Current Filter: Document>>>>>>

   

The UK NHS is the "envy of the world" - a bold headline which is largely true. Like any national service that deals with huge numbers of staff, customers, and complex processes, there are failings which must be (and are) properly scrutinised and typically followed by directives for improvement.

Using technology to improve healthcare delivery and patient care has been a hot topic over the last few years. Technology is not just making its presence felt in operating theatres and hospital wards - NHS Trusts and PCTS are quickly becoming aware that being able to access, store and share patient records is as crucial to improving patient care as the latest breakthroughs in medical science. The need for an efficient and effective information management system manifests itself across all levels of modern healthcare provision. It encompasses everything from consultants and surgeons accessing x-rays and scans from workstations across a hospital complex, ending the need for cumbersome transfer of paper records from one site to another, with the incumbent risk of them being misplaced or lost or misused; to administration staff using systems that help automate selected processes, saving time and money.

Add a dose of security and audit and suddenly the prospect of a system that mandates governance and eliminates unscrutinised misuse, becomes quite real. This has been achieved in some NHS Trusts who took the bold step to deliver change some years ago and are now leading the way forward.

The implementation of such an electronic system turns around the culture of information. Much like the NHS' founding principle, the modern information management system provides a 'cradle to grave' auditable trail of legacy documents such as patient records and correspondence. Implementing an electronic information management solution delivers the proverbial 'double whammy' of improving accessibility, whilst ensuring that healthcare providers like NHS Trusts and PCTS are fully compliant with their legal obligation in storing healthcare records.

Document management or "electronic filing" started with turning paper into electronic files, which can save space, be moved around and shared. Lessons learnt from early adoption of such systems are now being realised through more sophisticated Electronic Document & Records Management (EDRM) Systems which include electronic content. Add a dose of systems integration, workflow, electronic forms, content extraction, and compliance, and suddenly organisations are beginning to realise tangible benefits from this technology. With appropriate safeguards in place, EDRM has a proven track record of long-term cost savings combined with increased efficiency with no loss of security (in fact, enhanced security).

The core component of any information management strategy is document management. Unfortunately, document management is still regarded as a luxury and, in many cases, used as glorified electronic filing of patient records, with little or no return from investments in such systems which fail to deliver information at the point-of-care. EDRM offers much more than an electronic filing system - EDRM can deliver an effective, enterprise-wide approach to patient information management, integration, delivery, and workflow, for both clinical and non-clinical applications. It is the underlying technology which provides a compound document repository that can be shared among many departments, to unify the document repository, provide access to the Integrated Patient Record - at the point-of-care - and support generation and management of patient information without relying on paper. The key requirements are:

1. Capture and manage legacy (paper) patient records
The majority of document management solutions in use provide facilities for capturing, managing, and delivering electronic patient records. Organisations looking to digitise legacy records have to meet a variety of business objectives which may include:

• cost related to maintaining existing record libraries;
• pressure on storage space, especially if moving to a new site;
• operational costs - finding and delivering records, especially across a number of geographically distributed sites;
• strategic objectives related to operational performance and efficiency gains;
• customer services

Page   1  2  3