RADIOLOGY & IMAGING
The digitalpathway for future healthcare
The Clinical Services Journal’s technical editor, Kate Woodhead RGB, DMS, believes new technology holds a great deal of promise that we may be able to do more with less. But how will this enable healthcare professionals to use their time more effectively and equally achieve better outcomes for patients?
The NHS has had a fair few disasters with large scale technological developments in the past and so it is with some scepticism that the new provisions are being greeted. Many Trusts are digitising under their own steam and so small scale developments are effected locally, which has its own impact. The new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock used to work in the technology industry and is a keen proponent of the benefits which the NHS could accrue. He has already put £200 million on the table for digital development, although as we know this is a small drop in a very expensive ocean. However, we would be foolish to miss this opportunity to start to use far more technology in our work, for as we know this has made our lives easier away from work. The Royal College of Nursing undertook a consultation regarding technology in healthcare which is worth reporting1
some of
the barriers to developments which were significant. Anyone currently working on the wards of acute care hospitals will be familiar with the reported difficulties which cited that, “My Trust is just upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 (an operating system which is already more than ten years out of date). Many of our computers are so old, the upgrade cannot take place. I hate to think how much nursing time is wasted waiting for computers to switch on, load emails, bring up blood results etc. There are rarely enough computers to match demand....” and “the biggest barrier to any system, be it electronic or paper- based, is chronic understaffing. If staff haven’t time to take a break, use the bathroom and are struggling to deliver patient care, they will find it difficult to engage with and learn new systems.”
However, reports from the development of electronic patient records in community care in West Yorkshire, highlight the need for only single data entry rather than paper first in the patients home followed by office based data entry as having released many hours of additional time for patient care, real time access to a more complete and accurate patient care record which helps decision making and allows faster responses to patient queries.2
There is considerable hope
that the benefits will start to show dividends across the NHS.
Cutting edge digital future
is pushing the transformation agenda and the development of technology in
Matt Hancock, speaking recently at NHS Expo’3
Matt Hancock, speaking recently at NHS Expo is pushing the transformation agenda and the development of technology in healthcare.
16 I
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM
healthcare. He said that now is the moment to put the past behind us and set the new sights on the NHS being the most cutting edge system in the world to use technology to improve our health, make lives easier and make money go further, harnessing the amazing explosion of innovation that the connection of billions of minds through digital technology has brought to this world. All great stuff, if you can get rid of the ancient hardware, find systems that are adaptable to local circumstances – which talk to other local platforms which have been installed and join up with community healthcare systems which need to talk to the acute care systems. This will ease appropriate governance and ethical parameters, as well as insufficient numbers to enable all users to have access when they need it. Probably cloud cuckoo land. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out the way that he wants the NHS to develop it’s world class technology ecosystem. To do this means setting standards, securing access to finance, opening up procurement, deepening the
NOVEMBER 2018
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