PKB helps deliver Patient-Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) by providing a digital platform that enables patients to easily message their teams to request appointments if needed, rather than being booked into routine follow-up slots that may not be necessary.

What is PKB PIFU

PKB believes True PIFU is patient-led: patients contact their team when they notice symptom changes or deterioration, with support provided to monitor these changes themselves and to explain to patients what they should expect and when it is appropriate to get in touch.

PKB supports both PIFU and enhanced models with self-monitoring.

Benefits of PKB

• Up to 75% reduction in unnecessary follow-up appointments

• Significantly reduce phone calls and admin overhead

• Promotes patient empowerment and self-management

• Supports remote monitoring and digital escalation pathways

How 

Teams can use PKB appointment management, where patients message the team to request an appointment. The team then books the appointment in their PAS, which sends the appointment details and letter to their PKB record. 

PKB Workflow

Open

Use Cases 

Swansea Bay

Rheumatology team

Patients have access to their blood results into their records, thus reducing the need for outpatient appointments and saving time for more urgent cases. Patients can also order prescriptions through secure messaging with the clinical team.

Outcomes

• 75% reduction in face-to-face outpatient appointments (reduced from 4 quarterly to 1 annual appointment)

• 264 appointments saved from 88 patients (creating capacity) 

• Patients empowered with the information and tools to:
  - communicate with clinical teams when needed
  - manage medication reviews and prescriptions remotely
  - understand the importance of blood monitoring for their dermatological condition.

Dermatology team

Systemic patients typically have blood results 4 times a year. With the introduction of PKB, patients can be seen once a year - they are sent all 4 blood forms for the year, and patients message the team with their results in order for them to obtain their repeat prescriptions, removing the need for the appointment.

75% of face-to-face appointments were reduced, as were phone calls. PIFU workflow was able to reduce appointments from every three months to once a year. 

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS FT 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Service

1⁄3 of patients moved to a PKB remote pathway where patients initiate the follow-up. Released 1,100 appointment slots from a patient group of ~600. Empowered patients with self-management, remote monitoring capabilities and virtual consultations. “Not only does it save patients having to come into hospital but also allows us to see when patients flare up, so we can see them within 48 hours rather than generate clinic appointments.”

East Sussex Healthcare Trust 

Uro-oncology

Patients are actively engaged with the uro-oncology team via PKB and can view blood test results, complete a symptom tracker questionnaire and read information, which is then reviewed by the nurse who gives feedback either on the result and symptoms are acceptable, meaning, no appointment required, or the they organise an appointment if clinical input is needed. This has resulted in less time reviewing blood tests and freeing up appointment slots.

Key Features 

There are key PKB features of PIFU.

Messaging 

• Patients message their team if they need an appointment

• The Admin team can triage messages, booking them an appointment

Open

Appointments 

• Appointment letters and appointments sent to PKB via integration

• Manually entered appointments

Further Information

• PKB PIFU solution: Where and how PKB supports trusts to deliver PIFU pathways

• Dermatology in Swansea case study: Transforming the face of traditional dermatology services

• Inflammatory bowel disease service case study: Better care leads to savings in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Appointment Management: with PKB