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How digitalisation will advance patient care

The digitalisation of patient care records has progressed rapidly in recent years. However, patient data is not always used to its full potential.

Adil Hazara and colleagues from Academic Renal Research at Hull University Teaching Hospitals, and Hull York Medical School, highlight the need to use stored clinical data more efficiently for patient care. 

Prominent among the key principles that guide the functioning of a modern and nationwide healthcare service, such as the National Health Service (NHS), is to ensure the provision of high quality care that is safe, effective and focused on patient experience, while being cost effective.1 From the moment patients first come in to contact with health services, and at every step along their journey until the termination of a care episode, healthcare providers collect and process vast amounts of clinical data related to multiple aspects of patient care. Efficiently managing the flow of information from patients into the hands of healthcare providers and then back to patients, who are ultimately at the centre of care activity (hence completing an information loop), is key if a healthcare system is to ultimately fulfil its fundamental aim of improving patients’ health and wellbeing

Consider the example of a patient visiting a specialised out-patients clinic to receive ‘routine’ follow-up care for their chronic health condition (e.g. chronic kidney disease). Such a patient would first ‘check in’ to the clinic by entering their details into an automated check-in station (which of course requires regular cleaning, particularly in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic). They would then have their vital observations recorded and a urine sample analysed before seeing the specialist. Information gathered at each step (e.g. weight measurements, blood pressure readings, results of urinalysis tests etc.) are still mostly recorded manually on paper case notes, in the first instance, in many hospitals.

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Upcoming Events

Central Sterilising Club - Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Crowne Plaza at Gerrard’s Cross
15th April 2024 – 16th April 2024

DECON UK 2024

National Conference Centre, Birmingham
17th April 2024

Infection Prevention & Control

National Conference Centre, Birmingham
23rd - 24th April 2024

Theatres & Decontamination Conference 2024

Coventry Building Society Arena
16th May 2024

The AfPP Roadshow - Birmingham

Millennium Point, Birmingham
18th May 2024

The AfPP Roadshow - Exeter

University of Exeter
22nd June 2024

Access the latest issue of Clinical Services Journal on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Clinical Services Journal app from your device's App store

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