University Hospitals Southampton links up data from neonatal ICU unit with its EPR

The chief information officer (CIO) for a trust in Southampton has said it was a “big decision” to link up data from its neonatal intensive care unit with its electronic patient record (EPR).

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS), which is one of the global digital exemplars (GDEs), went live with iMDsoft’s MetaVision in their neonatal intensive care (ICU) unit two months ago.

It means clinicians have access to data from bedside devices in the neonatal ICU, including IV pumps and machines which monitor blood flow.

At UHS, MetaVision has already been implemented across high dependency units as well cardiac theatres and general intensive care units.

Adrian Byrne, who is CIO at UHS and chair of the Health CIO Network, told Digital Health News it was a “big decision” to bring MetaVision to the neonatal unit; an environment where variations in calculations and dosages can have serious ramifications.

Byrne also said that the additional data means clinicians have better access to critical information.

“It gives much better management control because clinicians can check data from their iPads for example,” he said.

Byrne said there are plans to roll out MetaVision at UHS’ paediatric ICU next year.

As part of the trust’s digital transformation project, UHS has also started to introduce electronic whiteboards to help improve patient safety.

The touchscreen technology displays information taken directly from a patient’s electronic record, including clinical alerts such as existing medical conditions, length of admission and predicted discharge date.