Three of the top ten Trusts on the latest CDMI ranking (Liverpool Heart and Chest – joint-first, the Walton Centre and Dorset) have built their clinical systems strategy on an interoperable approach with Silverlink’s PCS PAS as the foundation of their Electronic Patient Record (EPR).
The CDMI was developed specifically for the NHS in order to measure the availability and capabilities of clinical systems in the Trusts throughout England. The CMDI is based on a wide number of measures that are readily accessible and allow for better, more informed decision-making about strategies and investment by providing a clear view into the success of individual Trust’s eHealth approach.
According to CDMI, digitally mature environments support improvements in patient outcomes and experience, increased efficiencies in service administration, and create a paperless workspace – a goal that NHS England hopes to achieve by 2018. As demonstrated by three Trusts on the CDMI rankings list, an interoperable approach using best-of-breed solutions underpinned by PCS PAS can successfully deliver breadth and depth of clinical maturity.
When decision-makers consider strategic approaches, integrated EPRs are often assumed as the quickest way to gain digital maturity but, as demonstrated by the latest CDMI rankings, this is not always the case. An integrated EPR solution can be very costly and is not necessarily the most pragmatic approach to addressing the complex clinical, technological and organisational needs of a Trust.
Implementing a best-of-breed solution allows for a greater choice of systems and can be implemented at the timings and pace most suitable to your organisation. Furthermore, access to best-of-breed departmental solutions delivers a wider spectrum of specialist and comprehensive clinical functionality, which increases overall compliance with NHS best practice.
The NHS’s mandate to improve the healthcare system by 2020 is underpinned by the need for the effective use of technology. By using Silverlink’s PCS PAS technology, Trusts have shown that they can meet this mandate and lay the foundation for advanced frameworks that can be used across acute, community, mental health, ambulance and social care settings.
