For Mark Goodhead, Healthy Lifestyle Programme Manager at Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL), ReferAll’s software platform has transformed the way the Trust’s exercise referral schemes are managed.
BPL began working with ReferAll in 2021 to help manage referrals, drive new people to its healthy lifestyles programmes and boost uptake rates. “We didn’t have any kind of reliable software to track, record and monitor our referrals,” explains Healthy Lifestyle Programme Manager Mark Goodhead. “I was just using an old spreadsheet-based system. As the number of referrals we received increased after the pandemic, we needed something more robust and reliable. Everything from processing referrals to data management was done manually so the margin for error was huge. And as for outcome reporting, we had no chance!”
BPL runs two successful health referral schemes within its Barnsley contract and is soon to launch a third. Its focus is improving community health at the local level. The exercise referral programme, BPL Health Referral, is aimed at improving the health of people with medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and arthritis. The Weight Management Programme – commissioned though Barnsley Council’s Public Health department – is for people with a raised BMI. A Cancer Prehab and Rehabilitation Programme, aimed at people with or recovering from cancer, is in the early stages, with a funding bid in place.
“ReferAll’s software sped up the referrals process no end, especially its online webform, which enables people to self-refer online. Once a potential participant has filled in the form, it goes straight into the system – no one has to input data, which was hugely time consuming when done manually,” says Mark. “Removing barriers to participation has hugely improved both uptake and adherence. It has also revolutionised the accuracy of our referral pathway. The healthy lifestyles team knows the right data always goes to the right place; there’s no room for human error, which is inevitable in busy teams.”
A data-driven culture
BPL has built its own referral processes into the system – steps such as making initial contact, sending texts and emails to confirm appointments and following up when someone doesn’t reply are now all actioned automatically. “It’s so much more efficient than relying on the team to send texts manually,” says Mark. “Because the data gathering side of things is managed for them, our healthy lifestyles staff can now spend more time with the people we’re trying to help, doing what they do best.”
When it comes to reporting, the improvement has been dramatic. Mark can tailor reports to any criteria or time period, or break it down per individual referrer to see, for example, which local GP surgery is using their schemes the most. “I collated data from our other schemes to inform and support the bid for funding for our Cancer Prehab & Rehabilitation Programme,” he says. “ReferAll's system security provides the reassurance funders need; they can be confident our referral information is being well managed and our outcome reporting is accurate.
“I can pull together reports according to scheme, postcode or participants socio-economic group. We’ve used the data to demonstrate how we’re engaging with communities and highlight gaps where work still needs to be done. I’ve been in contract meetings with commissioners and pulled outcome data out of ReferAll for them, there and then, in three clicks. ReferAll has enabled us to quickly report on the outcomes of the referrals we’ve received as a whole, or for set time periods. For example, we can quickly see the number of referrals received and whether patients have started the programme or not, with reason for not starting, or whether that patient has completed the programme or left early. This allows us to record and track reasons, which helps us evaluate our programming and make decisions around whether it’s working.
“We are also able to manage our caseloads and monitor what stage patients are at. For example, we can set processes to remind our advisors when someone is due a review, or due to complete. They can then contact them in advance to arrange their appointments, so they move efficiently through the programme.”
Making a difference
“Without evidence you can’t demonstrate impact, or build a case for funding,” continues Mark. “ReferAll has taken all the hard graft out of proving our worth and also removed the margin for error. We once had an issue where our old system distorted the data and the wrong telephone number was next to every person – those errors just can’t happen anymore. We’re more confident and efficient as a service, because we have more knowledge at our fingertips.”
Headlines from BPL’s Exercise Referral Schemes
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