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Warwick Medical School

Remote Consulting for Healthcare

Remote Consulting is when patients consult with healthcare workers about a health issue using some form of digital communication, e.g. a mobile phone or tablet. Remote consulting has potential to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly for communities with minimal access to services or living in low resource settings. In the face of COVID-19, health workers can protect their own health and the health of their patients by providing healthcare remotely where this is safe for the patient. At this time of pandemic, the World Health Organization recommends the use of remote consulting where possible.

Our Programme

Led by Professor Frances Griffiths, our Remote Consulting for Healthcare Programme at Warwick Medical School combines cutting-edged research with training and development of materials to support digital communication between healthcare providers and patients: in low- and middle-income countries and the UK.

We are a community of academics, researchers and practitioners from within and beyond the university who are interested in exploring digital innovation in healthcare delivery, showcasing good practice, contributing evidence and participating in emerging debate and practice in this lively new field.

Partners include

Training in Remote Consulting

REaCH Training for health workers to deliver healthcare digitally in low- resource settings

In low-resource settings in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, healthcare workers may own smart phones but other equipment for digital communication is rare. We have developed a blended training programme (REaCH) to support the delivery of trustworthy, safe and scalable remote primary healthcare.

REaCH uses a a train-the-trainer approach: nurses/medical officers/doctors are trained via their smart phones using an app and social media; training is then cascaded to other cadres of health worker including community health workers, who are trained using their feature phones and available social media. opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window

REaCH Training and materials

REaCH training materials are free to use subject to licence. If you would like to discuss delivery of the training by one of the organisations who developed it please get in touch.

Find out more about REaCH Training here
Additional Resources
We have developed our findings from the UK-based LYNC Study into a Quick Reference e-book with 10 Topic Guides for patients and professionals who are using or considering the use of digital communication on clinical matters. The e-book and Topic Guides are free to download.

Our Research

Learn more about our current and past research by clicking on specific projects below.

Remote consulting in low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Remote Consulting in the UK

 

Contact us

Programme Lead

Frances Griffiths f.e.griffiths@warwick.ac.uk