oPortfolio springs from NHS Hack Day

A project to create a free open source e-portfolio for junior doctors has sprung out of NHS Hack Day.

All junior doctors have to record skill assessments and teaching sessions in an online portfolio system as part of their curriculum and training.

Ed Wallitt, one of the brains behind the open source project and founder of Podmedics, told EHI that the aim of oPortfolio is to create a new online portfolio system which is easy to use.

Wallitt and his team created a prototype at an NHS Hack Day event in Oxford in January.

According to a study done by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 84% of doctors thought an on-going record of their progress was necessary, but only 5% felt the current model represented good value for money.

“Our aim is a single portfolio for life that is a joy to use, and actually helps physician learning and progression rather than being a chore that requires updating every six months in an afternoon of manic form-filling,” Wallitt said.

“I think the key thing here is openness. We want to cultivate an atmosphere surrounding oPortfolio such that people, instead of just complaining, tell us about what is wrong and let us improve the system for everyone.”

The open source portfolio will be focused on tablet and smartphone access, making it easier to update work assessments on the go.

In the NHS there are more than 20 portfolio systems, as doctors in different specialities and stages of their training use different systems.

Wallitt said that because they do not have open application interphases, no improvements can be made unless more funding is received.

“Doctors have to change portfolios as they progress, but cannot transfer their data between them, leading to frustration, duplication, and a waste of doctors’ hours,” he said.

The project is a collaboration between Meducation and Podmedics, which hope the NHS will adopt the system once it is up and running.

The project is also backed by NHS Hackday enthusiasts, including junior doctor Laura Jane Smith, who created a blog called ‘NHS e-portfolio revolution’ because she was so unhappy with its current form.