Digital health: how can technology be used to engage hard-to-reach patients and assist with patient monitoring?

Helping someone live with a condition as complex as MS can be fraught with challenges.

MS professionals are asked to manage multiple physical and psychological symptoms while following complicated drug monitoring regimes, all in the face of shirking resources and growing caseloads.

As the burden of monitoring people on disease modifying therapies has grown, a corresponding lack of resource for symptom management has led to inequity of services for those with progressive disease.

Across the UK, however, technology is being used to overcome these obstacles, by erasing geographic boundaries and expanding access. From conducting video consultations to setting up online peer support groups, digital health can and is being utilised to improve services for everyone.

As part of the Quality in the Delivery of Services (QuDoS) in MS recognition programme, a panel of experts will discuss how to meet the information, support and engagement needs of people living with MS through technology.

The live webinar, produced by pharmaphorum with the support of the MS Trust and Biogen, will feature the views of patients and professionals alike.

Experts including Jo Sopala, Director of Development at the MS Trust, will discuss using digital health to:

• Increase patient access to quality, trusted information through digital translation services
• Offer greater support through online peer support and symptom management apps
• Boost adherence through electronic reminder systems
• Increase involvement in clinical trials through wearable technologies
• Increase access to services through remote appointments

The live webinar takes place at 12.30pm on Friday 20 April.

To secure your place, please click here or on the button above or below.

Participants

Trishna Bharadia, MS advocate

Trishna was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting MS aged 28, in 2008, and since then has become a multi-award winning patient advocate, using her experiences to help others cope with the condition in as positive a way as possible.

She works full-time as a translator but in her spare time collaborates with organisations in the UK and abroad, including the MS Society (Ambassador), Sue Ryder (Ambassador), the Wheelchair Dance Sport Association (Patron), the Huntingdon MS Therapy Centre (Patron), Asian MS (Newsletter Editor and Committee Member), the MS Trust, the Patient Information Forum, MS-UK, the European MS Platform, Shift.ms, Disability Horizons and various pharmaceutical companies, among others.

She speaks at events and in the media about issues affecting people with MS, campaigns, writes, vlogs, blogs, is part of the MS Society’s Research Network, reviews research proposals as a lay reviewer and helps to educate pharmaceutical staff and HCPs about living with MS. She was instrumental in the development of an innovative six-week “Living Well with MS” course for Sue Ryder Nettlebed in 2015 and is a member of “The Ozone” virtual round table for key opinion leaders across healthcare specialities by Oyster Healthcare. In 2015 she put MS on the national map by appearing in the first ever “People’s Strictly for Comic Relief” on BBC1, a four-part Strictly Come Dancing spin-off.

She has won several awards for her work, including MS Society Volunteer of the Year 2013, a Sue Ryder Southern Women of Achievement 2015 award, Woman of Achievement 2015 (Women of the Year Foundation), the Precious Leadership Award 2016 and the We Are The City Top 100 Rising Star Award (Charity category).

Jo Sopala, Director of Development, MS Trust

Jo leads on Income Generation and the Health Professional Programme at the MS Trust. She joined the Trust as Director of Fundraising and Marketing in 2007 and previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry. She has worked across a wide range of specialities, but since 2001 Jo has concentrated on MS. Throughout this time Jo has been committed to raising the profile of MS specialist health professionals, sharing best practice to drive service improvement and working with specialists to identify what support, resources and evidence is required to ensure people living with MS get the best care possible.

Rachel Morrison, MS specialist nurse, NHS Western Isles

Rachel Morrison is an MS specialist nurse with 28 years of nursing experience. Prior to taking up this role, she worked as a nurse in GP practices as well as community and palliative care. In 2017, Rachel was awarded the Judges' Special Award at the national QuDoS in MS Awards. The award highlights innovation and excellence in MS care management and service delivery, recognising the valuable contribution of individuals and teams in improving the quality of life and experience of care for those with MS. Rachel has collaborated with the NHS Western Isles Technology Enabled Care (TEC) team to develop digital services for local MS patients, including a  video conferencing facility which enables MS patients unable to leave their own homes to link into consultations and the MS Service Advisory Group.

Dr Paul Tunnah, CEO, pharmaphorum (moderator)

Paul Tunnah is CEO and Founder of pharmaphorum media, which facilitates productive engagement for pharma, bringing healthcare together to drive medical innovation. It combines industry-leading content and social media engagement services with the globally recognised news, information and insight portal pharmaphorum.com, working with pharmaceutical companies, service providers and broader healthcare organisations to help communicate their thought leadership and connect them with relevant stakeholders.