Patients with chest pains and suspected heart attacks are benefitting from better informed decisions in a high-impact initiative led by clinicians, writes Dr. Krishnaraj Sinhji Rathod, a Consultant in Interventional Cardiology at Barts Health NHS Trust. He explains the clinical, environmental, and efficiency significance of digitising electrocardiograms, and the opportunity to scale success more widely in the NHS.
Picture the moment: a patient in an ambulance is enroute to hospital with new chest pain. Paramedics understandably suspect a possible heart attack having carried out an electrocardiogram (ECG). On arrival at the hospital the patient's prior ECGs are not available, with paper printouts unavailable on the ward, and potentially buried in a paper archive, or not documented in the patient record. Further clarity is needed. Clinicians assess the patient, and they order tests such as a chest x-ray or an angiogram to help diagnose the problem and to identify the best course of action.
A different approach, that has quickly become mainstream practice at Barts Health NHS Trust, is changing how clinical teams can make better informed decisions in such situations, helping to get patients on the right pathway at the earliest opportunity.
Led by Dr. Krishnaraj Sinhji Rathod, Dr. Andrew Wragg and the Trust's interventional cardiology team, and supported by the introduction of WiFi enabled Baxter ECG machines, the approach has been derived from a patient safety driven project that has transformed visibility of ECGs across four of the Trust's hospitals. Clinical gains, consistently appropriate treatment, and a positive environmental impact are resulting.
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