Royal Free London (RFL) NHS Foundation Trust has launched its new clinical strategy, highlighting the role of new technologies, EPR and improved data and digital services in helping to create a “blueprint to deliver world-leading healthcare”.
The strategy is centred around three group clinical priorities: cancer, cardiovascular, and organ failure and transplantation, with RFL recognising these as having “a significant impact” on the health of the local population.
Beginning by setting out a backdrop of the trust and its strengths, RFL’s strategy highlights its HIMSS level 7 status, reputation as a global digital exemplar trust, and its performance in areas such as research recruitment, lab testing, and postgraduate medical education.
An emphasis is placed on understanding population health through the collection and use of data to help identify factors which may contribute to preventable diseases, and to create “tailored care” for those who may be most at risk of poor health.
To advance early equitable diagnosis, the strategy sets out plans around the use of tech such as AI to boost clinical support services including imaging and diagnostics. It also notes the importance of utilising EPRs and digital pathology services in streamlining patient care journeys and reducing the amount of time spent in hospital.
On how to support patients and citizens to live well, RFL aims to use digital technologies such as EPRs and virtual wards to “improve communication between primary and secondary care”, whilst simultaneously improving the care experience for patients.
Digital innovation is recognised for its “huge role” in how the trust works with patients and staff, with the trust highlighting that 400,000 patients are now registered through its online patient portal, and current work to use the EPR to manage bed occupancy and patient flow.
To read Royal Free London’s clinical strategy in full, please click here.
In other news from RFL, chemotherapy patients at the trust have recently been offered “immersive calming visuals” using VR headsets with the intention of helping to calm anxiety and pass time whilst having their treatment.
In related news, Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) has published its organisational strategy for 2024-2030, highlighting the need for “a digital and data revolution” which will enable innovation and new ways of delivering services to empower patients and health professionals, in turn improving outcomes “by providing safe, responsive and prudent health and care services”.
