Digital initiatives at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust continue to make significant impact, with even bolder plans on the horizon. Gavin Newman, Head of digital transformation at the trust, shared exclusive insights with Digital Health News, detailing key initiatives, challenges, and future goals.
One of the pivotal partnerships for the trust is with DrDoctor, a leading patient engagement platform in the UK. This collaboration has resulted in a drastic reduction in DNA rates within a few weeks of implementation. Additionally, the trust has become the first specialist acute trust to connect with the Wayfinder project, linking with the NHS App.
Furthermore, the trust has digitized pre-op processes, enabling patients to complete necessary documentation electronically. An integration with the Birmingham and Solihull Shared Care Record is also in progress, with plans to go live later this month.
However, Newman acknowledged that amidst the excitement of new technology, the biggest challenge lies in prioritizing the basics to ensure ease of use for clinicians and patients. The trust also faces workforce challenges, with a need for more trained digital health experts.
Looking to the future, Newman envisions a unified system that provides a single source of truth for patient data, accessible across roles. He expressed confidence and excitement about the trust’s potential for further enhancement through digital transformation.
With no signs of slowing down, the digitization efforts at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust continue to pave the way for improved patient care and operational efficiency.
