Problem & Challenge
Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BWC) faced a critical issue with its plastic surgery team spending a significant amount of time on phone-based Advice & Guidance for referrals from other regional hospitals. This not only strained the clinicians but also prompted regulatory concerns from the General Medical Council (GMC). Capri Healthcare partnered with BWC to address this challenge urgently, aiming to improve working conditions and retain staff.
Solution & Implementation
The collaboration resulted in TriVice, a digital pathway designed to facilitate swift and secure communication between referring clinicians and the BWC plastic surgery team. The system allowed for the submission of patient details, images, and other data securely. Success criteria were established, including time and resource savings, reduced waiting times, and improved documentation.
Several strategic steps were taken to ensure success, including an objective-oriented pilot rollout, extensive training for all users, medico-legal reviews, and continuous improvement based on user feedback. The integration of TriVice with existing systems was carefully managed to maintain business-as-usual activities.
Outcome
TriVice has significantly improved patient experience and streamlined processes. Referrers report a substantial reduction in time taken to refer cases, and the plastics team benefit from quick, on-the-go case reviews through the mobile app. The digital pathway has eliminated the need for extensive phone-based advice and guidance, reducing the burden on clinicians.
A medico-legal review ensured compliance, and the system’s integration with internal records including image storage systems has enhanced data flow. Through a patient feedback mechanism, TriVice records essential patient information, contributing to quality improvement tools.
Value
The new pathway has resulted in remarkable time savings, reducing speciality referral and response times from an average of 70 minutes to just 10 minutes. This translates to 760.67 hours of clinical time saved in 18 months. Financially, the investment has yielded efficiency gains, with the BWC realising significant savings on hiring additional staff. Beyond financial impacts, the system has improved accessibility, patient experience, and care quality.
Involvement
The collaboration between BWC and Capri Healthcare has been marked by close cooperation. Regular meetings between clinical teams and product delivery teams facilitated project governance and continuous improvement. The engagement of BWC’s CIO, medico-legal, IT, and senior leadership ensured compliance, security, and overall project success.
Testimonials from Capri Healthcare underscore the dedication and collaboration, acknowledging the essential role played by BWC clinicians in co-designing and co-developing the solution. The project involved a diverse team from BWC, including lead Plastic Surgery Consultant, Ms Andrea Jester, registrar Mr Ramesh Vidhyadharan, and key figures from CMO, CIO, Integration, Data Security, and Legal teams.
Result & Impact
The patient and staff experience has significantly improved, as evidenced by patient satisfaction surveys and reduced no-shows. More than 30% of referrals are now handled locally, alleviating pressure on staff. Financially, the time savings equate to a substantial reduction in workload and a more efficient allocation of resources.
In conclusion, TriVice’s digital pathway has not only addressed urgent clinical challenges at Birmingham Children’s Hospital but has set a benchmark for efficiency, collaboration, and patient-centric innovation.