The Consultant Connect (CC) App is a pass-through app provided to take photos using your own (or Practice) mobile phone/device without storing the image on the device. It is free to download for all Primary Care clinicians (who refer to Dermatology) via the GooglePlay or Apple store. The photos taken via the app can then be attached to the referral at the SCI Gateway stage using the National Digital Platform.
Using the Consultant Connect App to take photos and attach to a referral:
1. Launch the CC app and login using your NHS Microsoft Office 365 username and password. If you work across multiple practices, check on the profile tab to ensure you are signed in to the correct work site.
2. After confirming patient consent, the app will launch in camera mode. Take as many photos as you need by tapping the blue camera icon. Once complete add the patient’s CHI, confirm that it is the correct patient’s name and address, and click next.
a. Note: if using the app whilst offline, the app cannot retrieve patient data to confirm the CHI number, it will only confirm if the CHI is in the correct format. CHI can be added retrospectively by using the Consultant Connect web browser if you would like to wait for full CHI lookup functionality.
3. Add any notes for yourself, such as which body part is pictured then click next. The dermatologist will NOT be able to see these notes.
4. Select Dermatology to tag the photo(s) then click save. If you have internet connection, these will upload to the National Digital Platform (NDP) automatically and you’ll see a green confirmation message. If not, images are queued and uploaded when connection is restored. Saving encounters without the Dermatology tag will not upload them to the NDP – they will still be available via the CC website but are not available on the NDP to attach directly to the Sci Gateway referral.
5. Create your SCI Gateway referral to Dermatology in the usual way – you need to attach your pictures by clicking on the Attachments button then clicking National Digital Platform. Select the relevant date that pictures were taken and then select the relevant images. You can attach images from multiple encounters in one referral. Tag the body site in the drop-down box for each image. When ready, click Attach (x) image(s) to upload to the SCI referral.
6. Send the referral as normal.
Digital Dermatology End-to-End Primary Care User Demo | Turas | Learn
The Consultant Connect web browser can be used to add a CHI number or add the Dermatology tag retrospectively, if required.
Trouble Shooting
How do I re-authenticate and why do I need to?
For security reasons, users must authenticate, or enter their NHS username and password, to access NHS Scotland data and save data to NHS Scotland systems. The authentication is valid for 24 hours. After 24 hours, users must re-authenticate by entering their username and password. It is important to note that users will not be logged out of the Consultant Connect mobile application. This is to facilitate offline use. Users can re-authenticate in 3 ways detailed in the guidance below.
I downloaded the app, but it wouldn’t let me log in. What do I do?
If you email loth.ehealthtecprojectteam@nhs.scot we will get you set up.
Can I still use the service if I have no access to Wi-Fi?
You can still capture patient images for dermatology via the app without internet access, but you will not be able to cross-reference a CHI number with the patient’s data. The system will still advise whether the CHI number input is valid. When using the app offline, we recommend saving the CHI number in the notes section and retrospectively inputting it via Consultant Connect in your web browser when you’re back online.
Digital Dermatology Technical Troubleshooting | Turas | Learn
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to input the CHI number?
Consultant Connect’s integration with NHS systems means when you input a CHI number, important patient data is pulled through, ensuring accurate record keeping. Additionally, the CHI number is attached to the photo(s), and, when they are tagged as ‘Dermatology’, they will be automatically uploaded to the National Digital Platform (NDP) to use for onward referrals via Sci Gateway.
If no CHI number is input at the time of image capture, you can add this retrospectively at any time via Consultant Connect in your web browser.
What are the messages I will see when doing a CHI look-up?
List of CHI look-up messages:
No Patient found
= The CHI number entered does not match any patient in the CHI database
Not in organisation
= The patient is registered to a different GP practice than the user entering the
Invalid patient identifier
= When in offline or online mode, this error will show if an invalid CHI number is entered
How can I review my photos when ready to send and delete any I do not want?
Before saving your session on the app, it is possible to tap the photos you took which expands the photo to full screen. Once the photo is in full-screen mode, you can pinch the photo to zoom. If you want to delete a photo, you can do so by tapping the X on the upper right corner of the picture.
Can I use this service for patients with no CHI number or a temporary CHI number?
The use case for this service is for patients with valid CHI numbers. For the encounter to be submitted to the NDP and then be made available to attach to a SCI Gateway Referral, a valid CHI number must be entered on the App. However, it is still possible to take the photos with the App without a CHI number. Upon saving the encounter, the photos will be saved to the Consultant Connect web application only. It is then possible to download the photos from the web application and attach to a SCI Gateway Referral from local storage.
How do I upload photos from Consultant Connect to Docman?
Uploading photos to docman pdf document attached
How can I see all of the encounters saved without a CHI number in my practice? How do I see a report?
You must first be set up as a Practice Admin role, which will allow you to see information about the encounters created by any user in your GP Practice. On the reports > photos tab on the Consultant Connect web application you will see the encounters sorted by date order. This will show the user that captured the photos and a hyphen in the patient number field to indicate missing CHI numbers.
The Export dropdown at the top right of the page allows for a CSV/Excel export of the same data.
It may be easier to use that export and filter within Excel, depending on the number of sessions involved. Default users will be able to see the same report for their encounters only.
Is the app safe for me to download on my personal phone?
Yes, Consultant Connect App activity is stored in an IG-secure cloud and never on your device, meaning it is completely secure and GDPR-compliant. Only devices running on an minimum Apple operating system or an Android operating system stated here will support the Consultant Connect App. This is to comply with the latest data protection regulations.
Is the service free?
The service is paid for by your commissioning organisation, meaning there is no cost to users.
The Consultant Connect App can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.
I have forgotten my password; what should I do?
Please contact your local Health Board support desk for advice on resetting your Single Sign-On (SSO) password.
Digital Dermatology Frequently Asked Questions | Turas | Learn
