Cinos and Refero
for the NHS and Healthcare

Introduction

Digital transformation is something almost every industry has benefitted from over the last 10 years. New digital ways of working builds consistency across services and it is something we see regularly in our everyday lives. From booking holidays, managing our finances, and shopping online, digital technologies are changing the way organisations interact with their customers for the better.

In the UK, it has historically been difficult for the health and care sector to rapidly adopt technologies that drive transformational change. There is no doubt the events of 2020 have put a spotlight on these issues, and that the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic are acting as a catalyst for health and care organisations to accelerate their digital transformation strategies.

Better use of data and technology has the power to improve health for everyone. It can enable better outcomes and better care, all whilst reducing costs. Rationalising point solutions into integrated services to drive this digital transformation can only be of benefit to NHS and healthcare organisations.

Cinos and Refero – Driving digital transformation in health and care

Together, Cinos and Refero present a unique opportunity for the NHS and healthcare organisations from a collaboration and communications perspective.

Cinos Solutions for Healthcare

Cinos is a specialist in unified communications, collaboration, connectivity, and audio-visual systems, with a strong focus within the UK healthcare sector. We have unparalleled experience in delivering always on, hybrid cloud unified communications services to a range of acute and community healthcare services. Our Cloud UC services are available over the Internet, via Cinos private WAN and are delivered natively into the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN). This includes telephony, video conferencing and consultation, and interoperability to ensure secure, reliable cloud communications.

Our Managed Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) service provides a video conferencing platform with the simple aim of delivering a solution that meets, and in many cases exceeds, the business and clinical needs of MDT rooms, lecture, or operating theatres. It stands apart from other solutions on the market as the only MDT service that is connected to the HSCN and that is truly interoperable, supporting Cisco, Poly, Crestron, Lifesize and other standards-based room systems, as well as cloud services such as Microsoft Teams, Webex, Zoom and Google.

But we haven’t stopped there…

Refero: A platform of engagement for public services utilising video and voice technology

Whilst the healthcare solutions Cinos offer predominately focus on the internal infrastructure, connectivity, and collaboration requirements of the NHS we wanted to offer more. We wanted to create a platform that enables citizens and patients to easily connect with public sector organisations, that integrates seamlessly with clinical record systems and that is truly integrated with our Managed MDT Service.

So, in 2017 we launched a sister company Refero; a platform of engagement for public services utilising video and voice technology. Refero helps patients better communicate with clinicians or enables students to get the mental and physical support they need from specialist services. Refero has also been used to provide a platform of engagement for vulnerable children and adults, connecting them with their support networks.

Refero – the technology that connects patients, clinicians and systems together.

From full integration with clinical systems and Microsoft Teams, Refero provides the following key benefits:

  • A robust and stable platform for patient video consultation and MDT, with up to 50 participants in a call today, rising to 200 by the summer of 2021.

  • The ability to add participants to a consultation or MDT session during an active call.

  • Full integration capability with Microsoft Teams, giving health care providers access to their teleconsultation platform through a familiar interface where it can be fully embedded for handling video calls and responding to messages.

  • A user centric platform, which enables two-way communications between patient and clinic; for example, a templated set of follow-up questions may be responded to by the patient post consultation.

  • Clinic level reporting, where all Refero statistical data, for example, the number and duration of consultations per clinic, is integrated with existing business intelligence / reporting tools.

  • Fully interoperable with any clinical system of record, such as PAS / EPR systems, ensuring appointments can be managed in one place and removing any need for duplication and therefore potential for error.

  • Ease of procurement through a range of government frameworks.

Today Cinos and Refero work hand-in-hand to drive digital transformation within the NHS. Our underlying connectivity and infrastructure solutions create a strong foundation from which to base our services, enabling us to offer Trusts a complete end-to-end turnkey solution from a communications and collaboration perspective.

Looking at healthcare solutions for your organisation?

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Cinos and Refero Healthcare Case Studies

Below we have highlighted some of the work we have completed for Trusts across the UK

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Cinos deploys resilient SIP solution for Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Cinos deploys resilient SIP solution for Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to approximately 2.5 million people throughout Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Luton.

