With the push to move care out into the community we have seen a significant increase in the number of Trusts considering how to deploy clinicians into a variety of community care settings (Home, Nursing Home, GP clinic etc.) whilst not compromising on quality, safety and performance.

The key challenges we have identified include:

• Access to historic notes and assessments
• Clinician safety
• Locating patients when out in the community
• Recording notes and assessments
• Minimising administrative overhead

Access to historic notes and assessments

Therapy Manager allows clinicians to securely “check-out” a range of historic and future patient information from the central Therapy Manager database. This information relates only to the patients that are in the clinician’s immediate caseload and includes: assessments, clinical notes, patient letters, referrals and appointments (historical & scheduled). This information can be viewed in Therapy Manager as if the clinician were in the office/hospital and connected to the network.

Clinician Safety

Using a combination of mobile technology and good practice, staff located in the clinician’s base can track the progress of community staff as they work through their caseload. This involves capturing appointment location information in Therapy Manager and ensuring that community staff have an agreed “check-in” protocol.

Locating patients when out in the community

In Therapy Manager’s Patient Information screen, clinicians can click on an icon that will automatically display the patient’s location on Google maps and allow the clinician to print a map and directions to the patient’s address.

Recording notes and assessments

Clinical notes can be written up and assessments can be completed out in the community (at the point of treatment) just as if the clinician were connected to the network and using the standard system in an Acute setting.

Minimising Administrative overhead

There is no need for clinicians to re-key notes when they return from working in the community. They simply connect their laptop/netbook up to the network and upload the patient records that they “checked-out” along with the updated notes, assessments and appointments (if created).

In conclusion, Therapy Manager’s mobile solution provides a simple, cost-effective way to deliver community care safely and efficiently.

About Pathway Software

Pathway Software (www.pathwaysoftware.com) specialises in the design and development of patient information systems for Allied Health professionals.

Its flagship product, Therapy Manager, is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system specifically designed for Therapy Services to provide decision makers with the ability to track and manage clinical activity and analyse cost of care by patient, episode or service. The system also demonstrably reduces administration time and the costs of managing Therapy Services.