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    Virtual ward platform technologies for acute respiratory infections

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    2 The technology

    Technologies

    2.1 A virtual ward platform technology comprises a patient-facing app or website, medical devices for measuring vital signs and a digital platform for healthcare professionals. The aim of these technologies is to expand the capacity of the acute care sector by monitoring people who would otherwise be in hospital, remotely in their home or usual place of residence. Several virtual ward platform technologies are available in the NHS. NICE identified 20 companies as part of the scoping process. Of these, the following 13 companies provided information on their technology:

    • Clinitouch (Spirit Health)

    • Current Health (Current Health)

    • Doccla Virtual Ward solution (Doccla)

    • DOC@HOME (Docobo)

    • Feebris (Feebris)

    • Huma (Huma)

    • Inhealthcare Digital Health Platform (Inhealthcare)

    • Lenus COPD Support Service (Lenus Health)

    • Luscii (Luscii Healthtech)

    • RespiraSense Hub (PMD Solutions)

    • Virtual Ward Technologies (Virtual Ward Technologies Ltd)

    • VitalPatch remote patient monitoring solution (MediBioSense Ltd)

    • Whzan Blue Box (Solcom).

      Of these 13 technologies, 11 are currently used in the NHS. See table 2.1 of the assessment report for details of the features offered by the virtual ward platforms technologies evaluated. This includes technologies with risk-stratified alerts and those that can do continuous monitoring using wearable devices and have trend-based alerts. Table C3 of the assessment report lists the interoperability of the virtual ward platforms technologies evaluated.

    2.2 Technologies can be used once they have appropriate regulatory approval, including CE mark, and meet the standards within NHS England's Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC). Any associated medical devices needed to measure clinical parameters must also have appropriate regulatory approval.

    Care pathway

    2.3 NHS England's guidance on acute respiratory infection (ARI) virtual wards provides a framework for the setup of virtual wards for people with an ARI, including information on staffing and out-of-hours care. People can be admitted to a virtual ward from either a hospital setting as an early discharge, as an alternative to hospital admission, or via direct patient–NHS contact. A clinical assessment of suitability for admission to a virtual ward should be carried out in person by a healthcare professional. It should include a review of symptoms, function, clinical observations, appropriate diagnostics, clinical severity scoring, overall clinical trajectory and a shared decision-making discussion about any support the person or their carers may need. Suitability of the person's usual place of residence should also be considered, such as access to a fixed or mobile telephone line, running water and electricity. The person or their carers would also need the confidence, motivation and skills to be able to use a virtual ward platform and the associated medical devices. On admission to a virtual ward, plans relating to monitoring, escalation of care and discharge should be made.

    Comparator

    2.4 Virtual ward platform technologies would be used as an alternative to inpatient secondary care, care in the community or care in the person's usual place of residence without the use of a virtual ward platform.