Urology patients requiring Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) monitoring will soon be able to receive these results via a secure app or website, thanks to a donation from the Friends of Raigmore Hospital.
The monitoring, which is done by blood test, checks PSA levels for those who have a known risk of prostate cancer or for those who are under surveillance. Currently there are 1300 patients being tested each year amounting to 3000 tests.
Karina Laing, Unit Clinical Director for Urology, said: “This software, which is a first for Scotland and will be run as part of a pilot project in our Urology Department, will allow those results to be available for our patients either in an app or on a website so they can check them at a time that is convenient for them rather than wait for a phone call.
“It is very early days but we are confident that this will make it easier for our patients and hopefully we can expand it to other areas within urology.
“We are very grateful to the Friends for this donation. It is thanks to them that we are able to take this forward and we are incredibly thankful.”
Christina Cameron, Chair of the Friends of Raigmore Hospital, said: “We’re delighted to hand over this piece of software which we know is going to bring great benefit to patients currently being monitored.
“Our fundraising continues and we are now looking to support patients who have bowel incontinence by fundraising for a portable kit that can assess them in the clinic without having to return to Raigmore Hospital for additional tests. The kit is portable which means it can be taken to clinics across the Highlands, reducing the amount of travelling for patients.”
The Friends are always open to more volunteers to join their group. Learn more about The Friends of Raigmore Hospital.