A remote OASIS: Implementing clinical guidelines over a virtual platform

ABSTRACT

Keywords OASIS;Clinical guidelines;Virtual Purpose: The OsteoArthritis Self-management & Independent-living Support Group (OASIS Group) was set up in response to NICE Guidance CG177 in 2014, to create a cost effective yet high quality and efficient treatment pathway for people living with hip and knee osteoarthritis (Roberts & Busby 2020). The world was then changed dramatically with the appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced significant changes to ways of professional working. After the closure of non-essential services, the OASIS team were forced to revisit the NICE Guidelines in order to develop a virtual service for people with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: During the restoration of services, the OASIS group was developed into a virtual programme to focus on the core treatment of enhancing understanding OA and its management, alongside a home exercise plan and weight loss advice. Converting to a virtual platform still required safeguards to be in place to protect patient's information and maintain confidentiality. The following documents needed to be created to ensure Information Governance principles were observed and were approved by Health & Safety and Legal teams within the trust • Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for managing unwell patients • SOP for using Microsoft Teams for group consultations • Risk assessment • User-agreement • Safe-home checklist • Screening tool Patient educational material from the OASIS group was converted to a virtual format to be presented to patients at each session. Patients have also been involved in the co-creation of an educational guidebook alongside the team to develop appropriate tools to aid self management. Digital versions of outcome measures, working within licencing restrictions, were also created to monitor the effectiveness of the programme. Results: The move to a virtual platform for the delivery of the OASIS programme has allowed the most vulnerable patients to access services safely. In a time when they are shielding to protect their health, the remote OASIS group provides them with a tailored treatment programme to educate and empower them to self manage their long-term condition. Conclusion(s) Moving forwards, the virtual platform is now a viable option even with the return of face-face appointments, for those people who struggle to access the service. It remains a sustainable and cost effective service to tackle the ever-growing problem of OA. Patient satisfaction and feedback will be collected after each group to ensure high quality care that meets the needs of its users. Following pilot groups, outcomes will be collected and analysed to monitor the effectiveness of the programme and compare to the original OASIS group. Impact Development of the remote OASIS group removes the restraints of location and facility availability allowing access from a wider proportion of the population. It maintains group interactions and provides a service that keeps people safe whilst still addressing their health care needs. The foundation of processes and documents that have been developed for use with the remote OASIS programme have formed a template for future groups to be based upon. Work is underway with Keele University to develop a lower back pain virtual group, using the experiences and expertise of OASIS at its core. Funding acknowledgements This work was not funded.