EMIS Spotlight ISSUE 4 DIGITAL 2

www.emishealth.com

Issue 4

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Spring 2024

Highlights from across EMIS and primary care

Shaping the future of health technology with EMIS-X EMIS-X plays a pivotal role in advancing us toward integrated care We reflect on the achievements of 2023 A year of upgrades and new releases, with a focus on making your user experience the best it can be How to make a sustainable pledge Dr Krishna Vakharia puts together a few simple tips, tricks, and promises you can make to yourself, to put you on the right track to wellness

Contents:

4-5

Looking back whilst we spring forward

6-9

Shaping the future of health technology with EMIS-X

10-11 Reflecting on 2023 and

what’s next for our partners

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FourteenFish

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EMIS-X Roadshows

14-15 Make a wellbeing pledge to yourself in 2024, not new year resolutions

16-17 Integrated care through enhanced interoperability

18-19 The benefits of being a clinically-led organisation

20-21 A tech powered shot in the arm for HPV vaccinations

22-23 The Pharmacy First

initiative: Implications for primary care

24-25 Strep A GP data helped ICB track service pressures

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Reporting Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) in EMIS Web

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Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG)

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Editor’s note

Spring 2024

Welcome to our first issue of Spotlight in 2024! It’s jam packed with interesting news and updates, so much so we have had to make this one a little longer than usual. We kick off this edition with a recap of the most important things we delivered in 2023 just in case you missed any. Then we look forward to what’s still to come, in what promises to be an exciting year for EMIS, and our customers, and partners. I know you are all very keen to hear how EMIS-X is going now it’s being used in earnest, and of course what’s next, so we are back on the road this year with EMIS roadshows. They were so popular last year we have extended the tour! All the dates and venues will be published on the events page on our website emishealth.com/events. Some are already confirmed, and you can book places. Other venues and dates will be added, so please keep an eye on the event page. We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible. I don’t know about you but for me, there are never enough hours in the day and there are always too many things going on, so it’s important to take time out and prioritise my

wellness and ensure there’s a bit of balance. Yoga and meditation really help me, but there are lots of options, and different things suit different people. So, we have pulled together some ideas in our wellbeing article – are you ready to take the pledge? If that’s not enough content to get your teeth into, we also have some inspiring customer stories, updates on Pharmacy First, insights into interoperability in integrated care, and we asked Dr Krishna Vakharia, our Chief Medical Officer and practicing GP, what being clinically led means to her. Enjoy!

Suzy Foster CEO EMIS

What would you like to see in our next edition of EMIS Spotlight? We would love to hear from you on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Looking back whilst we spring forward

Spring 2024

2023 was a year of upgrades and new releases, with a focus on making your user experience the best it can be. Here’s a look back at some of the key things you need to know about.

Working with the EMIS team on a project like this has been a breath of fresh air.” Osman Bhatti, St Andrew’s Health Centre, London EMIS-X Pilot In 2023 we worked closely with practices who were taking part in our early-adopter programme. These pilot sites were lucky enough to get hands-on experience using the software and provided us with valuable feedback to help us develop and enhance the features. Over 5,500 users took part. Search KB5000316 in EMIS Now

Consultation Writeback (PCN Hub) This functionality was upgraded in our EMIS Web PCN Hub solution to make it easier for groups of GP practices to work together. Using EMIS Web PCN Hub, any GP can access a patient’s medical history and along with Consultation Writeback can write notes that are saved in a patient’s record as well as the record with the individual’s registered GP. Search KB0076143 in EMIS Now In response to NHS England’s GP Connect Programme, we’ve developed and deployed a functionality called GP Connect Send Document, and it’s available to all GP organisations. GP Connect Send Document functionality supports joined-up collaborative working by enabling practices to send a PDF consultation summary back to a patient’s registered GP practice workflow. This is helpful for instances where a consultation has been recorded elsewhere, for example; extended GP hours services. You can view the differences between Consultation Writeback and Send Document by searching KB5000814 in EMIS Now. GP Connect Send Document

The EMIS-X development and pilot team have been outstanding. They welcome feedback, listen to your views and actually implement suggestions made.” Dr Andrew Richardson-Black , Forge Medical Practice, Sunderland

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EPS Bulk Signing EPS Bulk Signing enables clinicians to save time by signing multiple EPS tasks at once rather than having to process them individually. Rolled out the the England estate, over 70 percent of EMIS Web practices have activated it. For more information, visit KB5000845 in EMIS Now

