Northern Care Alliance launches electronic risk assessment for blood clots

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group has launched a new electronic risk assessment for all forms of blot clots as part of its Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) fast follower programme.

Clinicians will begin using the electronic form to assess inpatients for clots including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) from 4 June.

The project includes the implementation of a standard electronic risk assessment for early detection of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within the ePMA (electronic prescribing and medicines administration) medchart system.

The electronic risk assessment forms the basis for clinicians to decide whether or not to prescribe medication to prevent clots.

Dr Shona McCallum, medical director at Bury & Rochdale Care Organisation, said: “Digitising this assessment process will mean we provide safer and more standardised care to all our patients.

“The current assessment for VTE is recorded manually on paper so this will improve our way of working and ensure we treat patients better.”

All patients admitted to hospital or undergoing procedures have an increased risk of blood clots. Some 60 percent of all blood clots occur in hospital inpatients or patients who have recently been admitted to hospital.

One in four people worldwide die of conditions caused by thrombosis.

Dr Georges Ng Man Kwong, CCIO at the Northern Care Alliance, said: “Digitising our clinical pathways will streamline patient care in a number of specialties and really make a difference to both staff and patients.

“We look forward to rolling out further projects across the trust this year.”

The VTE electronic risk assessment is to be rolled out in phases across the hospitals as required, for all newly admitted patients over 16.

Doctors will be unable to prescribe medications until a VTE risk assessment has been completed for new admissions.

The first areas to pilot this initiative will be wards T7 and G2 at The Royal Oldham Hospital, followed by 15 and 16 at North Manchester General Hospital, then wards 8 and 9 at Fairfield General Hospital.

Once successful pilots have been completed, a full rollout for medical and surgical wards will commence trust wide.

Maternity, paediatrics, critical care and emergency department are not currently included in the programme.

The Northern Care Alliance (NCA) brings together Salford Royal and Pennine Acute hospital Trusts and serves patients in the Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester areas.

It’s the second fast follower programme to be rolled out in the area in the last month.

A digital tool to detect delirium and dementia was been rolled out across Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in early May as part of their GDE fast follower programme.

Using a blueprint from GDE, Salford Royal Foundation NHS Trust, which was released as part of the first wave of digital blueprints in February, Pennine Acute Hospitals has now embedded the electronic screening into patient care.