Healthcare IT industry news in brief

This week’s round up features new products and developments from well-known healthcare IT companies and systems, starting with the inclusion of the Perinatal Institute’s growth charts into Medway Maternity, and the launch of a new portal from Civica.

System C integrates Perinatal Institute growth charts into Medway Maternity

System C is integrating the Perinatal Institute’s customised growth charts into its Medway Maternity system to support the ‘Saving Babies’ Lives’ national drive to halve stillbirths by 2030. The PI’s growth charts measure a baby’s growth in the womb, and 122 NHS trusts have signed up to its growth assessment protocol or GAP.

However, at the moment, midwives have to create and download customised charts, and manually plot growth using a pen and paper. The System C development means the charts will be available to all Medway Maternity users signed up to the GAPplus programme. Key measurements will be automatically plotted, reducing human error, and the charts will be available to all authorised professionals involved in the mother’s care.

Civica launches Cito

Civica has announced the launch of a new product called Cito, which it describes as “a next generation digital healthcare platform which provides a real-time single view access into critical patient information.” Cito builds on Civica’s WinDIP electronic document management, workflow and integration systems, and provides browser agnostic, web-based, single sign-on access to third party systems.

The product has been designed with a clinical advisory group with NHS members, and further features include a customisable interface, a virtual patient record, e-forms and workflow, and auditing and reporting capabilities. Paul Saunders, the managing director, digital solutions, local government and health, at Civica said Cito was designed “by clinicians for clinicians” and would be developed further in response to their feedback.

Hospedia gives hospital patients access to GP online services

Hospedia has announced that it has been working with NHS England to give hospital patients free access to GP online services from its bedside terminals. Shortcut buttons on the terminals, in the information section of the main menu, will enable patients to access a range of NHS websites, including the GP online services.

This means patients should be able to access their GP records, arrange appointments and order repeat prescriptions before leaving hospital; and share GP information with their hospital clinicians. The service is available in all units using Hospedia, which the company says means 50 hospitals and 23,000 beds.

FormFast works on eSignatures with Yorkshire trust

FormFast has formed a partnership with Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust to enable dental services in Bury, Oldham, Middleton, and Rochdale to use its electronic signature solution. The eSignature enables patient signatures to be captured on a signing device or tablet, and then routed to an electronic patient record – in Pennine Care’s case CareStream – where it can be stored and audited.