Cloud Migration In line with NHS England’s ‘Public Cloud First’ directive, and our own modernisation strategy, we’re migrating our services to Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is designed to be the most flexible and secure cloud computing environment available today. Whilst this won’t change the way EMIS Web operates, it’s a key part of the foundations for future development and technology. We expect you to benefit through our ability to provide more scalability and capacity in response to changing demands and other national initiatives. All GP England primary care patch domains have been migrated to the cloud and we’re now focusing on migrating to other EMIS Web patch domains, which include secondary care, PCN hubs and federations as well as continuing to migrate shared services. Search KB0064888 in EMIS Now Resource Publisher Over 5,500 organisations are benefiting from Resource Publisher, elevating their clinical and administrative capabilities. Through this platform, user-configured resources can be seamlessly shared among multiple organisations where resource publication agreements are in place. This not only saves precious time but also cultivates an environment of collaboration that is instrumental in crafting the best possible clinical and administrative resources. Search KB0064679 in EMIS Now

Spring 2024

EMIS Web 64-Bit As part of our commitment to continual

improvement and maintenance of EMIS Web and in line with industry standards, we’ve modernised EMIS Web to enable it to use the additional capabilities of Windows 64 Bit Operating System and Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 (‘EMIS Web 64-bit’). This is designed to improve performance, memory management and security and as a result, we’ve seen a 99% reduction on ‘out of memory’ errors. Search KB5000976 in EMIS Now

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EMIS-X: shaping the future of health technology

Spring 2024

EMIS-X is our new cloud-based technology platform designed to enhance and expand upon the capabilities of our existing EMIS Web product. As the platform upon which we’ll build all future solutions, EMIS-X plays a pivotal role in advancing us toward integrated care. EMIS-X will provide improved usability and make it easier to find the information you need from your clinical system at the point of care.

EMIS-X is a huge step forward, it is already making life so much easier for us, allowing much more efficient use of both clinical and administrative time.” Dr Andrew Richardson-Black, clinical lead and GP partner, Forge Medical Practice, Sunderland

The additional views, specifically documents for our admin team and investigations for our clinical team are really amazing.” Kyle Barrett, deputy practice manager, Rowan Tree Practice, Surrey

To find out more click the arrow

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Benefits of EMIS-X

Spring 2024

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Scalable, safe and secure

Cloud-based

By building on a platform architected to be the most flexible and secure cloud computing environment available today, we’re able to seamlessly scale up services to meet surges in demand.

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Remote working

Internet first

Secure access in a browser from any internet enabled device for flexible remote working and patient care.

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Enhanced interoperability

Open APIs

Interoperability links diverse healthcare settings within Integrated Care Systems, unifying services irrespective of the technology or healthcare provider.

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Continuous improvement

Modular

The modular design makes it quicker and easier for us to deliver new features and improve existing functionality.

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Modern user interface

Improved usability

EMIS-X is slicker and quicker and will have a real impact on the daily lives of individuals using it, many of the features will save time and improve efficiency significantly.

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The evolution

Spring 2024

We’re adopting an evolutionary approach for EMIS-X, introducing new functionality incrementally so that you benefit quicker, without the need to retrain on a whole new system from day one.

By initially using EMIS-X alongside EMIS Web you’re able to familiarise yourself with the EMIS-X user interface and benefit from new functionality whilst maintaining the rich clinical features of EMIS Web. This ensures a smooth transition and provides a foundation platform for us to deliver enhancements quicker and easier. The next major phase will be a Technology Innovation Framework (TIF) compliant system available in a browser. This will include core

functionality including prescribing, appointment management, and consultations. As an internet first solution this will support remote working and facilitate speed and agility outside a normal general practice setting. EMIS-X will continue to evolve, ultimately replacing EMIS Web and becoming the platform that underpins our solutions across all healthcare settings.

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The companion app

Spring 2024

The most recent roll-out to EMIS Web practices across England has been our new EMIS-X companion application. It introduces features which have been designed to enhance your day-to-day experience and improve patient interactions and outcomes. Important benefits include single sign on to EMIS Now and the ability to have side-by-side screen viewing. Clinical views Clinical views provide additional information about the patient open in EMIS Web. You’ll be able to see recent investigations related to them and look further into a particular

problem or diagnosis, view clinical documents from the patient’s record or quickly review their medications during the consultation. EMIS Now integration Once you’ve signed into EMIS-X you’ll be able to access EMIS Now automatically, without having to sign in separately a second time. This saves you valuable time by providing easy access to useful product information, user guides, and support. News feed

Get regular notifications for all the latest news and updates from EMIS, with a bespoke feed, tailored to your organisation and area. Instant messenger This new and enhanced functionality now includes chat history, group conversations and notifications.

