Oncology centre extends contract with new three-year partnership to develop web-based patient information systems
Leading cancer centre for Oncology, Clatterbridge has introduced the latest web-based electronic patient records system.The new partnership with IMS follows a full options appraisal in which Clatterbridge Centre NHS Foundation Trust (CCO) evaluated IMS against other commercially available alternatives and against the nationally-funded programme.
World-class information systems are essential to CCO, which is an internationally-renowned centre for oncology with 7,500 new patients a year. The hospital offers patient care using a wide range of complex and sophisticated techniques across general hospitals in Merseyside, Cheshire and the Isle of Man. The new system is secure, flexible, robust and tailored precisely to its needs.
Tom Poulter, CCO’s Head of Information Management and Technology, said: “IMS MAXIMS was helpful and constructive throughout the appraisal, which was designed to determine our precise needs and direction of travel in the years ahead. They were keen to meet our specific requirements and we are now on a very solid footing for delivering a whole range of benefits.”
The new agreement will see the improvements in place and running by the end of the 2010/11 financial year. Among the changes will be an upgrade of the existing patient administration system (PAS) with the introduction of WebPAS, which offers improved usability, an updated look and feel, and which also, integrates with MAXIMS clinical modules.
The IMS MAXIMS agreement will help cut waiting times by improving radiotherapy workflow. This is thanks to the introduction of an electronic action sheet for consultant oncologists. “The paper forms used at present can take 1.8 days to go through the system. If a consultant running a clinic at the Royal Liverpool Hospital fills in a treatment form on a Friday it can be Monday before it is dealt with at our main hospital. The new system will be instantaneous, having a direct impact on patient waiting times,” said Poulter.
New plans are being discussed to abolish Clinical 5 paper-based records and to use Clinical 5+ web-based systems. All records, in all formats, will be available to those who need them, wherever they are. IMS is playing a key role in making this vision a reality, by helping with the electronic document and records management system (EDRMS) integration.
“An early decision to extend the contract with IMS has enabled us to benefit from a range of system enhancements on a cost-neutral basis and we look forward to working closely with IMS to implement the Clinical 5+,” added Poulter.
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