All of Dorset GPs are being given click through access to the Dorset Care Record (DCR) thanks to an emerging form of business process automation technology based on software robots (bots) or artificial intelligence (AI) workers.
The process – known as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) – has been created by IT specialists at Dorset CCG using a solution from global leader in intelligence automation Blue Prism.
Paul Wyman, RPA architect at Dorset CCG, has been working in automation in Dorset with the NHS since 2012 and says the virtual software robots, which are based in the cloud, can perform a range of jobs.
“You can teach them to perform a task – they have artificial intelligence with an understanding of sentiment. In other industries you can talk to them – they’re currently used in telephone systems answering and diverting calls and they can even read letters.”
The DCR approached Paul with a task that normally would take weeks to complete – creating 1,500 accounts – one for every GP in Dorset – as part of the move to enable GPs to log on to the record at a touch of button (Single Sign On)
Paul says his five robots – or digital workers as they are known in the industry – can complete this job in a matter of hours: “We create a script for them and the lead worker shares the work across the team. The workers search through the current users of the system and, if the new user’s record is not found, they will create the account with all of the details required. Any problems encountered are reported back so that they can be dealt with manually.”
Paul has also been working on processes to automate Covid-19 antibody testing for social care staff across the Our Dorset partnership and booked thousands of antibody tests appointments, showing the versatility of the system and leading to interest from the Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Andy Cowling, DCR Head of Service, said the use of robots has benefits.
“This will help us set up over a thousand user records in a fraction of the time it would normally take and I’m delighted we have been successful in working so closely with Paul and his team of digital workers,” he said.
The move to provide SSO to GPs and Dorset HealthCare staff means that every DCR partner now has the ability to enable its staff to join the DCR from their own system at a touch of a button.
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