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Reflecting on 2023 and what’s next for our partners

Spring 2024

We spoke to our partners about their successes of 2023 and what they have planned for customers in 2024.

Hero is focused on enabling better connectivity between practices and their patients. In 2023, we focused on deepening our patient communication features, including batch messaging with analytics, individual messaging with two-way replies and structured questionnaires and intelligent online booking.

Docmail has seen significant changes throughout 2023, with a design and brand makeover, introducing a new refreshed look and feel. We also launched our new features including single sign on functionality and the introduction of our Docmail Enterprise and Docmail Essentials plans. The continued roll out of non-window, non plastic envelopes, has complimented our green credentials, with every million envelopes used, 175kg of waste plastic is avoided. So, a big thank you to our Docmail clients choosing this service to reduce single use plastic.

What was new in 2023? • Batch messaging with analytics –

empowering practice and PCN managers to send batch messages to entire cohorts of patients, targeting booking or questionnaire completion. The feature comes with integrated analytics to review campaign success • Enhanced individual messaging – allowing patients to reply to messages, complete structured questionnaires and securely review attachments • Cross-organisational booking – enable patient-led cross-organisational bookings from your practice into your PCN or federation hubsite.

Looking forward The Docmail roadmap for 2024 will bring even more exciting developments, with the new postal service “Economy Access”, saving our clients money on every pack sent through this service. We will also be introducing immediate SMS and immediate secure e-delivery, and the ability to send mailings via a recorded, signed for delivery service.

Our plans for 2024 Our focus is to deepen our messaging

functionality, ensuring it is more accessible and richer in functionality for our users. We continue to support sophisticated scheduling for practices, enabling patients to book online flexibly, and empowering practices to automate their scheduling.

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Spring 2024

2023 at Joy was marked by its continued growth and efforts in supporting over 233,000 patients access local services across the UK.

2023 was an exciting year for X-on. Most notably, we welcomed three additional software developers and made some major changes to our Phonebar. 2024 will bring several new ideas to reality. One idea that is not too far away is the expansion of the current appointment window within the Phonebar. This currently offers some time-saving functionality around telephone appointments. But we think we can take this further and automate the dialling of patients to ensure there is always the next patient ready and waiting as soon as the clinician is ready for them. We will continue to bring telephony and online consultation systems closer together to improve patient access, and further explore the use of AI to improve staff workload. Visit x-on.co.uk to read more about our plans for the year ahead.

Joy integrated with the EMIS Web and SystmOne appointment book, allowing the transfer of booked appointments back to the clinical system and capturing GP appointment data. Joy is now used by 1 in 5 GPs across the UK and the platform has enabled over 174,000 referrals and signposts of patients to local community services. Joy’s Marketplace has expanded by over 8,000 services, integrating with HAY and OpenActive APIs and partnering with Sleepstation, Age UK and MyType1 Diabetes. Plans for 2024 Joy has some exciting developments coming in 2024 including the release of a new feature around care navigation that will allow GPs and other practice roles to connect patients to local services. Starting in the new year Joy will be offering a health and wellbeing coaching service, fully funded from within the ARRS budget and Joy will also release an invoicing feature for Councils and Service Providers to help track and manage invoices, clients, and services.”

CPD Made Simple

We know GPs are under increased pressure. That’s why our Clinical Library keeps CPD simple. From abdominal examinations to the Zika virus, we have over 100 video modules and knowledge tests on the most common clinical topics.

Keep up to date with the latest guidance New and updated modules added every month Fit CPD around your schedule Access anytime, anywhere with our app Track development for easy appraisals Integrates seamlessly with our Appraisal Toolkit

Sign up for free to view the entire Clinical Library – and gain instant access to two modules of your choice.

Available on all iOs and Android compatible devices.

Click the link or visit fourteenfish.com

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Coming to a town near you, EMIS Roadshows in 2024

Spring 2024

Following on from the success of our roadshows in 2023, this year our account directors welcome you to a range of special events across the country, each will include updates on EMIS Web and how we’re developing and enhancing it as EMIS-X grows and evolves alongside it.

