News
EMIS Web breaks down barriers between care providers
7 May 2008
EMIS Web, the latest software from EMIS, is at the heart of two
pioneering interoperability projects that are breaking down traditional
barriers between care providers and helping to improve patient care.
In the first project, EMIS Web will underpin a groundbreaking
partnership between EMIS, the UK’s leading GP systems supplier, and
Adastra, the UK's market leader in unscheduled and urgent primary care
solutions, to improve the continuity of out-of-hours (OOH) care.
The joint project, which is due to launch with an initial pilot in
Gateshead this month, will enable OOH clinicians to access an instant
summary of the patient’s primary care record, on the spot.
The pilot, which is being run with the Gateshead PCT and Out of Hours
Group, will see specially developed EMIS components sitting inside the
Adastra software, via a seamless link.
With the patient’s consent, the OOH clinician will be able to open a
summary of the patient’s ‘in hours’ primary care record via an EMIS Web
tab, helping to improve continuity of care. The real time summary will
include details of medication, allergies and long-term conditions.
Ultimately, it offers the potential to improve the care of more than
60 million patients receiving OOH treatment supported by Adastra
systems. These are used in 95% of UK unscheduled care hubs, while EMIS
systems support more than 56% of UK GP surgeries.
In another innovative project, EMIS Web is being used to seamlessly
link primary and secondary care delivery for Liverpool Primary Care
Trust.
The product is integral to the recently launched Primary Care A&E
diversion project which is being delivered by Primary Care staff at the
Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
This aims to reduce the number of patients attending A&E
inappropriately (with primary care problems). Using EMIS Web to deliver
an on-the-spot summary of the patient’s primary care record, nursing
staff from the Primary Care Diversion Scheme can refer such patients
back to their GP or discharge them with self-care advice.
The new project between EMIS and Liverpool Primary Care Trust has
seamlessly linked 19 GP practices from the Liverpool South Central PBC
Consortium to a Primary Care Diversion Service at the Royal Liverpool
University Hospital’s A&E department.
The service is now being expanded to other practices within the PCT;
in total over 40 practices have signed up.
After being identified by the A&E clerk, the patient with a primary
care problem is referred to the primary care nurse for a consultation.
During the consultation, with consent from the patient, a summary of
the patient’s primary care medical record can be viewed via EMIS Web —
including details of medications, allergies and any previous diagnoses.
Using an A&E template, the nurse records the consultation with the
patient in the system and decides whether the patient is suitable for
diversion back to their GP.
If the patient agrees to be referred back the GP, the primary care
nurse can book a same or next-day GP appointment, but the patient still
has the option to attend A&E.
Kate Warriner, Primary Care IM&T Development Manager for Liverpool
PCT said: “Interoperability has played a crucial role in making this
project work. Using EMIS Web has brought considerable practical benefits
with minimal disruption including enabling the GP to view the A&E
consultation back at the practice.”
Sean Riddell, EMIS Healthcare Managing Director said: “These two
flagship projects demonstrate how joined-up thinking between different
providers can not only improve patient care but also save the NHS money
through more efficient service delivery.”
|