To people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases, reliability in the provision of assistive technology devices and medication is crucial. The aggravated conditions resulting from Corona-related transport and travel restrictions can make outpatient care a challenging undertaking. To safeguard outpatient care, APST offers its patients the option of documenting their care needs “online”, thus “initializing” the provision process themselves.
Digital Support in the Provision of ATD
Online notification of a patient’s care need is realized via their personal account on Ambulanzpartner.de. The care request will be forwarded to APST’s case managers who will then submit a corresponding note to the specialist outpatient department or doctor’s office. Following verification of the care need by the responsible doctor on-site, also by using digital media, a suitable provider will be contacted and advised to pick the item in demand from their supplies (i.e. a medical supply and equipment store for ATD, a dispensing chemist’s or pharmacy for medicines, a nutritional therapists team or, again, a medical supply and equipment store for nutritional products). The provider will then contact the patient by way of their preferred means of communication (i.e. by telephone, text message, e-mail) to personally discuss the time and place of delivery for the aid required.
All the providers are well aware of the high risk that patients with neuromuscular diseases are exposed to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, they will always duly implement and comply with the relevant protective measures and directives
Digital Support in the Provision of Medication
Advising the competent medical professionals of a patient’s need for medication is a critical process, one that is only implementable for repeat prescriptions. Any medication need will be verified by two parties, i.e. the treating doctor and the respective pharmacist pertaining to a number of pharmacies in the APST network specialized in the care of patients with ALS and other neuromuscular diseases. The doctor’s decision and issue of a prescription for a certain ATD, nutritional product or medicine is the basis for any and all provision(s) and dispensation(s). Digital submission of a care request is intended to save time in the first place, and to facilitate the provision of a suitable and well- needed item from the comfort of a patient’s home (i.e. without physically coming near an outpatient department pharmacy or medical equipment and supply store). Providing care to a patient’s home without them having to leave their home (meaning their setting of pandemic-induced self-isolation) is our prime focus.
We would like to stress the fact that the digital notification of a care need is an addition to telephone-based care requests.
Video Tutorials for Online Notification of a Care Need
Advising us of your need for ATD, nutritional products and medication is no “self-explanatory” procedure. We have therefore prepared two videos giving you instructions on how to go about it. Order placement with providers was initially reserved for our professional coordinators with relevant professional medical background and training. However, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to open up the platform to those patients in our network who are feeling up to handling such an administrative process themselves. For this purpose, we have prepared two “video tutorials” leading patients and their relatives through every step of the process, advising them on how to document their care need on the platform.
Help and Contact
If you have any questions about technical support when registering and using the APST platform, you can contact the APST app manager.
Friedrich Schaudinn
support@ambulanzpartner.de
Mobil: +49 (0)170-5564502
Telephonic notification of supply needs is possible via our service telephone (from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.):
Service telephone: +49 (0)30-81031410
koordination@ambulanzpartner.de