Cambridge University Hospitals NHS FT has published a case study to outline its digital transformation over recent years.
The trust is one of the 17 Global Digital Exemplars and is duty bound to share its learning and experiences through the creation of blueprints to enable other trusts to follow in their footsteps as quickly and effectively as possible.
In 2013 the trust signed a ten-year £40 million contract with Epic Systems Corporation. Their ‘built by hospital staff for hospital staff’ Electronic Patient Record (EPR), has ensured the hospital has moved away from paper and manual clinical processes. The case study highlights their digital journey across a range of areas from implementing and optimising an EPR, automated appointment letters, virtual clinics, automated coding, mobile apps, medicines management, referral management, to proving patients access to their own information and ensuring a single point of truth for all information.
Dr Andrew Johnston, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Specialty Lead for the John Farman Intensive Care Unit “With all the information in one place in our EPR – test results, medical charts, theatre/ operation details, and consultant and surgeon notes – the information is totally invaluable and is having a huge impact on our patients. In terms of patient safety and the care we give our patients, our electronic patient record has made an enormous difference, especially in intensive care which is such a data-rich environment.”
One success highlighted in the case study is from the work to tackle sepsis, which nationally results in over 44,000 deaths each year. The trust has seen a 42% reduction in sepsis mortality following the introduction of electronic sepsis alerts built into their EPR by the eHospital team.
Dr Sian Coggle, Consultant in Acute Medicine and Infectious Diseases, and Sepsis Lead, said “Improving prompt identification of sepsis patients and timely access to treatment is vital. The electronic alert and action set, devised with clinicians and built into our electronic patient record by our in-house eHospital digital team, better equips our doctors and nurses to be more aware of the possibility of sepsis and act quickly with appropriate treatment.”.
More recent success comes from linking their EPR with Royal Papworth Hospital so clinical information can be shared electronically between the two organisations.
For what’s next for the trust, HTN last month interviewed Dr Afzal Chaudhry, CCIO, to hear about what the trust is working now and next.
To view the case study please click here >
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