DCR Stakeholder Update – July 2021

Our stakeholder update includes our latest news and information on our work over the past six months and looks ahead at some of our future plans.

Our work around community pharmacies recognised nationally

The Dorset Care Record features in the Government’s data strategy, launched by the Department of Health and Social Care this week. The strategy is designed to support delivery of patient centred care with a view of giving them better access and greater control over their health and care data.

We were highlighted for our work enabling community pharmacies to have access to the Dorset Care Record during the first wave of the Covid pandemic last Spring.

The Strategy says our work “enables community pharmacists to access relevant information about patients, which can help pharmacists support management of long-term conditions, preventing future hospital admissions.”

The Government has said there will be a full consultation and further information is available at Data strategy to support delivery of patient centred care – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

For the full story go to DCR features in Government data strategy publication – Dorset Care Record (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

 

Better, more convenient patient care – we’ve introduced a new system for primary care information

Health and social care professionals using the Dorset Care Record are now receiving GP data in a different way that is in-line with GP Connect standards.

The system has replaced the traditional Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG) system. It aims to support better clinical care by opening up information and data held within GP practice IT systems for use across health and social care.

Peter Gill, Dorset Care Record Senior Responsible Officer, said: “The system will save time for clinicians, and provide better, more convenient care for patients.

“The service makes patient medical information available to all appropriate clinicians when and where they need it to support direct patient care, leading to improvements in both care and outcomes.”

To find out more about the benefits read our story – Better, more convenient patient care – Dorset Care Record introduces new system for primary care information – Dorset Care Record (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

First Mental and community health records are visible in the DCR

Mental health records from Dorset HealthCare are for the first time feeding into the Dorset Care Record (DCR).

Hospitals, GPs and social care staff can now see mental health and community health data.

Benefits will include health and care professionals having access to GPs and other partner’s patient care details, the provision of near real-time information in one place and greater coordination of care between health and social care staff across Dorset. To find out more go to our news pages – First mental health records from Dorset HealthCare enter the Dorset Care Record – Dorset Care Record (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

We’re working with Dorset Integrated Care System to highlight our digital work

We’ve been working with partners and Our Dorset – Your Local NHS and Councils working togther to showcase Dorset’s Integrated Care System’s digital offer. In this video, you can find out about our work with community pharmacies, Yeovil Hospital, the forthcoming diabetes pathway and how we’ve grown in the past 12 months. The video also highlights our work with #WessexCareRecords on greater interoperability with our Hampshire friends and progress of the One Medication Record.

The video shows the huge amount of digital investment taking place in the county and includes updates on the following areas:

• Data Intelligence and Insight Service
• Data Analytics Centre of Excellence
• Enabling Technology
• Dorset Care Record and Wessex Care Records
• Robotic Process Automation
• Self-empowered health
• Workforce
• Digital investment and research

You can catch the video at https://youtu.be/LBESiYz2kOg

How Patients are finding the benefits of the DCR

A few weeks ago Simon Heazell went to have the removal of temporary stents at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) following an operation to remove kidney stones.

Ahead of the operation Simon had a detailed discussion with a member of the UHD pre-assessment team to ensure that he was physically fit to undergo the operation.

Simon, who lives at Yetminster, close to the Dorset/Somerset border, was really impressed with the detailed questions being asked: “It was incredibly comprehensive…. They asked everything possible.

“I am currently on quite a lot of pills and remembering what doses I require and all of their names is an effort. But they managed to track down all my detailed records including paperwork related to Dorset County Hospital.

“This went on for some time and I was told which x-rays had been done and when and various other things, including when I last saw a consultant and blood test results.

“Off the top of my head, I couldn’t swear that I could have got everything right and then at the end of the interview, she said “thank goodness for the DCR (Dorset Care Record).”

For the full case study see – The Dorset Care Record – A Patient’s View – Dorset Care Record (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

You can read more of our case studies – Case Studies – Dorset Care Record (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

We’re growing faster than ever

Latest statistics show a substantial rise in both the number of staff using the DCR and also the number of patient records accessed.

Figures for April 2020 and March 2021 show a rise from 8,574 patients accessed to 20,075 (234% rise), while the number of radiology and pathology reports viewed has leapt from 1,500 to more than 6,000 per month (300% increase). Login details have also rise from 4,300 to nearly 13,000.

The growth has been due to a combination of factors:

• An enriched DCR
• Covid – meaning that clinicians have been more reliant on records rather than face to face meetings with patients
• The roll out to most partners during the year of Single Sign On through their respective primary systems
• New partners coming on stream
• More staff joining the DCR from across the Partnership due to easier training requirements and internal communications comms campaigns (see below)

Training Refresh – Digital 2.0

The introduction of a new Digital 2.0 training initiative with a greater focus on getting staff acquainted with the DCR has proved very helpful. This has led to

• A shorter mandatory information sharing and security module – down from 40 slides to 5 (reducing time taken from 1hr to 10-15 minutes
• Greater use of online digital videos, available on our intranet
• More webinar style training courses.

Coming Soon – myDCR

We’re very excited about the delivery of a patient health record (PHR) is part of the strategic delivery of the DCR and will enable people to view and contribute to their own health and social care records. It is a key digital component of the Dorset ICS.

myDCR is connected to and is complementary to the DCR and in its simplest form will enable a person, in time, to:

• Read their clinic letters and discharge summary documents after being released from hospital
• Connect to a health information library that is already in the system
• Set personal goals, including improving health and well-being
• Nominate family members and friends to be able to access medical information so they are informed and able to support care.

We are working on three pilots for launch later this year. The main pilot functionality is the Circle of Care, which involves adding friends and family and inviting a representative, and the viewing of nurse led clinic letters from Dorset County Hospital with email notifications being sent to the citizen every time a change is made to their record.

Benefits for citizens include:

• Improved access to information and current clinical summary details
• Quicker means of communication with your clinicians
• You can already ask to see your GP records, which cover primary care, but myDCR will also contain other care information from specialist doctors and nurses or social care staff from local authorities.

Get in Touch

 We plan to continue to update our stakeholders regularly but if you do have any questions, please contact Tony McDougal, DCR’s Communications and Engagement Manager (tony.mcdougal@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

 

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