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HCI recognised in multiple independent academic research papers

Researchers and clinicians are writing about CONNECTPlus and the Health and Care Video Library in their own published work. This is proof that comes from outside HCI, not from us.

We are now referenced in seven independent papers, studies and a book that cite CONNECTPlus or the HCI Video Library. Here's what they found.

Saving nurses' time

At Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, rheumatology patients now complete their drug education using CONNECTPlus videos instead of a 40-minute appointment. 87% of patients completed the pathway. The Trust expects to digitally educate 50% of patients within 12 months, freeing up around 300 nurse appointments a year.

Chadwick L, Russell K, Putchakayala K. From analogue to digital: establishing remote digital drug education at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Rheumatology 2026.

At Torbay, switching from face-to-face to video education cut nurse time per patient from 45 minutes to 15, and nearly tripled how many patients a nurse could see per hour - with satisfaction staying high. Medication education clinics were reduced from 4 to 1 per week.

Penford R, Gwynne C, Reith A, Wren E, et al. P022 Successfully using video for DMARD and biologic patient education. Rheumatology 2023.

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Cost Saving

Non-elective admissions and healthcare costs decreased by 18% compared to the previous year and compared to neighbouring hospitals by using CONNECTPlus, PKB and the Infoflex database in Multiple Sclerosis treatment at Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust.

Straukiene A, Hughes S, Grundy J, et al. Evaluating patient care in multiple sclerosis: impact of combined digital tools and holistic management strategies. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 2025.

In rheumatology, patients seen per nurse hour has risen from 1.33 to 4, and the nurse cost per patient has reduced from £13.48 to £4.09.

Penford, Gwynne, Reith, Wren et al, Rheumatology, 2023.

Helping patients manage safely at home

The Torbay team also found that patients could re-watch videos to answer common questions safely, thereby supporting patient self-management and cutting calls to the department.

"Video Medication Education has revolutionised our practice. Saving time and money whilst maintaining patient safety and satisfaction."

Penford R, Gwynne C, Reith A, Wren E, et al. P022 Successfully using video for DMARD and biologic patient education. Rheumatology 2023.

Mackay K, Kelly H, Clemence M, Penford R. AB1347-HPR Digital solutions to aid self-management: developing a rheumatology app for use by any patient attending our department. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2020.

Mackay K, Penford R, Whitney D, Ailasmaa S. O12 Developing a rheumatology app to aid self-management for Torbay rheumatology patients. Rheumatology 2019.

Improving Clinical Outcomes

At West Hertfordshire Hospitals, patients who watched HCI's bowel preparation videos before a colonoscopy had better results than those who didn't. Patients who watched the videos achieved good/excellent preparation 85% of the time versus 79% for non-watchers (p=0.047), excellent preparation 33% versus 24% (p<0.01). The mean BBPS was higher in the video group overall.

Natarajan B, Landy J, Purkis E. A service evaluation of patient educational bowel preparation videos - improving the quality of bowel preparation for colonoscopy. World Journal of Gastroenterology, Hepatolology and Endoscopy 2020.

"There was a reduction in time from Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis to disease-modifying therapy initiation, from an average of 23.5 to 5.8 months following digital tools implementation using CONNECTPlus, PKB and the Infoflex database at Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust,"

Straukiene et al, Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 2025.

Patient experience

The Torbay Rheumatology team reported that "We have had a number of spontaneous contacts from patients saying how valuable they find the information we have given them."

Mackay K, Kelly H, Clemence M, Penford R. AB1347-HPR Digital solutions to aid self-management: developing a rheumatology app for use by any patient attending our department. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2020.

Reaching a wide range of patients

At Torbay and South Devon, 900 people with multiple sclerosis have signed up to CONNECTPlus - not just younger patients, but people aged 35 to 65. This trust also saw an 18% cost saving alongside its use of digital tools including CONNECTPlus.

Straukiene et al, Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 2025.

The Mid Cheshire programme engaged patients with an age range of 34-73 years, 87% of whom successfully completed the education pathway and consent form, with an average engagement time of 27 minutes and positive feedback.

Chadwick L, Russell K, Putchakayala K. From analogue to digital: establishing remote digital drug education at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Rheumatology 2026.

Featured in a healthcare innovation book

Author Martin Curley wrote about the CONNECTPlus Living Lab for patients in Dublin with pulmonary arterial hypertension, run with Trinity College Dublin and Mater Hospital. He credited HCI's Richard Wyatt-Haines as his collaborator on the framework behind it.

One patient, Brid, said the tool gave her "the confidence to live" and "frees up space in the hospital." . You can watch her full testimonial here.

Curley M. Stay Left, Shift Left-10X: The New Proactive Digital Paradigm for Health Transformation.

CONNECTPlus is also referenced in two further academic books on healthcare innovation and patient engagement.

Esfahani MS, Halkes M. Healthcare Innovation: Shaping Future Models of Delivery. World Scientific; 2023.

Oftedal EM, Iakovleva T, Bessant J. Navigating towards improved user engagement in healthcare innovation: releasing the power of users. 2024.

Why this matters

These aren't case studies written by HCI. They're independent researchers and clinicians reporting what happened when they used CONNECTPlus and that carries real weight with NHS trusts deciding what to use.

If you'd like to know more about the evidence behind HCI, CONNECTPlus and the Health and Care Video Library, please get in touch.