Informatics update: March 2008 part 1
Dear all
RCN briefing for debate on EPR
The RCN briefing for the debate on EPR made a big impact at the House of Commons, with a number of MPs and the Minister referring to it during the debate. Below some of the highlights:
“We received a brief for today’s debate from the Royal College of Nursing, which talks about secondary uses. People often think that this is something that is likely to interest only researchers and academics, but the RCN states — I suspect this might be earlier in the patient care record — that the secondary usage of electronic patient care records "has the potential to enable the identification of patient outcomes and best practice but also to demonstrate the effects of staffing levels and skill mix which has a direct impact on patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes". That professional body is taking the right approach to the issue. Yes, it says that it wants more nurses, but we all want more nurses in the right places — although we have had a massive increase in the number of nurses going into the National Health Service in the past seven years, we can debate whether they have all gone to the right places. Asking how we can use patient information databases, however, is the right approach to take.
Dr Richard Taylor MP said: "I have also received a copy of a briefing from the Royal College of Nursing. I find it extremely sad that five or six years after the beginning of the project, it still has to make recommendations for involvement and development of the EPR. Six years after its inception, it is appealing for adequate resources and learning opportunities and for the nursing content of the EPR to be nationally agreed. Has it not been nationally agreed? How can it have to ask that so long after the start?"
Sandra Gidley MP: "The biggest problem is probably the lack of initial engagement with grass-roots users. The number of submissions that mentioned that point is quite overwhelming. I shall quote from the submission by the Royal College of Nursing: 'Although the aims were laudable, the top-down, contract driven approach to implementation has presented tremendous challenges to those who are trying to introduce and implement new systems and ways of working within the clinical environment.'"
Charlotte Atkins MP: "Various Hon. Members have cited the Royal College of Nursing’s survey of its members. It found that two thirds of its nurses welcomed the introduction of the electronic patient record but, interestingly, 30 per cent. of them said that the security of the system would not be any better than that of the paper records currently used in health care. They recognise that the present system is not secure. Anyone can access a paper record and leave no calling card. With a proper secure system in place, any access to an electronic record is logged and can be audited and accounted for. However, the public, patients and professionals are right to be concerned about whether proper safeguards will be put in place."
In the news:
New National Clinical Lead
NHS Connecting for Health has announced the appointment of a midwife as a National Clinical Lead. Picture of Julie Tindale, who is currently Maternity Information System Manager at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust is available at http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/engagement/clinical/nurses
North Lincs community nurses get mobile
Community nurses in North Lincolnshire are to get wireless rugged laptops in one of the largest deployments yet of mobile technology to staff working outside hospitals.
NHS staff dismay at computer fix delay:
A major computer server in the NHS Tayside network crashed in the early hours and was off for around 12 hours.
"NHS to deploy national system for e-Learning"
See full story at http://www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n802037.htm
IBM opens virtual healthcare island in Second Life
Full story at http://www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n802040.htm ...and the RCN to follow suit (watch this space!)
Microsoft releases software tool to monitor adverse events in hospitals
See full story at: http://www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n802039.htm
Resources:
The latest issue of the ICNP Bulletin is posted on the ICN website: Check it out!
New site section - Essential IT Skills (EITS) A range of material is available to equip users of National Programme for IT applications with the computer skills needed for their NHS role.
In the know: using information to make better decisions (PDF document) - a discussion paper. Instead of analysing issues and presenting solutions, this paper by the UK Audit Commission aims to encourage people to think about the information they use whenever they make decisions. This paper has many examples of how information has been used in improving public services. This paper is designed to encourage those who make decisions about local public services to demand better and clearer information.
The Centre for Healthcare Modelling and Informatics at the University of Portsmouth is running a mailing list/forum focusing on telecare issues. The Telecare Knowledge Network (TKN), can be found at http://www.tkn.port.ac.uk. Signing up for it is free.
Guide to Monitoring and Evaluating Health Information Products and Services (PDF document). This Guide provides publishers, knowledge managers, program managers, M&E specialists, and health information communicators with a standardized way to evaluate whether their print or electronic products and services meet the requirements needed to make them effective, used, and adapted by health care practitioners and policymakers in the field. The 29 indicators in the Guide measure the reach, usefulness, and use, as well as the collaboration, and capacity building engendered through information products and services.
Events/courses:
The First HL7 e-Learning Course – now available - Start-up March 17, 2008: The HL7 e-Learning Course is fundamentally different with regard to an exposition course. It is a web-based workshop, a set of guided exercises that teaches by practice and example, not by exposition. Download the poster (PDF, 724 kb).
Articles of interest:
Oroviogoicoechea, Elliott Watson (2008) Review: evaluating information systems in nursing Journal of Clinical Nursing 17 (5) , 567–575 Volume 17 Issue 5 Page 567-575, March 2008
A new articles have been posted to update the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing topic from 1998, Nursing Classification: What's in a Name?.
In Standardized Nursing Language: What Does It Mean for Nursing Practice? Marjorie Rutherford discusses the many benefits of standardized languages for nurses in all nursing roles, such as better communication, increased visibility of nursing interventions, and improved patient care.
An article by Margaret Lunney, Critical Need to Address Accuracy of Nurses’ Diagnoses provides strategies, such as the use of partnership models and selection of appropriate software, to assist nurses to improve their accountability for accuracy.
Jobs:
Diagnosis Decision Support System - Clinical Healthcare Informatics A motivated and enthusiastic analyst from a medical/nursing background with an interest in Healthcare Information Technology is required to join the dynamic team. Please send CV via email to : recruitment@isabelhealthcare.com
Salary: £25,000 - £27,000 (Salary negotiable depending on experience)
NICE is recruiting new members to independent advisory committees on the use of health technologies NICE are looking to recruit individuals who have the experience and commitment to help the Institute take some of the most difficult decisions in public life, and in doing so to contribute to improving the quality and consistency of care provided by the NHS. Individuals who are interested in joining the Appraisal Committee should log on to the Institute’s website at for information and an application pack. Applications should be made by 31st March 2008.
Lecturer in Health Informatics University of Dundee Grade 8 (£33,779 - £40,335) An exciting opportunity exists for an experienced graduate in clinical, cognitive or computer science or a related subject to play a leading role in building the reputation of the Health Informatics Research Group. Based in the Division of Community Health Sciences at the Health Informatics Centre, a high profile national research resource, responsibilities will include taking a leading role in master’s teaching, enhancing our research output and building health informatics research capacity across medicine and nursing. The successful candidate should have a relevant PhD and teaching experience together with a background of working in a clinical or academic health sciences setting. The post is for two years in the first instance. More information at http://www.jobs.ac.uk/jobs/YY646/
That all folks – be good!
Sharon Levy (Mr)
Informatics Adviser