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Jayne Catley, DCR Business Analyst

The Agony and the Ecstasy – Benefits

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In our latest think-piece project business analyst Jayne Catley argues that if “you’re not measuring it, you can’t manage it.”

Our Programme Management Office have been working on managing benefits for many months and I’ve provided a brief look at how we’ve gone about it.

Firstly, it’s important to ask what is a benefit and why do we need to identify benefits? A benefit should represent an improvement resulting from an action. Any project should have a good reason for existing in the first place. Otherwise, why do it? Continue reading “The Agony and the Ecstasy – Benefits” →

Blog author, Orion Health's senior project manager Doug Robertson

myDCR joins leading patient engagement solutions around the world

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Orion Health’s Senior Project Manager Doug Robertson looks at how myDCR will become the firm’s first patient portal in England and highlights some of the benefits arising. 

Enabling patient engagement is a key priority for Orion Health. While we work with 60+ shared care records globally, relatively few of these have embarked on digital patient engagement programmes.

It has been a privilege to work with the team at My Dorset Care Record (myDCR), particularly given that it is the first implementation of our patient portal technology in England. myDCR expects to deliver wide-ranging benefits to  both patients and health care staff. Continue reading “myDCR joins leading patient engagement solutions around the world” →

Jodie Crowfoot, DCR project manager

Benefits from Lessons Learnt exercises following live releases

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In our latest think-piece, project manager Jodie Crowfoot highlights the team’s work around learning lessons from recent releases

As the Dorset Care Record (DCR) enters its fourth year of being a live system and after a number of different functionality releases, we have now established a successful process by which we record and action any lessons learnt from previous releases.

During a release we maintain documentation which key people on the project can access, so we can  add lessons learnt throughout the process.  These lessons can be things we want to keep as they have gone well or things that we want to improve on in future releases as they have not been as successful. Continue reading “Benefits from Lessons Learnt exercises following live releases” →

Mobile Testing Unit, Photo Credit: Dorset Echo

On the front line tackling COVID-19

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One of our project managers, Kerry Griffin, has for the past 4 months been dividing her time with a front-line role in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. In our latest blog, Kerry highlights some of the lessons learned from her stint managing Dorset’s Mobile Testing Units.

Earlier this Autumn, I saw an advert for a secondment for a part-time project manager to hit the ground running and manage Dorset’s Mobile Testing Units (MTUs). The role appealed to me as I wanted to do my bit to help support the Council’s Covid work and living in the community I thought I was well-suited to the post.

My role is to provide the logistics for the MTUs across Dorset that carry out PCR tests for people to see if they have Covid. Although the actual tests are run by the NHS, it is up to local government to sort out the facilities. Continue reading “On the front line tackling COVID-19” →

Andy Cowling, Head of Service at Dorset Care Record

Our Review of 2021

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In our final think-piece of the year, Our Head of Service Andy Cowling looks back at the highlights of the past 12 months

Wow! Another year has flown by in the world of the Dorset Care Record (DCR) – or should I say another record breaking year in the world of the Dorset Care Record as we have seen use of the system increase in terms of average daily use from 350 per day to over 1,800 per day!

This growth can largely be attributed to the hard work of our partners in working closely with their clinical colleagues to spread the word. Particular mention should go to University Hospitals Dorset for their major push in increasing their single sign on access this year. We have also enabled single sign on access for GPs and mental health staff at Dorset HealthCare so look forward to hopefully continuing to see our numbers climb throughout 2022. Continue reading “Our Review of 2021” →

Painting a picture of the Dorset Care Record

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Alex May has been producing illustrations for teams across Dorset Council over the past few years. In our latest blog, Alex writes about his work and how he came to produce the diagram for the Dorset Care Record Partnership.

I began to draw “rich picture” process maps some years back (diagrams with images of the “thing” next to the words for the “thing”). I used these to help gain a buy-in and a greater understanding from my customers for pieces of work I was involved with. I worked closely, at the time, with DCR Business Analyst Jayne Catley, who introduced me to this format.

One thing led to another and soon I was producing sketch notes / graphic recording / illustrations regularly for not only my own but Corporate projects. I really enjoy the format and believe in the adage that “a picture speaks a thousand words” ……plus the hope is that, on some occasions, they allow me to avoid writing!

All my illustrations to date have been drawn freehand. This can, however, make the whole process very time consuming and if I mess something up…

Continue reading “Painting a picture of the Dorset Care Record” →

Sam Belhomme

Driving up user numbers through communications

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University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) Dorset Care Record project support officer Sam Belhomme charts the acute hospital’s progress so far and highlights how a communications strategy to drive up user numbers is paying dividends.

We have spent the last couple of years implementing a number of different components into the Dorset Care Record (DCR): Demographics, Emergency Department encounters, Inpatient admissions, Outpatient attendances, WLM bookings, Radiology reports, Allergies, Clinic Letters, ED Discharge Summaries, Inpatient Discharge Summaries and Single Sign on for staff (phew).

But there is still work to be done. My manager Grant Thompson and I are currently working on putting our Business As Usual processes in place as well as looking at what additional documentation we can start sending into DCR. We are also starting to look at the new Citizen Portal called myDCR and how it can be utilised by patients and staff to enhance care.

Last but by no means least, we are working at UHD to increase our current user base and promote DCR both within the stand alone DCR portal and also via the Graphnet EPR single sign on functionality. Continue reading “Driving up user numbers through communications” →

Our departing privacy officer Tracy Brinson

Privacy, Data Protection, Training and Engagement in the Dorset Care Record

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Our privacy officer Tracy Brinson is leaving after 28 years following a range of roles across Dorset Council. These are her farewell thoughts on the Dorset Care Record and Information Governance.

Imagine a football match at the beginning of a new season.  Both teams are chomping at the bit to get their first victory and grab those precious three points. Side A is up to speed with all the rules and regulations having poured over the Football Association’s rule book. Side B has failed to notice the offside rule has changed meaning that at least one attacker can be ahead of the last line of defence when the ball is passed through. The result? Side B faces a crisis of confidence. The calamity of an unprepared side and a heavy defeat. And a loss of support and belief from their fan base. The moral of the story – if you are prepared and up to date with developments you stand a much better chance of victory. Continue reading “Privacy, Data Protection, Training and Engagement in the Dorset Care Record” →

Moving to GP Connect

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Our team have been working closely and at pace with Wessex Care Records and Orion Health to introduce a GP Connect standard to replace the current MIG primary care system. Ian Haywood, Wessex Care Records’ business analyst talks about some of the benefits associated with the changes in our latest blog.

Having access to Primary Care (GP) data is a significant part of why the DCR is so useful to clinicians.  Since its inception, the DCR has accessed GP information via an interface provided by Healthcare Gateway, known as the MIG, and this has been hugely successful in providing a level of information previously inaccessible to many Health and Social care clinicians.

In recent years NHS Digital, and with the creation and support of NHSX, has pushed the interoperability agenda further, with a huge amount of focus on better enabling primary care information to be shared with other NHS and Social Care organisations to support direct care. Continue reading “Moving to GP Connect” →

New digital training course around information sharing and security

Digital Training during the Covid Pandemic

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Our training manager Catherine Snook highlights the digital changes introduced to make our information more relevant and easier to use

The importance of accessible, digital training content has never been greater than it is today. Here at the Dorset Care Record we have proactively reacted to the Covid-19 pandemic and used this opportunity to create newly revised online training content which is more relevant and accessible than ever before. What’s more, we now also provide a platter of online learning options to support our partner organisations, all of which can be accessed by the click of a button! Continue reading “Digital Training during the Covid Pandemic” →