Health IT news in brief

Today’s health IT news covers an Allscripts deployment in Manchester, patient controlled records in Papworth and nurses fined for breaching privacy.

South Manchester rolling out Allscripts

University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust has gone live with Allscripts electronic patient record in a limited roll out. According to the trust’s latest board papers, the first phrase of the EPR went live in December for all diagnostic tests, results, collecting and requesting specimens.

Allscripts will be rolled out across the trust fully in October this year, following a trial in three wards in January. The split in the go-live is to allow staff to become familiar with the system, the papers said.

Digital Health News reported South Manchester picking Allscripts in October 2015, while neighbouring Stockport NHS Foundation Trust chose Intersystems’ TrakCare.

London hospital first to deploy Medopad tech

A private London hospital claims to be the first hospital that uses Medopad remote patient monitoring technology on paediatric cancer patients. The Harley Street Clinic, part of HCA Healthcare UK, uses the wearable to keep clinicians updated on medications, drug side effects and photographs.

Stergios Zacharoulis, a doctor at the clinic, said “Medopad ensures patients are supported at all times and enables clinicians to reduce the negative impact of medication, increase engagement and satisfaction and improve the quality of cancer care given”.

Synapse helps clear backlog at Aneurin Bevan Health Board

Aneurin Bevan Health Board has deployed Fujifilm’s Synapse Home Reporting system across its 16 hospitals in South Wales.

The system allows radiologists to access and generate reports from home, allowing a single radiologist to cover multiple sites. It supports both picture archiving and communication systems and radiology information systems, as well as 3D imaging tools.

Papworth rolls out Patients Know Best to 1,500 patients

One of Europe’s largest specialist heart and lung hospital has adopted Patients Know Best (PKB) medical records. The patient controlled record has been made available to patients treated by Papworth Hospital’s lung defence teams, which handle the complex chronic cases.

Of the 1,500 patients offered PKB, 200 signed up in the first week. It has been used to host a “virtual clinic”, including e-consultation, and provide access to patient records for specialist physiotherapists involved in a patients’ care.

Punishments for EPR snoopers

There’s been fines and suspensions for NHS staff caught accessing inappropriate information on electronic patient records. In Wales, a nurse based at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen accessed over 3,000 patient files over a two year period inappropriately, reported the Western Telegraph. Elaine Lewis was fined £650, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £65 and costs of £664.

In Scotland, The Tele picked up the story of a Dundee nurse being suspended after looking up records on her family and colleagues. Lorraine McIntosh was called in front of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, who described her actions as “dishonest” and risked exposing patients to “physical and psychological harm”.