Eligibility
The hospital and Sámh agree which patients are appropriate for the home-testing pathway, including exclusions and any information needed at referral.
Clinical governance
The hospital keeps oversight of the pathway.
Sámh is designed to add diagnostic capacity without taking unclear ownership of clinical decisions. Responsibilities and return routes are agreed before a programme starts.
Report and review
The report production and review workflow is designed around the hospital’s existing pathway. Specialist review remains in place where required.
Escalation
Criteria for failed tests, incomplete tests, concerning findings and other agreed exceptions are documented, with a clear route back to the hospital.
Communication and data
Patient communications, result routing, data handling and downstream-treatment responsibilities are agreed in advance rather than assumed.
Programme review
The hospital can start with a defined cohort and predefined measures, then review the programme at a fixed point before any expansion.
Discuss your hospital’s current pathway.
Start with the service, the bottleneck and a defined cohort.