Digitisation of records has 'revolutionised' patient care, say NHSCT staff
Staff in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust have shared how the digitisation of patient records has been a “game changer”.
November 7 marks one year since the NHSCT became the third Trust to go live with digital patient record system, encompass.
Going paper-free has meant a new way of working across a wide range of roles – from admin and medical staff, porters, district nurses and social workers to speech and language therapists, pharmacists, and mental health teams.
One year since going live with encompass, teams have been sharing some of the ways it is delivering benefits.
Podiatry Services Manager Janet Horan said: “Encompass has revolutionised our podiatry service. The lack of dependence on paper notes means we can be so much more responsive to patients’ needs and they can go to clinics closer to their home, for example.”
Podiatrist Leanne McGennity said being able to see patient notes and records in real time has been “a game-changer”.
Photographs of wounds, for example, can be uploaded immediately for assessment. “Teams receiving referrals are able to access all the information on encompass and see photographs of the wounds immediately, and appropriately triage patients to ensure they are receiving the right care,” Leanne added.
Dr Aidan O’Neill, a consultant in acute medicine and rheumatology outlined how before encompass, staff were relying on paper copies. “These would first be sent to our medical secretaries before being matched to the correct patient file, and then it would be brought to clinicians for review and sign off,” he added. “Now, we’re getting results immediately into our inbox and there’s no delay around checking what is urgent and what needs to be prioritised. It’s better for us and importantly it’s better and safer for our patients.”
Portering Manager David Paterson said having patient data available at your fingertips was transforming how the portering service is delivered in hospitals. “We’re able to look at the system and decide where to target our resources to be most effective for delivering services,” he said.
Team Leader Anthony McCudden said encompass gave porters an overview of all departments, enabling them to see where there is any backlog.
Maureen Casey, Cancer Coordinator with the Trust’s Surgical and Clinical Services indicated that the system has allowed admin staff to see and be part of the service user journey, from referral to triage, appointment and ongoing care.
Other benefits highlighted by teams included:
- Ordering multiple investigations (e.g. blood tests, CT scans, ECGs) at the touch of a button instead of having to complete individual paper forms;
- Receiving referrals for triage more quickly;
- Recording things once in a patient’s electronic healthcare record rather than duplication across various formats;
- Prescribing on encompass, saving time and reducing margins for error;
- Faster results management;
- Easier to manage patients with multiple/complex needs;
- Travelling lighter – no need for community teams to transport multiple heavy files to and from different Trust sites.
Meanwhile, a new multifunctional scanner at Antrim Area Hospital is helping to revolutionise the field of nuclear medicine within the NHSCT.
Installed last year, the gamma camera is one of only two in Northern Ireland.
The scanner’s advanced imaging allows healthcare professionals to detect diseases at an early stage, monitor treatment response, and tailor therapies to individual patients.