The Urology cancer team at Airedale Hospital have launched a new service for prostate cancer patients, using Robotic Process Automation (RPA) that will send patients the automated results of their PSA test by text, rather than having to attend a clinic appointment.
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust is the first in West Yorkshire to adopt digital automation for this pathway. Enabled by Innovation Award funding from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance, this is a key milestone in Airedale’s digital transformation programme.
PSA is a blood result that’s monitored for any patient who has gone through prostate cancer treatment, to ensure there’s no recurrence of prostate cancer. Follow up times are different for each patient, dependent on whether they’ve had surgery, radiotherapy and low or high-risk disease.
The robotic automation will identify from the waiting lists when patients are due a PSA test, text them to get the blood test done, and look for the results. Patient’s results are individual to them and the automation is able to identify what is a normal result for each person. The automation sends a text message with the results to the patient within 24 hours. It then adds the patient back to the waiting list for their next review. Where a result is not within normal range, these are flagged to the clinical team for review.
The automation will be invaluable in helping the team to reduce waiting lists and waiting times for blood tests, increase clinic capacity and be a much better experience for patients, helping reduce their anxiety as they wait for results. As well as saving money and admin time it also gives real time updates to clinicians, reduces treatment delays and reduces risk by automating patient tracking. It also means rises in PSA levels will be detected earlier.
Helen Akhtar, Lead Macmillan Urology Clinical Nurse Specialist at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said:
“Faster access to results will have a positive impact on relieving patient anxiety.”
It will revolutionise the way patients receive their prostate follow up results. Importantly it reduces the need for frequent hospital appointments, allowing men to have a life beyond their cancer follow up.”
“We’re already looking at other procedures where we can move to automation, to make our cancer service even better for our patients.”
The RPA is provided by Blue Prism Cloud technology and funded by the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance.
Helen adds: “We are also very grateful to the Cancer Alliance who have helped us with funding to achieve this new service.”
Helen Ryan, Programme Manager for Innovation at West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance, said: “Our innovation competition provides funding to initiatives across the region that help to promote early cancer diagnosis and better care for patients.
“We are always keen to support projects which have a particular focus and are delighted to support this initiative which will bring huge benefits to prostate cancer patients.
“Reducing waiting lists and waiting times not only increases clinic capacity and takes pressure off the system, it greatly improves the experience of cancer patients during a particularly stressful and anxious time of their lives.”
