The Commercial Benefits of Computerising Your Clinical Records

Why it makes financial sense as well as clinical

Clinical and Professional benefits - general

» Legible, non-fade historical records» Very difficult to lose or mislay (with a good

backup strategy in place – always test!)» Snapshot available in the event of case

review, audit or similar» Records always to hand, e.g. at home, at a

conference, on a dom…

And some specifics…

A clear ‘Narrative Arc’…

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Scroll through previous Rxs

Always have in sight previous history, medication etc – can’t be overlooked

Scroll through previous tonometry

Practice or User defined templates, reflecting different practices, different examination types (e.g. WEHEs or Supplementals) – create templates that ensure compliance with requirements for different test types

‘Standard’ Exam

‘WEHE’

The Commercial, Practical Benefits…

» Space (filing cabinets)» Support Staff Time » Optom/CLO Time» Dispensers Time» Efficiency» Practice Appearance

Space» Rent in Cardiff: £7.50» Service Charge: £2.00» Rates: £3.50» Filing cabinets for

10,000 records: 3’ x 10’ = 30 sq feet

» You are paying 30 x £13 = £390 pa for space occupied by filing cabinets, that could otherwise be used to display 100 additional frames!

Staff Time» Clinic of 12 pxs» To retrieve each correctly filed

record: 1 min» To track down a missing record:

5 mins» Assuming 2 mislaid records per

clinic, 20 mins per clinic to retrieve…

» .. and 15 mins per clinic to re-file» You are paying 35 mins per clinic for routine filing, at minimum

wage rates plus NI, holiday pay, sickness and other benefits etc that is approx £6 per clinic spent filing – with NO economies of scale available!

» (And it’s a horrible job too.)

Optom/CLO Time» Not ALL +ve! Clinical records may take

longer than a minimal (legal?) record» However, some example savings:» Create a referral from a clinical record: 1

click vs ???» Order trials or revenue lenses: 2 clicks

vs ??? » Answer a query from a GP, a px or other

practice: instant vs ???» Look up the reason for Early Recall code

when you forgot to put it on a GOS1!

» Imagine ALL your clinical data a click or two away – wherever you happen to be!

Dispenser’s Time» Have access to Rx and

dispensing/handover notes immediately

» No need to key in Rx Saves time Avoids errors – and re-makes

» No need to write orders» All these flow from the initial clinical record

Efficiency» How long does it take/how much disruption/how much stress is

caused when your practice Has to retrieve a record when a px or practice requests an Rx? Track down an elusive record card that MUST be somewhere…?

» Re-file records when you need additional filing space?

» (And note: filing cabinets cost money too)

» Move records to an archive when pxs move away?

» (And of course, you must be increasingly wary of NHS and DP legislation)

» It’s not just the time – it’s the disruption to other tasks , the stress for staff and the appearance of inefficiency that matters

Practice Appearance» What does your practice look like? (Be

honest!) c20th Filing cabinets Boxes of records waiting to be filed Bundles of record cards for this clinic’s patients Spectacles wrapped round with record cards Your practice may be the most efficient it can be… … But is that how your patients perceive it?

» Record cards create clutter, generate dust, and will be perceived by patients as old fashioned, inefficient and risky – that’s THEIR data in that pile!

Practice Appearance (2)» Without the need for filing, practice

refurbs are cheaper Less need for bespoke furniture More layout options (no need for filing

cabinets near reception) £7K vs £25K! Refurb every 3 years a practical

proposition

» When patients only visit every 2 – 3 years they will notice wear and tear in ways that we don’t

Implementing Clinical – a mountain to climb?

» No – just take it a step at a time

» Invest in a DEDICATED scanner

» Start by computerising each clinic’s

records the day before…

» ... And every time a record is pulled

» Speed the process by employing temp

staff (or family!)

» 2 years max from Start to finish?

Clinical Records - Summary

» There are direct cost savings available Retail space Potential staff savings (non replacement/shorter hours) Reduced transcription errors/remake costs/px dissatisfaction

» There are intangible benefits Improved practice appearance – easier to keep tidy Improved workflow, less disruption/ reduced stress More practice layout options Cheaper refurbishment

» And it’s not as hard as you might think! Invest in appropriate kit Develop routines to suit Allow a realistic timescale

What’s stopping you??!!!

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