Holistic review of people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease reveals important multimorbidity and unmet clinical need: The ENHIDE diabetes renal telehealth pilot study

Diabetes and kidney disease commonly coexist and management is complex given frequent additional comorbidity. The East and North Herts Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (ENHIDE) renal diabetes telehealth project examined the feasibility of data extraction from primary care records for virtual consultant review as a prelude to a telehealth case-based discussion with primary care teams. Data extraction identified 2,356 cases from 16 general practices, of which 14 took part in a skype telehealth case-based discussion session. The service was well received by primary care as a workable means of delivering patient care. In addition, significant unmet clinical needs were identified with opportunities to empower patient self-management of acute metabolic and foot issues, and better coordination of care between specialist diabetes and renal teams. The increasing clinical burden in all care settings and the commitment in the NHS plan for wider use of digital healthcare and streamlining of outpatient care highlight the need for service reconfiguration.