Summary
The Douglas MacMillan Hospice (DMH) SystmOne implementation project was successfully delivered, going live as planned on 10 June 2024. The project involved migrating Dougie Mac from their existing system to a single SystmOne electronic patient record (EPR) system.
Aims/Objectives
The main aim of the project was to replace the existing EPR system,CrossCare, with the more advanced, cloud-hosted TPP SystmOne EPR solution. The project sought to address a number of shortcomings with CrossCare, including issues with usability, speed, data repetition, quality, and integration Implement SystmOne EPR system across all DMH services. Migrate data from the legacy system to SystmOne. Train staff on the new system and provide ongoing support. Introduce an holistic approach to EPR record keeping
What did you do?
The project followed a phased approach, with key activities including:
● Exploration and Analysis: To understand current processes and identify areas for improvement
● Design and Development: Building and configuring the SystmOne system to meet the specific needs of DMH, including creating clinical templates, wards, automation, curated views, a suite of reports and dashboards. This was done using our experience from working with other hospices and by working closely with the service leads in DMH.
● Deployment: Planning and Migrating data, training staff, going live with the new system including floor walking from early hours until after the late shift handover.
● Post Deployment: Closure reports & future recommendations report along with ongoing post-go-live support
What was the context / background?
The project was initiated due to the need for a modern, integrated EPR system that could support DMH's evolving service delivery and improve efficiency. The legacy system was no longer meeting the needs of the organisation, particularly in terms of data sharing between teams and partner organisations and interoperability.
How was it organised and who was involved?
The project was led by a project team comprising representatives from Dougie Mac and Optimised Solution, the implementation partner. OPSO provided expertise in project management, SystmOne configuration, training, data migration and deployment. DMH provided a dedicated project support role,which proved crucial for coordination.
What resources did you need?
Key resources for the project included:
● Financial resources For software licensing, implementation services, and hardware.
● Human resources from both DMH and OPSO, including project managers, clinical leads, IT staff, trainers and system Champions.
● IT resources, such as new laptops, workstations, smartcard readers and network updates.
● System Specialists: To get the most from SystmOne and enable the efficiencies and holistic approach to EPR record keeping required in a Hospice setting.
Benefits?
The implementation of SystmOne at DMH aimed to address issues with their previous EPR system, CrossCare. Benefits of the project include:
● Improved Care Planning: The holistic data entry, dedicated care plans, and improved visibility of patient information facilitated better communication between care teams across all DMH services.
● Reduced Paper/Offline Records: The implementation of SystmOne enabled many processes to transition from paper-based to digital, reducing the reliance on physical records and storage.
● Enhanced Medication Management:-SystmOne streamlined medicationmanagement processes, particularly for the Community Services.
● Improved Assessments: Holistic and seamless integration of assessments designed with DMH leads enhanced patient-centered care.
● Real-time Information Sharing with Partners: Integration with systems used by partners like Marie Curie and GPs allowed real-time information sharing, reducing duplication, improving collaboration, and minimising clinical risks.
● Automation: SystmOne interfaces triggered background processes,leading to increased accuracy of data, reduced manual data entry, and improved workflows.
● Standardisation: The consistent structure of SystmOne broughtservices and their digital data together, increasing the standardisation ofinformation capture and resource utilisation
● Increased Safety: Improved access to information, automation,and shared alerts enhanced patient safety
● Integrated Contacts: The integrated appointment and visit system saved time, streamlining booking processes and eliminating duplicate data entry for the Community and Wellbeing services.
● Dedicated Ward Functionality & Digital Waiting Lists: The system offered dedicated ward functionality and protocols specifically for IPS,which improved safety and reduced data entry.
● Compliance with Digital Standards: As a widely used system in the UK, SystmOne is designed to meet the DCB0129 and DCB0160 standards.
● Time Savings: The intuitive design, data entry tools,navigation flows, automation, and display of previously entered information saved users countless clicks.
● Improved Data Quality: The standardised system and comprehensive data capture led to improved data quality, providing better insights into hospice activities for Quality Assurance and all services.
Overall, the implementation of SystmOne brought numerous benefits to DMH, ranging from enhanced care planning and communication to increased safety and efficiency. These improvements ultimately contributed to a better patient experience and improved operational effectiveness for the hospice.
Testimonial
We are incredibly grateful to Optimised Solution for their exceptional support in implementing our new patient database SystmOne. Their team has been instrumental from the beginning of the project in ensuring a smooth transition, providing invaluable face-to-face assistance and going above and beyond by offering out-of-hours support for our staff. Our patients are at the centre of everything we do. SystmOne gives us an opportunity to transform our patients’ experience as it ensures our clinical teams have real-time information from all the settings involved in their care. Being able to interconnect information more effectively with our health and care partners will ensure that the professionals treating our patients,wherever they are, will have the most up to date information to provide them with the most appropriate care. What’s more, the information will be accessed faster than with paper or emailed records, so there is no delay to patient care. It’s a landmark moment for Dougie Mac and has been a significant change to our core IT system and has involved months of planning and training for our team, Optimised Solution have been there every step of the way. Their dedication and expertise have made a real difference, and we couldn’t have asked for a more supportive partner in this crucial project. Thank you, Optimised Solution, for your unwavering commitment and outstanding service!
Sonya Turner, Head of Clinical Services at Dougie Mac Hospice
Links
Dougie Mac Hospice