There’ll also be many opportunities to network with other organisations, share ideas and best practice, as well as taking part in interactive sessions. Your local ICB will be providing updates on what is happening in your area for 2024/2025 and you will get the opportunity to speak to members of the EMIS team regarding all products and services. Keep checking our events page for more information as we’ll be adding additional dates and locations throughout the year.

EMIS Roadshows 2024

Click the arrow to join us at one of our special events to celebrate the arrival of EMIS-X and much more.

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Make a wellbeing pledge to yourself in 2024, not new year resolutions From Dr Krishna Vakharia

Spring 2024

Welcoming 2024 by setting ourselves new year’s resolutions can often be overwhelming and difficult to achieve. Therefore, I’ve put together a few simple tips, tricks, and promises you can make to yourself, to put you on the right track to wellness.

Setting yourself small, achievable habits from the start can set you up for a successful year.

Practice mindfulness A form of meditation, with Buddhist roots, mindfulness can be tailored to your own needs. Building awareness and focussing on the present can teach you to be kinder to yourself and to help process the moment - whilst remaining neutral. There are various ways to learn how to achieve mindfulness, from NHS appointed courses to self-help books. Just five minutes of mindfulness before, during, or after work can help ground some of your anxious feelings and make you feel more in control. Move more A sedentary lifestyle affects your health negatively and it can lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Simple things can make a difference, try stretching each morning to get your body ready for the day, and take the opportunity to get up from your desk and walk around. It’s easy to get lost in whatever you are doing, so a fitness watch or other smart device can remind you to get moving. Acting on these alerts can make you feel less stiff and more positive as the day goes on.

Eat well Are your lunchtimes spent catching up on home visits, referrals and paperwork? Try and take at least 30 minutes out of your day to switch off and eat mindfully. Instead of a white bread sandwich - mix it up with whole grain salads or comforting soups. Avoid burnout This may not seem easy when workplace pressures are mounting. Finding the tools and techniques that work for you are part of looking after yourself and feeling better. To achieve workplace wellbeing the whole team needs to be involved – helping each other to make changes to improve everyone’s working life. Talk to your colleagues and family if things are becoming overwhelming, even if you feel like you are managing. Ask for help, make changes to your day, and say ‘no’ when things get too much; this can help you recognise the path to burnout before you get there and take steps to stop it.

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Try something new It’s difficult to switch off from work, but it’s important to relax whenever you can. Try something creative, join a book club, or you could learn a new skill. This can help raise your low mood, ease anxiety and build confidence - especially if that new thing involves being outdoors. Connect In our busy lives, just making it through the day often seems like an achievement in itself. We lose track of when we see friends or loved ones and it can be weeks or even months before you’ve connected with anyone outside work or immediate family. Making ‘me’ time for that coffee with a friend, or a night out can help you connect with people who can support you. Reuse, reduce, re-wear, recycle It’s easy to get overwhelmed with negative news stories about the environment and the cost-of living crisis. Making a positive change, no matter how small, can make a big impact. Here are a few easy steps you can take to make a difference to the planet whilst improving your wellbeing: • Reduce food waste by reusing leftovers • Buy second-hand • Walk instead of drive • Repair or thrift rather than throw away and adding to landfill waste.

Think smart Whatever your goals this year, make them specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Think of the goals you create for your PDP in work appraisals – make them easy to do and impactful. Forming new habits takes several weeks, so making unrealistic commitments will make failure more likely. Take small steps towards accomplishing your goals instead. For more information on how to be a healthier you, visit Patient.info For further reading: • Resources for Managing Burnout in Primary Care | Doctor | Patient • How and where to learn mindfulness - Mind • New Year’s Resolutions: how to make environmentally friendly lifestyle changes | Patient • Why sitting is bad for our health | Patient • 7 morning stretches to get you ready for the day | Patient

Spring 2024

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Spring 2024

Real-time connectivity among health technologies is crucial for facilitating the provision of safer and timely patient care. At its core, interoperability serves as the element that links diverse healthcare settings within Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), unifying services irrespective of the technology or healthcare provider. Integrated care through enhanced interoperability

We engaged in a conversation with our group interoperability director, Liam King, to delve into the significance of interoperability in shaping a patient-centric NHS and its pivotal role in delivering genuinely integrated care.

records, imaging technology, healthcare robotics, data, and more, to facilitate the smooth delivery of care. When all these health technologies work together seamlessly, organisations can offer a streamlined patient experience, regardless of the setting in which they seek care. How can interoperability help overcome healthcare challenges? One of the primary hurdles lies in the diversity of systems and technologies used, each with their own data formats and structures. Our successful partner programme provides more than 140 partner systems the flexibility to interoperate with our core clinical systems via various interfaces to suit local needs. Partners can retrieve rich data and file back into EMIS

What exactly is interoperability?

