Having the most up to date patient information, gaining access to data involving people who need emergency social interventions, ensuring patient safety and assessing patient’s fitness prior to surgery are all reasons why staff are signing up to use the Dorset Care Record (DCR).
As part of our ongoing engagement, we asked for partner staff comments about why they wanted to use the DCR, and many felt the system would help them complete an evidence-based assessment as well as helping facilitate a better client journey.
Below are a series of comments from staff who have completed the mandatory training module on information sharing and security and have licences to use the DCR:
“As part of my medicines management role I need access to patient medical records to complete full drug histories to ensure we have the most up to date information.”
“I need speedy access to all available clinical and social care records during my duties as an AMHP (Approved Mental Health Professional) to gain as much information in as short a time as possible to consider all the circumstances for use of the Mental Health Act to detain, or provide least restrictive community options, to hospital. It would be extremely useful to see other professionals’ activities and interactions with a particular person. DASH also covers the 24 hr emergency out of hours duty service for Dorset Council, and it would be extremely useful to have access to other services involvement with people who need emergency social interventions often during the night when it is impossible to contact other agencies.”
“To access clinical notes consisting of past medical history and drug history.”
“I review a large majority of patients in the pre-assessment and acute admission setting therefore access to their summary care record will ensure safe care for the patient by having up to date and accurate information about their current medical needs and prescriptions.”
“To allow me to access information to complete my role. Also to assist with duty tasks when receiving referrals from GP’s.”
“As part of my role, I clinically assess patient’s fitness prior to surgery. To provide holistic care I need to be able to discuss their medication history with them and prescribe their medications. Patients often forget to bring in their medications to the appointment, so having access to this database will allow me to check their medications in a timely manner.”
“To facilitate the best possible assessment and interventions for clients being referred to Adult Social Care. To improve joint working with Health colleagues and to help facilitate a better client journey.”
“I get referrals from GP and consultants to see patients to organise appropriate tests so they can diagnose patients. It would be of benefit especially if I can see the GP records so that I would be able to gather more information before I see the patient in order to have more understanding of their medical problems.”
“To obtain information in relation to services users past and present medical history, in order to complete an evidence-based assessment.”
“I need to be able to access information from DCR to cross-reference patient information and hospital information to ensure patient safety.”
“As an ANP (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) undertaking pre-assessment of patients presenting for elective orthopaedic surgery, access to DCR will improve our service. We currently rely on the GP referral form for much of our patient information and with the push to go paperless this will no longer be available to us. This would mean contacting the GP surgery directly & asking them to fax a clinical summary to us which would create additional workload on both sides. If we could access DCR this would not be necessary.”