Voice and telephony services play a crucial part in the day-to-day operations at EPUT. With 5,000 members of staff working across 200 sites, the Trust wanted to consolidate and modernise its existing legacy telephony estate.

The project involved replacing traditional ISDN and BT Featurenet lines in favour of new Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) service provisions. Cinos installed 1,500 Cisco handsets, set up connectivity services, provision of SIP channels and delivery of professional services.

This has enabled EPUT to consolidate and centrally manage connectivity, reducing the number of dedicated telephone lines and enabling significant cost savings. It has also given them the additional resilience to ensure constant connectivity in the event of an outage and carry out upgrades with minimal impact to end-users.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Cinos deploys resilient SIP solution for Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

St Helens and Knowsley NHS Hospital Trust

St Helens and Knowsley NHS Hospital Trust extends its Refero and video consultation services after successful trial period

St Helens and Knowsley NHS Hospital Trust extends its Refero and video consultation services after successful trial period

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (STHK) provides a full range of acute healthcare services across three sites at Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals.

To deliver upon their vision of providing ‘5-star patient care’ the Trust initially identified two key areas where online video consultation would improve the patient experience and use clinical time more efficiently.

Refero was trialled in the Trust’s cancer drains outreach and stroke review services for two years. The results were outstanding. Refero achieved a statistical 60% (25% to 10%) reduction in did not attends for appointments within the six-month Stroke Review Service. In the drains outreach service, Refero allowed nurses to conduct video-based consultations rather than visiting patients in their own home. In some cases, this has enabled operational efficiency of up to four hours per nurse per day, and a significant reduction in travel expenses for both nurses and patients.

As a result of a hugely successful trial, STHK have extended their use of Refero for patients attending its Medicine for Older People Frailty Service; Speech and Language Therapy Service; Burns & Plastics, Breast Reconstruction Service and Gastroenterology and Liver Surveillance Service. It also plans to extend the programme beyond into the community with provision for mental health services in the future.

St Helens and Knowsley NHS Hospital Trust

St Helens and Knowsley NHS Hospital Trust extends its Refero and video consultation services after successful trial period

York Teaching Hospital

Cinos deliver modernised MDT Meeting Programme for York Teaching Hospital

Cinos deliver modernised MDT Meeting Programme for York Teaching Hospital

In 2020, after a successful bid under the Network Services 2 framework agreement, Cinos were commissioned to design and install a video conferencing solution within York Hospital’s new Endoscopy Unit. The project would act as a blueprint for the Trust’s ongoing MDT Meeting Programme.

MDT meetings are common across the NHS to facilitate the discussion of patient conditions and subsequent treatments. Different clinical teams are represented at these meetings, both in-person and via video conferencing, discussing several sources of patient information simultaneously.

The Cisco Webex Room system sits at the heart of the MDT solution, offering 4K video, content sharing and handling all source switching within the room. Paired with a Cisco control panel, clinicians have complete control of all audio-visual functions, from inviting other medical professionals into the call to displaying simultaneous sources of patient information.

Four Samsung UHD, narrow bezel displays were installed in the space, two at the front of the room and a further two repeater screens on the side walls. Optimum audio coverage was achieved courtesy of a Sennheiser beamforming ceiling microphone array with a 60 square metre audio pickup, reinforced with four Extron ceiling speakers.

The project was completed to scope, within budget and ahead of schedule. Following this successful delivery, Cinos have upgraded 3 more MDT meeting spaces during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, a further 3 spaces will be upgraded throughout 2021.

York Teaching Hospital

Cinos deliver modernised MDT Meeting Programme for York Teaching Hospital

Together, Cinos and Refero are perfectly placed to drive digital transformation within the healthcare setting. From an infrastructure, communications, and collaboration perspective we have everything covered. Whether that is delivering always on, feature rich telephony and unified communications for NHS Trusts, providing a truly interoperable Managed MDT service with an unmatched user experience or creating an integrated platform of engagement across public services via video and voice technology, together, Cinos and Refero represent a complete turnkey solution for the NHS and healthcare organisations.
Dan Worman
Managing Director, Refero & Executive Director, Cinos

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