Interoperability may sound technical, but let’s simplify it – think of it as various building blocks or puzzle pieces that seamlessly connect one thing to another. Embedding interoperability ensures that diverse healthcare technologies can collaborate effectively, even if they differ. In healthcare, interoperable technology integrates systems and data, creating a clear and accurate representation of a patient’s health. Our customers use a variety of IT systems, software, medical devices, electronic health

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applications or surface data locked in other systems. For example, we’ve provided ICS solutions that join-up real-time patient data using the Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG) moving data into different clinical systems and use Portal SDK to launch their shared care record within EMIS Web. Why are interoperability standards important? At EMIS, we’re all about making things click. You know, that “aha” moment when everything falls into place seamlessly? That’s exactly what interoperability standards do for us. We’re continuously collaborating with industry partners such as the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB), NHS England, and our customers to identify gaps, maximise opportunities to become that universal translator for health data – making sure different systems and technologies can have that friendly chat without any language barriers. Using Open APIs, RESTful FHIR interfaces, and working to make sure that our products comply with SNOMED CT clinical coding result in our ability to provide a consistent approach for interoperability. Implementing standards means it is easier for our partner systems to interact and speak to our systems to share clinical information, patient records or streamline workflows.

Spring 2024

Benefits beyond technology: How can interoperability impact patient care? technology that improves people’s lives. In the background, interoperability is the unsung hero, ensuring the seamless flow of health data and simplifying the lives of healthcare professionals engaged in delivering direct or proactive care. Whether it’s a medical record smoothly transitioning from a GP practice to a specialist consultant in an NHS trust or a prescribed medication arriving at your local community pharmacy without the burden of paperwork, the result is a faster, more accurate outcome. This leads to fewer repeated tests, a reduced risk of vital information getting lost, and the formulation of personalised treatment plan. With everyone in the healthcare loop on the same wavelength, the net effect is an enhancement in patient outcomes, providing a more cohesive and effective healthcare experience. Putting the tech jargon aside, our vision is to be the leading provider of innovative healthcare

About the author Liam King, group interoperability director

Liam King has led businesses across the health and social care IT space for over 17 years. His experience stretches right across health and care sectors including pharmacy, primary care, community, mental health, acute and social care.

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The benefits of being a clinically-led organisation By Dr Krishna Vakharia

Spring 2024

As chief medical officer for health at EMIS and an NHS GP, I’ve embraced a dual role that embodies my personal values of service and dedication to patient care.

to contribute directly to the development and implementation of digital solutions that address real-world challenges in patient care. Informed decision-making and safety Clinical directors are accountable for various products within the EMIS portfolio. For example, mine is Patient (Patient.info and Patient Access) and FourteenFish. More recently I have been involved in EMIS-X. As a working GP, I can feed into the pain points as well as what works well in EMIS Web. With the expertise of our product and user experience teams, they often come up with solutions that are even better than my imagination! These solutions are tested on clinicians like me and the wider clinical director teams, as well as going out into the community to trial it on other clinicians.

Whether I’m treating patients directly as a GP or collaborating with health technology experts at EMIS, my focus remains on ensuring the wellbeing and safety of those we serve to make a positive difference. This includes anyone working in a surgery as well as the patients we look after. When an EMIS product touches a patient there will have been a clinician who is an expert in their field feeding into the design and delivery of that product. Someone clever said to me, if you don’t have clinicians leading your health tech company, you are a tech company who works in health. We embody being a health tech company and have embraced clinicians from all fields to bring their expertise to the table. If we don’t have one with the right expertise, we get one. At the core of a clinically-led company is the marriage of clinical insights with technological advancements. This empowers clinicians like me

