Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust handles 86,000 emergency admissions every year, along with 330,000 outpatient visits and 77,000 inpatient day cases. That huge volume of patients creates an equally large challenge in managing millions of patient records. As a first step toward streamlining the process, isolated stand-alone scanner solutions were initially installed in the patient appointment center and A & E, legal and pathology departments. However, it quickly became clear that an integrated Trust-wide solution was needed to provide universal access to digital patient records. After a formal request for proposals by the Trust, an EDMS system from CCube Solutions was chosen. Ward Priestman, Aintree University Hospitals’ Director of Informatics, says, “The Trust has an aggressive IT strategy and wants to invest in technology to drive service improvements. The EDMS solution is a major step towards digitizing patient records.”
A custom-built solution
The solution from CCube Solutions includes EDMS and eForms Software along with a custom-built front-end portal which clinicians use to access case notes from virtually any computer.
Archie Menzies, CCube Solutions’ NHS Sales Director, says, “By linking to line of business systems, we ensure that the EDMS doesn’t just become an archive for documents. Instead, it contributes directly to improved sharing and collaboration among staff and increasing efficiency.”
The Trust has outsourced the huge task of scanning patient files to Capita TDS, a Capita Group company. Anthony Lamb, Capita TDS Operations Manager, says, “We provide a scan-on-demand service from our secure facility. Each week we receive the files clinicians need for their consultations and scan them so they are available digitally.”
It starts with workhorse scanners
Capita TDS has chosen high performance Kodak Scanners to keep up with the system’s heavy workload. Its fleet includes the Kodak i4000 Series and the latest Kodak i5000 Series Scanners. “Kodak Scanners are workhorses and the best choice for our demanding environment,” says Lamb. “They can handle large volumes and are extremely robust.”
It is expected that around 282,000 patient files will be scanned, which equates to some 45 million pages. Once a patient’s case notes are scanned, the work is completed and the records are easily accessed via the EDMS.
Capita TDS uses Capture Pro Software Network Edition to process and manage documents and ensure the highest quality image first time, every time. Because it is so easy to use, the software also helps maximize operator productivity. The images and associated data are then sent via a secure FTP connection directly back to Aintree.
The site once used for records storage is now being repurposed as an Elective Care Center, gradually freeing up an entire floor for clinical activities. Saving on labor and eliminating the cost of storing paper records are important to the Trust, but that’s only part of the story. “Digitizing health records is not only about saving money,” says Colin Labrum, Kodak’s UK Software Sales Manager. “It also gets crucial patient information to the point of care automatically so people have a better clinical experience.”
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