47 GP Practices across Devon and Exeter will be able to order pathology tests digitally, replacing the current paper process for ordering tests.
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust will use CliniSys ICE to enable GPs to order tests. A pilot of 5 GP practices will take place before rolling the new service out to all GP practices in the area.
The Trust uses the SWIFT Lab laboratory information management system (LIMS) which will integrate with CliniSys ICE. Later next year the trust will implement Epic for its electronic patient record and also a clinical portal as part of their MY CARE programme, with the CliniSys ICE system integrating with both systems.
Sarah Hodder, Royal Devon and Exeter diagnostics cluster manager “At the moment, GPs that send samples to the RD&E have to send a request card with them, and we have to manually input the information from the request card into our LIMS.”
“That uses valuable staff time and can leave the process open to potential errors. In the future, GPs will still need to send us physical samples, but ICE will remove the paper that comes with them. It will be much more modern and streamlined.”
Dr Cressida Auckland, pathology clinical lead, RD&E “We are really excited to offer this requesting service – as well as the obvious benefits in terms of simplicity and accuracy, we hope to use it to develop Peninsular-wide order sets that will ensure the best possible use of our pathology services, and improve our investigation and treatment of our patients.”
Richard Excell the programme manager confirmed that once the pilot is complete, the aim is to deploy to three practices a week and to have all 47 local practices ordering tests electronically by March next year.
Dr Mick Braddick, GP, Chiddenbrook Surgery “This electronic system will provide “just in time” guidance to GPs and practice nurses, so they request the optimum set of tests for a particular problem, and reduce the chance of repeating a test done elsewhere recently. This guidance can be overruled by the test requestor if they consider their patient to be exceptional. It will improve the quality of the care we provide, and is very welcome.”