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Spring 2024

We then use this feedback to enhance and refine the product to make sure it is clinically safe and workable. We also don’t make tech for tech sake. We use clinicians’ experience to identify areas where technology can make a significant impact. Whether it is streamlining admin tasks, enhancing shared records, or prescribing safely, the clinical perspective becomes the guiding force in developing solutions. We ensure that all our products and services are not just technologically advanced but also clinically safe and patient centred. We have a whole clinical safety team, again all clinicians, all of them looking at patient safety as their top priority. We proactively identify and mitigate potential risks, ensuring a safer product. Building trust and credibility By having clinicians at the helm from the conception of an idea to the execution, you can trust that we’ve worked through problems and solutions with clinical experts steering the

development. You know that we will only put it in your hands when we know it is safe to use. Being clinically-led means that we integrate clinical expertise and technological innovation with one focus, improving patient care. I feel privileged to be part of that vision and process.

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A tech powered shot in the arm for HPV vaccinations Dr Ian Wood, GP and clinical director for EMIS

Spring 2024

Each year millions of pounds and countless hours are invested in finding cures for cancer. Remarkedly in 2021 we had such a breakthrough for cervical cancer – a disease affecting 1 in 142 women in the UK, contributing to around 850 deaths each year.

It’s not every day that we uncover proven routes to reducing the risk of cancer.” Dr Ian Wood - GP and clinical director for EMIS While the HPV vaccination is commissioned at a local level and delivered within secondary schools, primary care is also being called upon to help catch those young women between the ages of 14 to 25 who may have slipped through the vaccination net. As a GP, I don’t want to let the opportunity pass by to play a part in reducing the risk of cervical cancer for my patients. Using technology, the process needn’t add further strain to primary care and could empower local collaboration to play a larger, more effective role in the programme – which could ultimately save lives. And here’s how. Readily available technology in our Pathway solution could surface unvaccinated patients to teams able and eager to address the gap in a personalised and targeted approach.

A landmark study proved that when the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was administered to girls aged 12 to 13 years old, the risk of them developing cervical cancer reduced by 87.7%. It’s not every day that we uncover proven routes to reducing the risk of cancer. And yet, in the same year the research was announced, we sadly saw vaccination rates decline – especially among those who could most benefit - with a 7% drop in girls aged 12 to 13. Newly published NHS vaccination strategy takes further steps toward the commitment to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, and outlines planned improvements to school-aged vaccination delivery.

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The technology is powerful. It is currently the identification of cohorts previously deemed unreachable to help support NHS England’s drive to eliminate Hepatitis C.” Dr Ian Wood - GP and clinical director for EMIS

Spring 2024

Empowering primary care with technology Supported by sharing agreements, Pathway uses clinical intelligence to enable healthcare teams to identify cohorts of at-risk patients for intervention – or in this example, anyone yet to receive the HPV vaccination – and enables them to securely share relevant health information with whoever has responsibility and capacity to act on it. The technology is powerful. It is currently the identification of cohorts previously deemed unreachable to help support NHS England’s drive to eliminate Hepatitis C. Pathway could also identify vaccination trends and themes to improve uptake. Using this insight to tackle health inequalities would be key - for example cervical cancer incidence rates in England are 65% higher in the most deprived quintile. Furthermore, according to the National Institute of Health, ’stigmas that associate the HPV vaccine with sexual activity and promiscuity are prevalent among parents of vaccine-eligible children and are associated with lower intentions to vaccinate one’s child’. Primary care’s role couldn’t be more vital here, supporting the opportunity to explore vaccination with clinicians they are more familiar with. Down the line it can also provide a second chance as the child grows into adulthood to reduce their risk of cervical cancer - something they may not even be aware was decided for them as a child. Rarely are we given an opportunity to so greatly reduce the risk of a cancer. Bringing together the data and the technology offers a chance to make a huge impact to the lives of many. We must grab this opportunity with both hands.

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The Pharmacy First initiative: Implications for primary care

Spring 2024

Earlier this year, the Pharmacy First scheme was introduced into community pharmacy to address the growing pressures faced by the wider care sector.

The £654m initiative has led to a shift in workloads towards pharmacies, as they widen their service provision to include the treatment of seven common conditions including earache, sore throats, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. Under this new scheme, pharmacists can now conduct consultations and treat these conditions without the need for a GP visit. What this means for primary care With an aim to eliminate the ‘8am rush’ for patient appointments, the Pharmacy First scheme alleviates the mounting pressures faced by primary care. Patients will now enjoy quicker, more convenient access to NHS services through their local pharmacy, which is estimated to free up approximately 15 million GP appointments over the next two years. How we’re supporting the scheme In addition to a series of back-end improvements to ensure that EMIS Web can support Pharmacy First, we’ve also developed a series of user-facing changes to Local Services.

