Tallaght University Hospital upgrades pathology systems with ICE

Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin has deployed CliniSys’ Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) for its pathology systems.

The ICE implementation integrates the ordering and reporting of tests with the electronic patient record (EPR) in a bid to provide a single source of patient information for staff.

The upgrade of its order communications and results reporting will mean clinicians are able to order tests from laboratory and non-laboratory areas electronically and receive the results alongside other patient information.

In addition, efficiency and safety for clinicians and patients will be enhanced, as phlebotomists will have the ability to order tests and collect blood from a patient’s bedside. The hospital currently has a fleet of 100 mobile workstations which can be moved around the hospital to assist phlebotomists with their blood taking. Scanners will also enable them to link the blood samples with patient wristbands, further enhancing the safety and security of tests.

Chief clinical information officer at Tallaght University Hospital, Dr Jason Carty said: “Our staff are loving using ICE and the success of the project is testament to all the preparations, training and its intuitive nature. It is saving time, reducing duplication and improving outcomes.

“We are all excited to see ICE live, working, and delivering success. In the first week of going live with ICE we’ve gone from approximately 50% electronic orders to 90%, and we’re aiming for 100% in the very near future.”

The go-live of the ICE was supported by Medical Supply Company (MSC), the CliniSys partner in Ireland, and CliniSys, who worked alongside Tallaght hospital’s ICT experts and clinical teams.

David Wall, chief information officer at the hospital said: “This has been a massive project to deliver and it’s a tribute to everybody involved that it has been delivered against the backdrop of the pandemic and the challenges of a cyber-attack on our health system this year.

“Everybody working at our hospital over the past 18-months has been incredibly busy, but with strong support from MSC and CliniSys, we have managed a seamless go-live with a system that will support positive and significant change.”

Noel Campbell, IT director of MSC, added: “Tallaght University Hospital is once again leading the way with this first deployment of ICE in a hospital in Ireland.

“What this project does is to put software into the hands of clinicians. It can be launched with a single click from the EPR, which is the software that brings together patient information and documents and can be used by phlebotomists on the wards.

“Integration with the other ICT investments that the hospital is making is a big part of this project, and we are delighted to have been able to play a significant part in delivering on an idea that will pay huge dividends for staff and patients.

Digital Enabled Care is a key part of the hospital’s five-year strategic development of its hospital services, and the ICE upgrade will be key to this. The strategy is designed to reduce reliance on paper and provide its staff with quick, easy access to the information they need on patients.

Recently CliniSys has also been selected to deploy a single laboratory information system (LIMS) across Northern Ireland encompassing five trusts, the blood transfusion service and the national genetics service in Belfast. The company also launched its WinPath Enterprise LIMS to the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) in Ireland this year.