[London, UK] University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) has now approved a business case to deploy a full Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, calling it the ‘final major piece’ in advancing their digital strategy before becoming a paperless hospital.
The system, which will be provided by Epic, will reportedly offer UCLH clinicians access to integrated electronic records, improving patient care and supporting data sharing across the north central London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP); a Freedom of Information request submitted by BJ-HC earlier this year revealed the trust was looking at four different options for the EHR system, including Epic.
The deployment of the system is dependent on external funding as the trust is expected to work closely with NHS Improvement and NHS Digital to increase data interoperability within the NHS.
“Our clinicians, nurses and other health care professionals will have access to all relevant patient information in one place. We can make significant further improvements in patient safety. We’ll be able to collaborate with other healthcare partners, such as GPs, more easily.
“We will make the system communicate with other patient information systems in our STP region and beyond. In addition, the system will facilitate clinical research leading to innovative new treatment options and other benefits for health care. And patients will be able to access their own data safely and securely, to help manage and improve their conditions,” said Marcel Levi, Chief Executive at the trust.
Extensive collaboration between Epic sites
The trust is also working with two other Epic sites, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) and Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH), as Roland Sinker, CUH CEO, stated they have ‘high aspirations’ for ‘collaborative work’; UCLH is also exploring a potential partnership with the Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
“Together we believe we can further develop the digitisation of how we work, and by doing this unlock the benefits of access to better data. This will support our wider research aims, and form an important component of the wider UK life sciences strategy, whilst simultaneously improving experience for staff and patients,” Sinker added.
Dr Peter Steer, GOSH CEO, revealed the trust will help UCLH develop ‘paediatric content’ for the EHR system to improve ‘clinical care, research and patient engagement’: “By sharing our specialist paediatric content using Epic, we hope to enhance the care of children and young people across the patient pathway,” Steer stated.
The trust intends to go live with the Epic EHR in 2019 as Gill Gaskin, Medical Director Specialist Hospitals Board at the trust, added ‘the key to success’ will be involving clinicians and patients in the configuration and testing of the system.
