--- title: "Virtual Wards" canonical: "https://wiki.patientsknowbest.com/space/DEPLOY/3573285207/Virtual%20Wards" format: markdown --- > Macro (toc) PKB is a data source for a virtual ward, enabling remote monitoring of patients who no longer require hospitalisation but still need medical support. This page will go through the key features teams can use.  # Usecase Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Heart Failure team has pioneered the use of PKB to enable remote monitoring and self-management and reduce unplanned hospital admission/attendance. Patients have embraced PKB, with almost 60% of registered heart failure patients being over 65.   Care plan usage has increased, with around eight plans created a week.  Patient entered symptoms and measurements have grown by 200% in the last year. Secure messaging is replacing calls to the office, with usage across the hospital up 7% since launching the pilot projects. [Click](https://patientsknowbest.com/2023/12/13/digital-first-approach-enables-self-management-and-reduces-admissions-amongst-older-heart-failure-patients/) here to read the full case study. # PKB Features  There are key PKB features all virtual ward services can use with their patients to support them while they have their care and support delivered virtually while at home. A list of them is below. ## Messaging - Patients have access to message their healthcare team (saving time on the phone) - The Admin team can triage messages.  Either resolving or passing onto another speciality team - [Universal Messaging](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/Org-Set-Up/org/Mess) is the ability for patients to message clinical and non-clinical teams - [Team-based messaging](https://wiki.patientsknowbest.com/space/MAN/4063035436) allows teams to automatically receive[ secure messages](https://wiki.patientsknowbest.com/space/MAN/3624927264) and[ questionnaires](https://wiki.patientsknowbest.com/space/MAN/3624828958) as a group rather than as individuals. ![iPad Outline - Messaging.png](media://6365af0a-00a5-4620-883f-803bb836a1fc) ## Library - [Central hospital library for advice, services and information](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/Org-Set-Up/org/lbr) - Disease and condition information with advice and resources - Treatment plans, for example, a rehab program with videos and advice a patient needs to watch and read each week - Rehabilitation information - Advice on Living well, including exercise, healthy eating, quitting smoking and alcohol recommendations - Details and links to National and local support groups and website - Professional alliance information - Treatment options for orthopaedic conditions and pain management ![image](media://7b2da0a0-0e44-4958-9b5d-620ad3f8fbb9) ## Care Plans PKB care plans can be used at every stage of a patient's condition journey, below are some of the care plan templates being used and templates that can be created. - Condition information and resource care plans - Orthopaedic monitoring condition plan[ here](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/cp/Monitoring/hf) is an example of a cardiology monitoring care plan - Rehab, physical activity and musculoskeletal health - [Goals setting care plan](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/cp/Monitoring/me-and-my-goals) - 8-Week[ Orthopaedic Prehabilitation plan](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/cp/treatment/ortho) - [ACL Reconstruction Proforma care plan](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/cp/long) - [Enhanced recovery](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/cp/treatment/er) care plan - [Peri-operative care plans](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/Spec/peri-op/peri-cp) One of PKB's customers, CMyLife in the Netherlands, wants to have a virtual hospital to reduce travel / in-person appointments and increase medication compliance and manage related symptoms/side effects remotely. They are using PKB as part of this project, allowing patients to see their blood results and ranges and track and record symptoms and measurements. ![image](media://d742097b-85f0-4f91-b69b-4851c4775b94) ## Questionnaires PKB allows patients to complete forms, surveys, or questionnaires. Questionnaires can be sent on an individual basis or to a whole cohort of patients. The output of the questionnaires can be aggregated and anonymised and is available via the API or as a CSV download. Teams can get patients to fill in questionnaires periodically, in some cases these are pre-appointment or post-operative assessments. Below are some of the questionnaire templates being used by teams. - Annual Review and Flare-Up Questionnaires - Symptoms and Quality of Life Questionnaire - [PREOM](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/consultation/preom) - Pain questionnaire - [Enhance recovery after surgery questionnaire](https://deploy.patientsknowbest.com/deploy/clinical/consultation/renal) ![image](media://8099ffcb-2cef-4d0c-9a16-884ca117c8e6) ## Add and View Data - Patients can view hospitals and GP data  where an integration with PKB has been set up - Data can include blood tests, x-ray reports, clinic and appointment letters, appointments and discharge summaries - Patients can add information themselves, including operations and conditions - Patients can track key measurements and add any symptoms related to their orthopaedic condition ![image](media://20a69af9-97c3-4854-96ab-3f9f12e9978e) # Further Information - [The digital first approach enables self-management and reduces admissions among older heart failure patients](https://patientsknowbest.com/2023/12/13/digital-first-approach-enables-self-management-and-reduces-admissions-amongst-older-heart-failure-patients/): how [Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust](https://www.linkedin.com/company/chelwestft/) Heart Failure team has been pioneering use of PKB to support an often underserved cohort of patients for two recent pilot projects. - Example of how PKB is used by[ peri-operative teams ](https://wiki.hub.patientsknowbest.com/wiki/spaces/DEPLOY/pages/3573514778) - [Luscii & PKB partner:](https://patientsknowbest.com/2022/10/10/luscii/) Patients to get access to advance remote patient monitoring within their personal health record