Digital transformation: Trust achieves advanced rating
The Trust has achieved an advanced rating (level six of seven) for the digital maturity of our clinical services, following an assessment by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). This is an internationally recognised standard for electronic medical record transformation and we join a small group of organisations who have achieved this standard in England.
The HIMSS team visited St Mary’s Hospital to meet staff from various teams, including the emergency department, outpatients and intensive care. The assessment upgraded our rating from level five to six, which means we use digital technology and data ‘for improved patient engagement, clinical efficiency, and departmental insights.’
HIMSS were particularly impressed with our efforts to improve patient safety via the roll out and adoption of technology which allows clinicians to scan medication and bloods (for transfusion) at patients’ bedsides and link this automatically to patients’ electronic records. This gives patients and staff an extra layer of safety, in addition to existing processes, to help ensure the right medication is given to the right person at the right time – and at the right dosage and via the right route. This is the culmination of five years of hard work by clinical teams, with over 70 per cent of all medications at St Mary’s now being scanned.
The Trust’s last inspection was in 2018, when HIMSS praised the number of users of the electronic patient records across our services and the range of features available.
James Bird, chief nurse information officer at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “This is a prestigious internationally recognised standard and a big achievement for the Trust. It is a reflection of the progress we’re making on our digital transformation journey and ultimately our efforts to realise the full benefits of our electronic patient record system for patients and staff.
“This continues to be a big team effort. I’m particularly grateful to our nursing staff for embracing the use of digital positive patient identification in the administration of medications and bloods on our wards. This offers an extra layer of safety and reassurance to our patients and staff.
“We will be continuing our digital journey over the coming months and years, further embedding existing technologies and developing our digital offer to our patients and staff.”
Robbie Cline is chief information officer for the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative, a partnership between the four NHS hospital trusts in north west London. He said: "This is a fantastic achievement, and good news for patients and staff alike. Congratulations to the many, many colleagues involved.
“We have made significant progress with our digital transformation across our four Trusts over the past few years. Just last year, we became the first acute provider collaborative in the country to have a single electronic patient record system. We've already seen huge benefits for patients and staff - and are now focused on further embedding technologies across the collaborative, as well as making the most of new and emerging technologies."
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