Virtual consultations have become an essential tool for the Abbott Nurse Advisor service, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. What was originally a necessary measure to facilitate social distancing has since evolved into a means of providing an even better service for patients.

Abbott Nurse Advisors support safe patient discharges from hospital to home and help provide consistent clinical support in the community. With recent digital improvements and enhanced virtual support, they are now able to collaborate even more closely with NHS colleagues to deliver compassionate patient care – utilising MS Teams enabled via NHSmail.

The advantages of video calls

Through the use of a home computer or smart device, patients can attend consultations and connect with an Abbott Nurse Advisor from the comfort of their own homes, making it much easier for them to receive 1:1 personalised support and advice as and when they need it.

Virtual consultations by video call present several benefits for both patients, NHS care teams and Abbott Nurse Advisors, including:

Incorporating a mix of remote and in-person consultations also enables Abbott Nurse Advisors to potentially see more patients in a single day – with time that might otherwise be spent travelling instead utilised for patient communication and support.

Enhancing the patient experience

Our video consultation platform has recently been updated with ‘chat’ functionality, so non-verbal patients can engage in a live text discussion with their Abbott Nurse Advisor. It’s a simple but effective addition that further enhances the flexibility and convenience of the service,  making it an even more accessible communication experience.

Of course, we recognise that not all patients have access to, or fluency in, computers or smart devices, and many patients value the face-to-face interaction of a personal home visit. While virtual consultations have become advantageous in delivering patient care and support, it’s important to remember that they complement, rather than replace, in-person consultations.

Abbott Nurse Advisors are dedicated to providing compassionate, personalised support in the manner that best suits each individual patient. Virtual consultations are a valuable tool to help widen the scope of our service - better accommodating the varying needs and preferences of patients.