Industry news in brief

This month’s industry round up features news of a streamlined registration process for Patients Know Best and the launch of a a tool which allows GPs to carry out secure video calls with patients.

Patients Know Best streamlines registration process

Patients Know Best (PKB) has introduced ‘mass registration’ enabling patients to sign up to access their health records at scale and with speed.

Patients can now sign up for their health record in a number of ways; either by speaking to a member of healthcare staff; by using the kiosk check-in screen commonly found in waiting rooms during their outpatient appointment; or by letter of invitation to their home.

Kiosk registration in one trust signed up 3,000 patients in the first month alone with over 70 completing registration every day.

The automated process through kiosks also means that no staff time is taken up to verify the identity of patients.

Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, CEO and founder of Patients Know Best, said: “Clinical teams can now register patients at scale and with speed. No other portal does this.”

University Hospitals of North Midlands goes live with Bluespier Theatres

An electronic theatre management system has gone live across a series of hospitals in the North Midlands.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust started deploying Bluespier Theatres following a nine month project and a complex two-way integration with the trust’s System C EPR.

Staff across the trust will now be able to use the theatre system to electronically complete operation notes and clinical assessments, populate anaesthetic and recovery charts, and manage entire care plans.

Heidi Poole, head of service development IM&T at the trust, said: “This has been a large scale and professionally orchestrated exercise, with over 600 staff trained and using the software. We are delighted to have gone live and are now in a position where we can start looking to reap the benefits as an organisation.”

Yorkshire firm launches GP video tool

A Yorkshire firm has launched a tool which allows GPs to carry out secure video calls with patients.

TeleDOC, from Vapour Cloud, means GPs can discuss and diagnose health issues with patients remotely, before storing the encrypted video file in a secure vault.

The patient is sent a one-time-use SMS or email, with hyperlink, which automatically activates the video consultation with their own doctor.

Vapour’s CEO Tim Mercer said: “So many healthcare appointments involve a patient who is either in some form of discomfort or suffering from contagious symptoms. Because TeleDOC circumnavigates the need for them to physically travel to their appointment, the benefits are clear.

“The video element means the doctor has visual cues that can help diagnose and advise, and the secure post-appointment storage of the file provides a valuable point of reference further down the line.”

Intersystem’s TrackCare goes global

Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand has implemented InterSystems’ TrakCare electronic medical record (EMR) solution.

The hospital one of the largest private hospitals in Southeast Asia and serves more than one million patients every year.

Kenny Lim, chief information technology officer, said: “We achieved record high patient satisfaction ratings of over 95% over the past few months in several departments.

“Paper usage across the entire hospital has fallen dramatically with TrakCare’s deployment, and the increased use of electronic communications has helped to reduce journey times for patients.”