Author: darren emilianos

Useful links

I am collecting links that I use frequently or need quickly (see menu), to make it easier to re-find them during/between consultations.

The list so far (following suggestions from local GPs – thank you):

 

Let me know of others you think I should add.

Ardens

We’re using Ardens at Woodingdean Medical Centre.

We were recently asked to register an additional 1500 patients (and expand the team), following the closure of a nearby practice.

Having Ardens tools helped us focus on the task at hand, rather than the tools.

We signed up initally for the 3 month trial (took 1 hour to configure) and are planning to continue with the paid version for the foreseeable future.

The whole practice team evaluated, all were really keen for us to keep Ardens, which we have.

Easy access for GPs, nurses and HCA to excellent templates, resources and especially the structured prescribing formularies.

We don’t use the templates with every consultation (watch their videos for now, we’re going to do a few videos showing how we actually use it in Woodingdean).

We find the clinical (and QoF) templates, prescribing formularies, patients leaflets, diaries, links to CKS and searches the most useful.

The prescribing templates are an excellent resource and educational tool.

Great to know the whole team have access to consistent templates (to supplement the local ones) and this saves us weeks of time making our own and keeping them uptodate.

My recommendation/call to action:

 In April, sign up for the 3 month trial and then makeupyourownmind (btw we do not get anything for this recommendation).

If you love it too, then ask the CCG to support it.

EMIS can get their own tools (I understand QMasters do some stuff, but I’m not upto speed with EMIS any more).

 

MyLife

My Life Website

Supporting people with everyday living

The new My Life directory is here!
Produced in partnership between the City Council and NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) My Life is part of the ongoing Better Care programme integrating health and adult social care.

My Life is an easy-to-use, online directory listing local Brighton & Hove and national organisations and services that support everyday living, helping people to stay healthy, happy, and as independent as possible.
Its features include:
Helpful search facility
up to date content
clear feedback facility
there’s a ‘get listed’ facility where organisations not on the site can easily request to be listed
crisis support services easily accessible from the home page
save to shortlist function and direct email from this

Save the page to your favourites on your web browser, and direct public queries around health, care and support to My Life. For information on the My Life portal, or if you would like My Life leaflets, flyers or posters, please  contact MyLifeBrighton&Hove@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Cancer decision support (eCDS) tools

“The tools are an aid to clinical decision making. They assist GPs when deciding whether to refer or request further diagnostic investigation in patients where they believe there is a risk of cancer. The tools display the risk of a patient having a specific type of cancer.”

Link to the Macmillan page on this.

How many of us are using it via the GP systems locally?

How have you found it in practice?

Let me know here.

Link to Software integration update (Oct 2015).

Further update 29.04.16:

“…regarding Macmillan’s CDS tool…  we have now successfully integrated the CDS tool in to EMIS and Vision and we are currently working with TPP SystmOne to develop an integrated version of the tool. At present, the CDS tool is therefore unavailable to TPP users, however I would be more than happy to add you to our development mailing list [added] to ensure that you are notified of any developments in this area.

In terms of Emis, the QCancer tool will be available in V.5.9 to all Emis practices in England from next week. This is an integrated version of the original CDS tool and uses Julia Hippisley-Cox’s QCancer algorithm to produce prompts for any patients with a site-specific risk score of 2% or more, as well as a cumulative cancer risk score of 5% or more. The QCancer tool covers 12 tumour sites. The symptom checker function can be found under the templates section of the Emis Web homepage and to receive the risk prompts you will need to activate the protocol which can be done through the Emis Library. For more information please visit the QCancer section of the Emis Support Centre...”

Suspected cancer: recognition and referral: NICE guidelines [NG12]

Published date:

1 Recommendations organised by site of cancer

link to Macmillan’s rapid referral guidelines.

Digital requirements for new primary care models

A briefing for clinicians and managers
Sophie Castle-Clarke, Stephanie Kumpunen, Sílvia Machaqueiro,
Natasha Curry, Candace Imison
April 2016
 Jumping to the conclusions…
 ——-
“5. Conclusions

…Given the way in which primary care is evolving, we suggest that three technologies should be prioritised locally and nationally:

• Shared electronic health records (supported by sound interoperability and
information governance mechanisms) to facilitate coordinated care
• Telehealth solutions to improve patient access to services and professional access to
specialist expertise
• Patient tools and resources such as portals which facilitate booking appointments
online and access to records, information and advice.
Where organisations are working at scale, integrated back-end solutions are also likely
to be important in realising efficiencies…”

Link to the document at the Nuffield Trust.

Access full report here.