Combining Digital Pen and Paper technology with SystmOne will save staff valuable time as they no longer have to type up handwritten notes to update patients' electronic records. Instead, the digital pen will capture practitioners' handwriting as they fill in patient forms, convert it electronically and update the relevant records within SystmOne. The solution will also generate an electronic copy of the handwritten document, which can be attached to the patient's record.
TPP's SystmOne is a clinical system that is being deployed as part of NHS Connecting for Health's National Programme for IT (NPfIT). The programme aims to create a single, centralised record for each patient that all local NHS providers can access, superseding the practice of different care providers within a local PCT keeping their own separate patient records.
The integration of Digital Pen and Paper with SystmOne builds on Ubisys's long track-record of supporting joined-up working within the NHS and between PCTs and local councils. Most recently, Ubisys was involved in implementing the supporting infrastructure for the Single Assessment Process. In North Yorkshire, the introduction of the digital pens into this process resulted in health- and care-workers saving eight hours per week each in administration time (case study).
"The NHS Care Records System has come under a lot of criticism because its implementation has experienced major delays," explains Tarek Ghouri, managing director of Ubisys. "By combining digital pens with the popular SystmOne clinical system, we want to give PCTs the best possible tools to step up the roll-out of the Care Records System."
Locally-held EPRs are only the first part of the National Programme. As a next step, key information from these EPRs is to be made available to health practitioners across England in the shape of Summary Care Records (SCRs).
About Anoto Digital Pen and Paper technology
Invented by Sweden's Anoto Group (www.anoto.com), Digital Pen and Paper technology automatically captures handwritten information in care forms and converts it into digital format, eliminating the need to type up notes electronically. The digital pen looks like a ballpoint pen. A tiny infrared camera at its tip tracks its movements relative to a grey dot pattern printed on the form, recording what is being written. Stored data is synchronized with backend systems via USB or a mobile phone.
About SystmOne
TPP's SystmOne is a strategic primary and secondary care solution comprising modules for GPs, child health, community, prison, palliative, urgent care, acute hospitals, community hospitals, social services and mental health services. SystmOne has been part of the NHS National Project for IT since 2004. Across all Connecting for Health regions, the number of patients who have a SystmOne record is well over 13 million. For further information go to www.tpp-uk.com.
About Ubisys
Ubisys (www.ubisys.co.uk) has been developing Anoto-based Digital Pen and Paper solutions for the public, private and health sectors since 2004. Based near Leeds, Ubisys has clients across the UK in every business sector and almost every vertical. The company works in partnership with mobile operators, software vendors and resellers to extend the usage and purpose of Digital Pen and Paper.