It is possible for patients to practise self-care for low acuity conditions, especially since approximately 80% of all care in the UK is self-care. At VirtualOutcomes, we strongly advise medical professionals to promote the benefits of self-care to the community they serve.
GPs and community pharmacies should place the highest priority on providing the best possible care for patients in accordance with the finite resources of the NHS. A big part of this is using the resources available to spread the right message. In this post, we share some valuable advice and resources you may need to help patients who choose self-care.
Promoting Self-Care for Low Acuity Conditions
The move to self-care for certain illnesses does not imply that patients should be left alone, but it does require a paradigm shift from the paternalistic approach that has caused us to overmedicalise self-limiting conditions.
It’s critical that we all strike the right balance when individuals visit a healthcare provider. GPs and pharmacies alike must advise patients on self-care choices to encourage autonomous behaviour. Besides, people rarely need antibiotics for many of these conditions which are further emphasised by this antibiotic checklist.
The NHS is notoriously complex, which makes it difficult for individuals to know where to turn for assistance. Providing more opportunities for patients to get into the system and receive treatment, as well as making it easier for them to access care, will help make healthcare more efficient and effective.
Common Ear, Nose and Throat Conditions
VirtualOutcomes have developed a training programme for pharmacists and pharmacy teams. It covers the most common Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) conditions patients typically present with at pharmacies. Part of the training module covers the eight most common ENT conditions, which include the following:
- Common cold
- Allergic rhinitis
- Globus
- Otitis externa
- Acute sore throat
- Ear wax
- Acute sinusitis
- Croup
In many cases, patients can adopt self-care for low acuity conditions such as these. However, if ear infections persist, accompanied by hearing loss, debilitating ear pain, and tinnitus, they may need to see a GP or an ENT specialist.
When to Recommend Self-Care for Low Acuity Conditions
Self-care is about maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, recognising when to take care of yourself. It also helps to understand whether or not a pharmacist can assist, or seek advice from a GP or another healthcare professional.
When someone has a minor health condition that does not always necessitate medical care or any treatment to improve, self-care is advised. This means a person can decide that they are going to manage their illness without seeing a GP or any other healthcare professional.
What if a patient feels that they may need some advice before turning to self-care? For example, they may be uncertain whether their condition is minor, that it could go away on its own (like a virus), or if they simply need advice on how to relieve the symptoms.
How Pharmacies Can Help With Low Acuity Ear, Nose and Throat Conditions
When it comes to self-care for low acuity conditions involving the ear, nose and throat, community pharmacy teams are in a great position to offer assistance. Pharmacy teams can assess the symptoms and consider any long-term conditions as well as any medication a patient is taking prior to giving any recommendations. The role of community pharmacies in diagnosing low acuity conditions is growing but a change in approach is where it starts.
Often, a few simple changes geared toward meeting the needs of local communities can be highly effective at encouraging self-care. These may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Give patients the information they need to care for their common ailments
- Encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices
- Sell ‘over the counter’ medication if appropriate although evidence from the GP CPCS service indicates that 35-40% of people don’t require anything for the following 3 reasons
- 1. They just require advice and support from a healthcare professional ie the pharmacist,
- 2. In some cases people already have suitable products at home
- 3. Homely remedies as recommended by NHS. UK such as salt water rinses or sore throats etc are just as effective as bought medication
- Refer patients to the right local services and outreach work to provide the necessary health advice
Tips For Helping Patients Manage Infections
Whatever infection a patient may have, community pharmacies can help diagnose and alleviate the symptoms. Here are some practical tips to give patients presenting with common, minor ENT conditions:
- Recommend paracetamol to help manage the pain and make sure they know to follow the instructions
- Offer advice on reducing their symptoms
- Recommend that they get plenty of rest until they feel better
- Encourage them to drink sufficient fluids
- Remind them to use tissues when sneezing to help stop the infection from spreading
- Remind them to wash their hands regularly, especially after using tissues to sneeze or blow their nose
It’s worth noting that common infections will improve without needing antibiotics. To help patients understand the role of antibiotics and how to use them properly, refer them to the self-care leaflet on managing common infections.
Check Duration And Severity Of Symptoms
If a patient is not showing any signs of improvement by the times indicated below, they should seek advice from a GP practice as soon as possible.
- Earache should get better after 8 days
- A sore throat must be better by day 7 or 8
- Colds must improve after 14 days
- Most coughs should get better after 21 days but it may vary for Covid-19 coughs
When someone is not getting better and presents with the following serious symptoms, they need to see a GP or specialist.
- Severe headache
- Trouble breathing
- Chest pain
- Coughing blood
- Very cold skin
- Feeling confused
- Problems swallowing
- Feeling a lot worse
Benefits Of Self Care of Low Acuity Conditions
Encouraging self-care with assistance will educate and empower individuals to make more informed decisions about their own health, which allows them to assist others in the process. It also allows patients to be more confident in the knowledge that, on occasion, doing nothing – waiting and seeing – is the correct course of action.
We understand that this can be difficult for some people, which is why it’s crucial to have easy-to-use and free resources on hand. There are many online materials from sources such as the Self Care Forum and the NHS Choices website.
Encouraging self-care for low acuity conditions involving the ear, nose and throat, in particular, could help improve care for patients while easing the pressure on the NHS for unnecessary doctor’s appointments.
Why is Self Care Important?
Although more people are willing to initially adopt self-care for low acuity conditions, there are still 57 million GP consultations every year for minor ailments. To put that into perspective; it’s a total cost of £2 billion to the NHS. It also removes a doctor from circulation for an average of one hour per day.
Research indicates that people often stop self-care earlier than necessary and often seek a doctor’s advice within 4-7 days. This mostly happens due to the following factors:
- Not knowing the normal progression of symptoms. For example, a cold lasting up to 14 days
- Their perception of severity and duration of symptoms
- They want and need reassurance that nothing more sinister is going on
- Looking for a ‘prescription to cure’ the illness although they can get the same medication over the counter
Training on Self Care of Low Acuity Conditions (ENT)
While most people will experience one or more of these symptoms at some point, they may not need a GP or specialist. By properly educating patients on self-care for low acuity conditions, community pharmacies can help ease the strain on the NHS. Not only that but pharmacy teams can help patients become more independent without always rushing to the GP at the first sign of a runny nose or sore throat.
To help pharmacy teams spread the message of self-care while providing the best possible advice, check out the VirtualOutcomes training programme on the most common, minor conditions patients present with at pharmacies. For more information about the wide range of other online training courses, visit the website or email us info@virtualoutcomes.co.uk.
You may also find our blogs particularly interesting with topics covering everything from hypertension and Living with IBD to Understanding C. difficile infections.