Objectives:
- Standardise data collection through implementation of a standard operating procedure.
- Replace manual input of individual physiotherapy metrics to maximise patient contact time.
- Enhance data visualisation of physiotherapy metrics and analytics.
- Identify patient trends through mass collation of metrics.
- Identify a metric to assess the impact of service initiatives.
Methods:
A new outpatient booking system was implemented in Beaumont Hospital Physiotherapy department in 2014. A feature of this product was the ability to generate digital data searches, a functionality which was not being fully utilised. To achieve my objectives outlined above I carried out the following steps;
Step 1. Standardisation of data input through agreement of key stakeholders and creation of a standard operating procedure.
Step 2. Assign ownership to one staff member to oversee all physiotherapy metrics for the musculoskeletal department on a monthly basis.
Step 3. Create specific data searches within Microsoft CRM programme and combine this with the functionality of Microsoft Excel to enable digital collection of physiotherapy metrics.
Step 4. Create a data dashboard and present to clinicians and physiotherapy management on a monthly basis.
Step 5. Relate capacity modelling and physiotherapy metrics to create an objective way to measure the impact of service initiatives.
Through enhanced data analysis and improved data visualisation this allowed trends to be identified.
Results:
1. The collection of physiotherapy patient metrics is now a standardised digital process.
2. Digitising a process previously carried out manually by 15 individual therapists and utilising digital data searches resulted in a time saving of approximately 15hours per month. The time saved was used to directly increase physiotherapy patient contact time.
3. A data dashboard was also created and the following statistics are now reported on monthly;
- Patient referrals per consultant
- Patients referrals per medical service
- New patients/visits per staff member
- New patient diagnostic profile
- Patient attendance per service
- Number of patients on therapists caseload
4. The following patient trends were identified for 2016;
- Ankle/foot, shoulder, spinal issues were the top 3 diagnostic categories for referred patients at 20.5%, 19.3% and 17.1% respectively.
- Patients referred from the rheumatology service and pain service had the highest non attendance rates at 24% and 27% respectively.
- Patients referred from the orthopaedic service had the lowest non attendance rate at 12%.
Service development initiatives are now underway to reduce non attendance rates in pain and rheumatology service patients.
5. The final result was the creation of metrics to assess the impact of new service initiatives. The following metrics are now being reported on monthly;
- New patients per month per whole time equivalent
- Returns per month per whole time equivalent
- Visits per month per whole time equivalent
Conclusion:
IT is massively underfunded in healthcare. Investment in IT solutions can optimise the use of clinician time and enable a better understanding of our patients. It can also be used to objectively and effectively monitor the impact of service changes.
Ethics:
No ethical approval was sought as this service development initiative was not viewed as having any implications for specific ethical issues.
References:
1. eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020: Innovative Healthcare for the
21st Century. European Commission 2012, Com (2012) 736.
2. Future Health. A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health
Service 2012-2015. Department of Health, November 2012.
Musculoskeletal , Service Development , Other
