What we looked at and why

SHTG recommendation

In response to an enquiry from the Scottish Government Unscheduled Care Team

What were we asked to look at?

We were asked to review the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, safety and patient experience associated with the use of virtual ward platform technologies to manage patients who would traditionally require inpatient monitoring, either to support transition to the home setting or to avoid hospital admission.

Why is this important?

Virtual ward platform technologies enable hospital-level monitoring at home, with the potential to improve patient comfort, reduce infection risk and support recovery. At a system level, they may help ease the demand on inpatient beds and could contribute to more efficient use of resources by offering a potentially flexible approach to service provision. As only limited, local trials of virtual wards have taken place within NHSScotland, a robust assessment of the evidence is important in informing future decisions about the role and value of virtual ward models of service delivery.

What was our approach?

We reviewed the published literature on the clinical and cost effectiveness, patient experience and safety of virtual wards, with a particular focus on virtual ward platform technologies. We also gathered public opinion using a survey sent to approximately 1,000 people living in Scotland. More information about SHTG Recommendations is available on our website.

What next?

Our SHTG Recommendations will be shared with Scottish Government Unscheduled Care Team, and disseminated across NHSScotland to inform future decision making on the implementation of virtual wards across Scotland.