The fundamental benefit of healthcare interoperability is to facilitate the reliable and secure transfer of information across systems to improve data sharing, optimise clinical outcomes and join up data to support the continuity of care. The realisation of these benefits is reliant on the ability of clinical systems across health and care to be interoperable; enabling seamless access and exchange of patient data when and where it is needed.
The NHS Long Term Plan sets out priorities for digital transformation across health and social care in the UK. The plan recognises the increasing need for effective data sharing across organisational and geographical boundaries to achieve improved patient care. Particular areas of focus include: putting in place solutions to support interoperability needs, and ensuring clinicians can access and interact with patient records at the point of care.
Interoperability is essential in achieving joined-up care, read our blog to find out more: What is interoperability? 5 benefits of interoperability for safer, improved health and social care.
Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are partnerships that bring together providers and commissioners of NHS services across a geographical area with an aim to collectively integrate care across different organisations, improve population health and reduce inequalities. Despite the drive for digital transformation, organisations, settings and systems still work in silos. Data sharing limitations are a core obstacle to optimising the delivery of effective connected care across ICS regions.
Improved interoperability can be easier to achieve than you may think. With the right support and expertise, solutions can be deployed to join up care, addressing the complex digital challenges faced in achieving digital transformation goals.
The Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG) is a secure middleware technology which enables the two-way exchange of patient information between health and social care organisations. For organisations with an existing system in place, the MIG provides real-time patient information at the point of care from our 80+ clinical system partners. In instances where an existing system is not in place, our MIG Shared Record Viewer, an independent web portal, provides healthcare professionals with instant access to MIG data. It can be accessed through the HSCN/N3 and allows end users to search for patients and view their medical records in one place. The MIG facilitates data sharing in any system, in any setting so single sign on can exist, providing seamless access to rich patient data, including an array of specialist datasets from mental health, social care and primary care.
Integrated care technology can be implemented easily by specialists in the health technology space but it’s the end users and their patients that will gain the most. Therefore, building awareness to improve knowledge will help increase the adoption of services in an organisation. When new technology is used to its maximum potential and embedded into day to day workflows, the patient is kept at the heart of decision making.
Healthcare Gateway recognise the importance of providing end users with knowledge and clarity of available services. By providing wraparound interoperability support, including MIG Awareness Sessions, our team of specialists help improve knowledge and understanding of the MIG with an aim to increase the adoption of the service across healthcare settings.
A managed service takes the burden away and given the pressures on services today, no healthcare provider would want unnecessary disruption. As a managed service provider, Healthcare Gateway not only deploys the technology, we maintain the technology by keeping it running, in a cost and time effective way.
There is an increasing need to reap the benefits of digital transformation in care homes and ensure that staff in care homes are digitally equipped to support their important role at the heart of patient care. NHS England report that residents in care homes account for 185,000 emergency admissions each year and 1.46 million emergency bed days with 35-40% of emergency admissions deemed potentially avoidable. By improving the digital infrastructure and allowing appropriate access to patient data in care home settings, care staff are more effectively equipped to provide informed, personalised care, which in turn helps to avoid emergency admissions. Interoperability between clinical systems and settings along a care home resident’s care pathway is critical in reducing pressures on emergency care and improving outcomes.
Digitalisation of care homes is not just about cost savings, it is about enabling staff to:
Save time and resources in care
Spend more time caring for their residents
Focus on prevention
Minimise the avoidable use of emergency services
Improve patient outcomes.
Brightree report that 60% of clinicians and organisations which refer patients to hospices state, they require increased electronic health record (EHR) interoperability. With a particular need for hospice’s to receive clinical documents, such as electronic referral. However, only 4% of hospices reported that they are digitally prepared to accept referrals from an interoperable EHR system.
Within palliative care settings, real-time access to patient data is crucial to the multi-disciplinary teams involved in the provision of hospice care. Access to medical records enables the delivery of tailored care plans, which meet individual’s needs and wishes when approaching the end of life.
Healthcare Gateway provide solutions including end of life data that improve communication between healthcare settings, saving valuable time for clinicians to support the provision of more informed care.
To achieve integrated care where limited interoperability is in place, the key is to seek expert advice and guidance. This will allow you to fully understand the benefits interoperability technology can provide for your organisation, and how you can feasibly integrate this technology to effectively meet the needs of your patients and clinicians. Additionally, it is essential to conduct detailed project scoping to identify the system connections you require, to gain the rich datasets needed to inform care in your organisation, and achieve your organisation’s transformation goals.
At Healthcare Gateway, we’re interoperability specialists, and more than just a technology provider. Find out more about how our managed service can help you to achieve your interoperability goals at scale and pace.
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