Demographic data from Dorset’s three acute hospitals and GP records are set to be shared as the first phase of the Dorset Care Record starts in the next few weeks.
Both the demographic data and the GP records, covering diagnosis, events, examinations, investigations, medications, procedures and risks, will have an impact on Dorset County Council’s staff.
Carole Jones, Adult and Community Services case worker and one of the early adopters, said the DCR would benefit the hospital social work team when the first phase goes live shortly.
‘The hospital team gather information to complete assessments from many sources; from the client, the ward staff, therapy staff and GP from case notes in Mosaic.
‘DCR will enable us to view most of the data in one place, and particularly with complex cases, will assist use providing timely and seamless discharges for clients in hospitals.
‘DCR will also be a useful additional resource and, as it develops, I am sure we will discover further benefits to help us in our roles.’
Claire Collett, occupational therapist for the North Dorset Locality Team, said she felt there would be real benefits for staff working alongside district nurses and the community nursing team at Sherborne’s Yeatman Hospital.
‘Part of my role is to visit and assess people in their own homes to see how equipment and adaptations can help them achieve their outcomes.
‘I can see some value in social care staff being able to access some of the medical data. It will help me and colleagues when we are completing the new care and support assessment on Mosaic, which asks for input on what the person’s condition is, the date it was diagnosed and also the person providing the diagnosis.
‘ I feel we will be able to find this information now on the DCR and so have clear evidence of this which will help provide better evidence of a client’s medical conditions to recommend and justify equipment and adaptations.’