused on everyday movement and promotes the opportunities to be active across all ~112 waking hours a week, rather than 1-2 hours of an exercise, with no barriers to age or mobility.
During the KiActiv® Health programme, participants are supported by phone calls with a trained KiActiv® Mentor at key times across 12 weeks. The calls help participants build an understanding of the value of their daily activities and the confidence to plan, monitor and improve, without compulsion or prescription. At the end of the 12 weeks the participants will have continued access to their personal dashboard and activity monitor to enable them to continue their self-management and the changes to their daily routines.
Our service provides people with a unique and personalised understanding of everyday physical activity for health, enabling them to make healthy, sustainable choices that suit their condition, capacity and environment.
If you are an NHS organisation looking to increase the remote support you can offer to your patients in Long Term Condition and Rehabilitation pathways, please get in touch with Tommy Parker using the form below.
