Healthy Connections –
Enabling Improved Primary & Secondary Care Links
with Technology
Vincent Jordan
Project Services Manager
HSE Western Area
+353 91 775411
vincent.jordan@mailn.hse.ie
Agenda
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Person-centred Care & ICT-enabled
Services
Implementation project
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Objectives
Organisation
Lessons learned
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Vincent Jordan
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Service Connections
Birth
Laboratory
Radiology
A&E
Referrals (Out Patient)
Day cases/ Inpatient treatments
Maternity
Discharge to home/nursing home
RIP
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Improving Services through ICT
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Better patient care
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Better staff experience
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Reduced error
More timely information
Lower stress
Less paperwork
Fewer phone calls for follow-up
More time for care delivery
Lower stress
Improved efficiency
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Reduced errors and risk
Better identification
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The ICT Jigsaw – a Scenario
Diagnostic
Information
Systems
Lab
Radiology
Practice
Management
System
Messaging
Service
Out Patient
Clinics
Patient
Information
System
Appointments
Clinic Letters
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Key Infrastructure
Components:
Computers – desktop & servers
Networks – private & shared
Security – Access, Authentication,
Authorisation
Standards – Technology &
Information
Vincent Jordan
Out of Hours Coop Management
System
5
Project Background
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Scale
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Population > 380,000
270+ general practitioners
Communities at significant distance from hospitals
1582 hospital beds
Laboratory services in HSE Western Area
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>1m samples (~8m tests)
Galway Regional Hospitals (UCH, Merlin Park)
Mayo General
Roscommon County
Portiuncula
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Project Objectives
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Reduced clinical risk
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Efficiency
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Better patient and GP identification throughout the entire
process (locums, demographics…)
Reduced turnaround of test results to primary care
Fewer follow-up phone calls required
Demonstrate capacity & value to stakeholders
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Benefit realisation from APEX implementation
“Good news” story
Learn lessons for future ICT-enabled links
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Project Organisation
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Sponsor
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Project Board
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Tony Canavan, General Manager Mayo General Hospital
General Practitioners
Primary Care Department
Laboratory IS manager
Medical Scientists
Laboratory & hospital consultants
Information Services
Project Manager
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Robert McDonald
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Implementation
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Five pilot GP practices selected
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Technical components in place
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Interface with Lab system
HL7 output to Healthlinks server
Validation work to commence shortly
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Beta site: Eamon O’Shea – GP Tutor
Medical science + IS involved
Scope changes
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Client identification
Portiuncula
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Lessons learned so far
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Identification service
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Resourcing challenges
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Demand-led service with WTE ceiling
Crossing lines of responsibility
Change management
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Laboratory service governance & overall clinical
responsibility
Policy implementation
Peer-to-peer learning
GPs?
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Questions?
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And thank you…
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