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Today, high cholesterol remains a leading driver of chronic health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Early intervention and prevention is essential. 

In the age of digital advancements, technology has become a powerful ally in cholesterol management. With the help of technology, it is now possible for individuals to measure, monitor, manage and lower their cholesterol levels effectively. While healthcare providers can also proactively target and treat high cholesterol. 

In this short-read, we look at how digital platforms can support care providers to control and lower cholesterol levels across their patient populations, ultimately promoting heart health and overall well-being.

### Supporting dietary changes

Healthy eating is associated with supporting individuals to lower cholesterol levels. However, sustaining dietary changes over the long term can be a major barrier to success. In the fight against cholesterol, digital platforms that integrate education, meal planning, and even ordering of healthy food hold much promise in enabling behaviour change. 

Indeed, in a study where participants used such a platform over six years, almost 35% demonstrated improved lipids, returning to normal levels (1).

### Enabling remote management 

Ongoing monitoring of cholesterol can present significant opportunities for early intervention. But regular visits to a local practice or clinic can not only be a burden for the individual, they can also be time consuming and costly. Remote programmes now offer the possibility to track and monitor individuals’ cholesterol in an efficient and effective way outside of physical settings. 

In a research study of more than 10,000 participants, one programme delivered significant reductions in LDL-cholesterol on average of 37 mmHg. Key elements of the programme included communication through patient portals, text, email, and phone calls (2).

### Building healthy habits through gamification 

Educational games and interactive tools can also make learning about cholesterol fun and engaging, especially for younger audiences. 

Gamification techniques may encourage users to explore various aspects of heart health, motivating them to make positive lifestyle changes. These tools can be particularly effective in raising awareness among children and adolescents, establishing healthy habits early in life.

While for adults, the incentivisation of healthy behaviours through such platforms can also make an impact.

### Access to education and support 

Digital platforms can also serve as vast repositories of education. 

Websites, mobile apps, and social media channels can provide accessible and reliable information about cholesterol, its types, risk factors, and preventive measures. This readily available knowledge can empower individuals to make informed lifestyle choices and seek appropriate medical advice.

While online forums and digital platforms may provide a platform for individuals to connect with others facing similar challenges. Virtual support groups can offer emotional support, share experiences, and valuable tips for managing cholesterol. This sense of community can motivate individuals to adhere to their plans and adopt healthier lifestyles.

__Want to learn more?__

Livi’s new whitepaper, __obesity and the promise of digital health__ explores how digital technology can support healthy lifestyle changes within a holistic care pathway. 

As Europe’s leading digital-physical healthcare provider, we’re committed to the long-term management of chronic disease and its many drivers. Our long-standing and successful obesity programme, first launched in Sweden, is now expanding globally across Europe. 

To find out more, [read the whitepaper](https://partners.livi.co.uk/hubfs/Obesity%20care%20and%20the%20promise%20of%20digital%20health.pdf), contact our team via email partnerships-uk@livi.co.uk or [book a meeting](https://meetings.hubspot.com/atiq-alom/discover-livi).

__References__

- *JMIR Cardio. Evaluating the Impact of a Digital Nutrition Platform on Cholesterol Levels in Users With Dyslipidemia: Longitudinal Study. Available at: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8411435/.*

- *JAMA Cardiol. Results of a Remotely Delivered Hypertension and Lipid Program in More Than 10 000 Patients Across a Diverse Health Care Network. Available at: jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2798467.*


partners.livi.co.uk > news > How care providers support cholesterol management with digital tools

How care providers support cholesterol management with digital tools

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Depending on the situation, appointments that become free cannot always be filled. When this happens, valuable clinical capacity can go to waste, waiting times for other patients can increase and treatments may be delayed.

__The impact in numbers__

The [NHS estimates](https://www.england.nhs.uk/2019/01/missed-gp-appointments-costing-nhs-millions/ "NHS estimates link") 15 million appointments in general practice are not used each year. From the 307 million sessions scheduled annually, around 1 in 20 are missed. That’s over 15 million missed slots with a cost to the NHS of more than 216 million pounds. The knock-on effect for practices adds up to losses in efficiency, financial income and time.

With demand for appointments at an all time high and limited clinical resource across the health system, protecting valuable clinical and practice time is essential.

