The Guardian’s “Patient from Hell” has published an article about technology champions in the NHS, stressing that IT-literate staff are not supported to push technological initiatives into clinical practice.

The focus of the article are the “digital natives”, staff who regularly use myriad technologies and IT systems in their day to day life. It is reported that these staff are continually faced with archaic technologies in the workplace which they find frustrating due to their awareness of recent medical advancements. The effectiveness of tablets is often cited in studies, with many medical applications cheaply and easily available on a suite of portable hardware devices.

It appears however that despite the gulf between personal and professional technology, clinicians are reluctant to request any changes to working practices. Some NHS staff are reporting that even when these requests are logged, more often than not, they are not actioned.

Dick Vinegar, author of the article, states that aside from the inevitable issue of funding, clinicians “lose interest in technology” as they advance in their career. He cites a number of possible reasons for this, one being large, nationally imposed systems like the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) over which staff feel they have no influence. The failure of the NPfIT has also had a significant effect in decreasing confidence in IT systems.

Furthermore, inefficient working practices often mean that a clinician’s working day is taken up by administrative time in addition to clinical work. Taking time to investigate new systems is not encouraged by NHS managers, often meaning that procurement decisions are made without any direct clinical involvement. This can create distance between staff and a new system, and therefore create a barrier to successful uptake.

Another element is the lack of clear direction from professional bodies, which can cause confusion around technology on the part of staff. Many provide vague advice around new technologies, but are as quick to emphasise the risks and downsides as they are the benefits. Vinegar cites a recent BMA lecture on patient access to their health records as a recent example, where despite an overall positive reception from the BMA’s GP Committee, the lecturer then raised a series of objections.

GPs are thought to be the exception to the IT rule, with Vinegar stating that many are champions and were the first to push through “paperless” routes of working. He states the success of this can be attributed to “business minded” individuals, who see “the financial benefits of good IT”. He also states that many GPs have had the opportunity to contribute towards software design, making it user friendly. He states that many hospital systems were designed without clinical input, exacerbating any issues with data inputting and computer-illiteracy.

Vinegar says he believes there are many “frustrated champions hidden in many corners of the medical profession”, and hopes that even in the tough NHS climate, they will continue to push forward in an attempt to drive change.

In order to encouraged “digital natives”, Trusts should explore the implementation of simple and small-scale systems. Therapy Manager is an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system which captures every aspect of both Inpatient and Outpatient journeys from Referral through to Discharge. The system has been designed from the ground-up in conjunction with clinicians from the entire spectrum of Therapy Services. All Clinical Notes, Assessments and Information can be captured and shared with all healthcare professionals, ensuring that clinicians are in the best position to provide care if the patient chooses.

Original Source The Guardian

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.