Elemental Software has launched a new measuring tool on its innovative social prescribing digital platform that will transform the way social prescribing activity is measured and reported.
Its unique digital technology enables health and social care professionals to refer patients to health and wellbeing activities in their areas and track and monitor their progress through a wide range of different measures.
The new aspect of the service will significantly improve the way social prescribing activity can be measured, tackling one of the key challenges faced by the healthcare sector in demonstrating the real impact that non-clinical treatments can bring to people’s lives.
Measuring the impact of social prescribing and the difference these sorts of programmes and services can make to improving health and wellbeing is vital to driving forward this healthcare approach in communities
It was launched to an audience of national leaders at the Kings Fund Social Prescribing Conference, an event exploring the benefits of social prescribing and how to best measure and evaluate the impact and outcomes.
This pioneering new aspect of Elemental’s software will support patients, commissioners, and practitioners in enabling them to better demonstrate the value and impact of social prescribing and helping patients to stay engaged in health and wellbeing programmes.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Cliff Richards MBE, former chairman and now cultural champion for NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group, and social prescribing lead for Cheshire and Merseyside, said: “The use of IT to ease access to and build the evidence base for effective social prescribing is absolutely needed.
“Halton CCG is delighted to be the first CCG in the UK to use Elemental’s social prescribing software in a new project to support families in the Halton area.”
Jennifer Neff, co-founder of Elemental Software, added: “Measuring the impact of social prescribing and the difference these sorts of programmes and services can make to improving health and wellbeing is vital to driving forward this healthcare approach in communities.
The use of IT to ease access to and build the evidence base for effective social prescribing is absolutely needed
“We were delighted to have launched and demonstrated Elemental’s latest innovation through our software at the Kings Fund conference, which will enable us to deliver improved reporting on the benefits of social prescribing.”
Elemental Software launched last year by social innovators Jennifer Neff and Leeann Monk in response to work they were delivering at strategic and community level in Derry in Northern Ireland at a time when the city was regaining its confidence having won City of Culture, with a key focus on improving health and wellbeing in local communities.
Since its launch, the company has expanded from its base in Derry to Dubai, where it is delivering a wide range of work to reduce the risk of diabetes.
In the UK, it is delivering a wide range of work including incorporating the Baby Box University to enable Halton CCG to arm women with a connection to all levels of guidance and peer support for a healthy birth and aftercare.
Linking Elemental social prescribing software to this means the CCG can pilot a cohort of women and families to track their development and emotional health by keeping a live connection through a ‘virtual mammy’, which will connect and track users to the vast local and regional offer alongside the Baby Box University.
