Summary: The NHS needs a national strategy to fully utilize electronic patient records (EPRs) beyond just digitizing paper. A report by The Health Foundation highlights that many trusts are not using EPRs effectively, which limits improvements in patient care and productivity. Better training and support for staff are essential to unlock the full benefits of these systems.
many are not using them to meaningfully improve care quality, staff experience or productivity. (View Highlight)
number of trusts are treating EPR systems as “essentially digital notebooks,” (View Highlight)
“Simply ‘digitising paper’ doesn’t change the way we deliver care. (View Highlight)
It found that there were inconsistent data entry practices, with many clinicians entering information as free text or PDF documents, which makes it difficult to extract reliable data that could be used for service planning or improvement, or more advanced capabilities involving AI. (View Highlight)
staff don’t receive adequate support to use EPRs effectively beyond the most basic functions (View Highlight)
“Training in ‘why’ to do things, not just ‘how’ to do things, can help give staff more ownership and awareness of the benefits that EPRs can bring when used in the right way (View Highlight)
Note: I could do this in my role and on social media - give front-line staff ideas for using EPR features to improve their care of patients (just don’t mention epic specifically and talk generically; assuming there’s overlap between systems so people could apply it whatever epr they have).
Note: Check this place out. Why is it considered so digitally advanced? Does it use Epic?
“To reap the benefits of EPRs, we’ll need to fund the change, not just the tech. (View Highlight)
“That won’t be easy in today’s financial context, but the prize will be improved ways of working for staff, more efficient services and better outcomes for patients.” (View Highlight)
director of innovation and improvement at The Health Foundation, told Digital Health News that the government needs to do more to support NHS staff in implementing technology. (View Highlight)