__Exploring the causes of DNAs__

There are a myriad of reasons why DNAs can happen. According to one study, the most [common causes](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8103926/ "Common causes link") include forgetfulness, cancellation difficulties, being too ill, work/family issues, inconvenience and transportation. A long list for sure that only begins to scratch the surface of this complex issue.

Many of these causes can be difficult to anticipate and plan for by their very nature. Unforeseen circumstances can and do arise. So what’s the answer? What can healthcare providers do to mitigate these scenarios? Thankfully, there are some tools at a practice’s disposal to help proactively guard against potential DNAs.

__1. Making it as easy as possible to cancel appointments online__

The humble GP practice website is one of the most important. Indeed, [NHS England’s guide](https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/creating-a-highly-usable-and-accessible-gp-website-for-patients/ "NHS England guide link") on highly usable and accessible websites provides a number of best-practice recommendations on how to ensure patients can easily book, cancel or amend appointments online. 

When a patient visits your website, one of these ‘top tasks’ will usually be front of mind. Thus, ensuring your website is task-focused and prioritised around such actions is key. People scan websites, so include clear calls to action for patient tasks. You can do this by seeding common keywords people search for around appointments and structuring your website menu or main navigation around these tasks. 

On an informational level, providing details about different options for cancelling or changing an appointment at your practice can also help. Indeed, one [case study published by Practice Index](https://practiceindex.co.uk/gp/blog/reducing-dnas/ "Practice Index case study link") showed how one practice generated an overall DNA reduction of 25% by improving information available on their website in relation to cancellations, alongside other enhancements. 

If you’re looking to enhance your practice website to these standards quickly, Livi can help. Our [websites platform](https://www.livi.co.uk/practice-websites/ "DNA article practice websites link") is built to NHS Digital Service Manual guidelines and reflects NHS branding, look, feel and functionality. Plus, we provide all the content you need to make tasks easy for patients.

__2. Using appointment reminders to their full potential__

Patient reminders are used by many practices today of course. In the fight against forgetfulness, harnessing these simple forms of communication to their fullest potential is vital. Certainly, [research](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7429943/ "NCBI research link") has shown that pre-appointment contact and short message service (SMS) alerts have halved DNA rates in some areas. 

These digital reminders help reduce costs vs traditional letters and may be automated to save your practice time. SMS messages also provide an additional means for patients to cancel or reschedule appointments easily. Indeed, patients have exhibited a preference for doing so via SMS.

In terms of content and messaging, different approaches can drive success. [Studies](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4569397/ "Studies link") report that including the cost of a potential missed appointment in a message produces a DNA rate of 8.4% compared to 11.1% in a message without this information. While other practices have found that featuring a positive tone or imagery within reminders can also deliver [results](https://practiceindex.co.uk/gp/blog/reducing-dnas/ "Results link"), reducing non-attendance in high DNA groups such as 50-65 year-olds by almost 40%.

No matter what route your practice decides to take, our [Mjog smart message platform](https://mjog.livi.co.uk/ "Mjog website link") can support. Our advanced appointment reminders enable GP practices to set up customised, editable messages per appointment type. Sent by SMS, email or telephone, reminders may be scheduled and automated based on your specific needs. This helps practices save time and also allows patients to rearrange or cancel an appointment, when they need to, quickly and simply.

__3. Maximising the capabilities of digital healthcare__

Finally, digital consultations remain an invaluable tool in preventing DNAs. [A recent study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8725902/ "A recent study link") reveals telemedicine visits are less likely to result in a missed appointment compared to in-person appointments. This is also associated with decreased disruption in patient-clinic relationships.

In addition, the convenience of digital for patients can help remove some of the common barriers to appointment attendance, such as transportation difficulties and other unforeseen life events. For example, if a patient is too busy with work or an urgent personal situation arises, digital can alleviate time pressures as well as the need for a patient to travel and be physically present. If a patient is too sick to attend, likewise digital healthcare can facilitate. 

And when DNAs do arise, having digital clinical capacity on-hand at short notice can be a great way of filling any gaps that do become available. Our [Livi Population](https://uk-partners.livi.co.uk/livi-population/) offering provides PCN and GP partners with a flexible, agile solution for digital clinical capacity, delivering resource directly to a practice when and where it is needed.

__Need support? Livi can help. To find out more, contact partnerships-uk@livi.co.uk.__