After being successfully used by GPs in the Swansea-area, Consultant Connect was launched within General Dental Services and the Community Dental Service last year.
As a result, Swansea Bay became the first region in the UK to use the secure phone app within dental specialties.
It allows staff to confidentially send clinical messages and images and other patient data securely to consultants based in secondary and community care.
These consultants can then provide timely support and advice on treatment options or signpost to appropriate services with added flexibility regarding response time.
During the first 12 months since its introduction in dentistry last April, 80 per cent of patients for whom the app was used avoided a trip to hospital.
The CDS has set up an internal photo messaging line via the app to allow staff working across various sites to securely share patient clinical photos to help with getting a second opinion.
The service provides oral health care for adults and children with complex needs from multiple clinics based in the community, bringing care closer to home for patients.
Being able to share images securely can reduce the need for face-to-face appointments in the hospital in some cases.
Dr Akhila Muthukrishnan, Consultant in Special Care Dentistry and Clinical Lead for CDS, said:
“A lot of our work is at non-hospital clinical sites in the community so we have staff who may be working at a remote site on their own.
“It has been very beneficial for our service. It provides a really effective means of communication within our team, particularly with the secure photo messaging function.
“A dental therapist may see something that they are not sure about, for example a soft tissue lesion. They can then take a photograph of it via the app and share it with a senior clinician working at another site.
“The photographs can also be imported into the patient’s records, which is a real bonus.”
CDS clinicians can use the app to access advice from hospital consultants in restorative dentistry and orthodontics.
“Clinicians can send a clinical image or x-rays across and seek advice on the app,” Dr Muthukrishnan added.
“If necessary, they can then escalate it to a referral but often they can avoid this, which is really helpful for the patient and their families.
“It means the patient and their parent don’t have to travel to attend a hospital appointment.”
Patrick Keys, account manager and social value lead at Consultant Connect, added: “This is another great example of the forward thinking, exciting approach taken by dentistry in Swansea.
“The teams are always keen to utilise all technology available to them to improve patient care.”
[Lead image: Swansea University Health Board]