Updates to Local Services Local Services enables GPs and their staff to quickly and safely create Pharmacy First referrals directly from EMIS Web. A Pharmacy First Triage assessment tool gives non-clinical staff the power to determine a patient’s suitability for referral. If the patient is eligible, the system will allow the user to select a preferred pharmacy, and the referral is then sent across directly to the chosen pharmacy. Once the assessment has taken place, a SNOMED coded record of this interaction is filed back to the patient’s care record. It’s this new functionality that is making it even easier for practices to handle and process data from pharmacies.

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Spring 2024

Click the arrow to learn more about how we’re supporting primary care in the delivery of Pharmacy First:

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Strep A GP data helped ICB track service pressures

Spring 2024

Kent and Medway ICB have used a ‘revolutionary’ automated GP dataset to track daily Strep A presentations, this helped them to understand service pressures and inform resilience plans during the winter 2022/23 outbreak.

automatic reports based on specific conditions and parameters, in this case; chest infections, acute bacterial laryngitis and acute lower respiratory tract infection for children under five years old. Ruth Wells, assistant director of health outcomes, improvement and performance at Kent and Medway, said: “Previously when we’d been in the middle of any kind of outbreak, we would have difficulty presenting primary care data in a meaningful way other than reporting that ‘GP practices are telling us they’re really busy’. This was the first time we could substantiate our claims and share our own data, it was a revolutionary moment for us.”

For the first time, the team were able to present an evidence-based picture of the impact of the outbreak on its 185 GP practices using the Apex analytics toolkit. This enabled them to assess the general practice picture alongside its community and acute partners. Apex is a primary care analytics tool that allows practices and organisations to better understand demand, capacity and activity – driving efficiency and quality improvements. We proactively introduced the new dataset to help NHS organisations manage the additional winter pressures caused by the Strep A outbreak. Apex enabled the Kent and Medway team to collate patient data records and generated daily

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Future plans Ruth Wells explained: “NHS England has asked us to work with them to develop a demand management toolkit for other organisations. This will support the roll out, implementation and use of a demand and capacity tool such as Apex. “Other parts of the ICB will be using the system, too, including the estates and workforce teams. We will also be having conversations with our community and acute providers to ask them what reporting they need from us – Apex can provide reporting, analytics and intelligence across a wide range of opportunities.” Ben Hampshire added: “We are committed to working with frontline practitioners and commissioners to explore how this example can be replicated in multiple scenarios to support ongoing system-wide resilience.”

Spring 2024

Ben Hampshire, head of business delivery at Apex, said: “After witnessing first-hand the pressures the COVID-19 pandemic placed on primary care, it was clear in the data trends from late October and November 2022 that a new respiratory outbreak had the potential to have a similar impact. This is a powerful example of how readily available data from the GP electronic record can be mobilised to change what’s happening on the frontline.” Ben Hampshire - head of business delivery at Apex “We were really keen to support effective decision-making, in the hope that better planning could be made to avoid crippling pressures on the system. Some areas used the data to quickly establish respiratory hubs – moving demand away from GP practices – and provided funding

packages for practices, while for others like Kent and Medway the data formed part of an integrated picture and response to keep their finger on the pulse. “This is a powerful example of how readily available data from the GP electronic

record can be mobilised to change what’s happening on the frontline.”

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Reporting Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) in EMIS Web

Spring 2024

The Yellow Card functionality integrated in EMIS Web allows you to send electronic reports of suspected ADRs directly from EMIS Web to the MHRA. Patient details are anonymised and much of the information needed is automatically populated from both the patient’s care record and the reporting user’s details in the Organisation Configuration module. A copy of the report is also saved to the patient’s care record.

You should report all suspected ADRs, whether self-medicated or prescribed. This includes: • Serious or medically significant; serious events that are fatal, life-threatening, a congenital abnormality, disabling or incapacitating, or resulting in hospitalisation. • Associated with newer drugs and vaccines, irrespective of whether they are serious or not. • Associated with a medication error that has caused harm.

To access Yellow Card from EMIS Web, with the relevant patient in context, navigate to the Medication screen, and on the ribbon, click Patient Actions and then select Yellow Card . You can also submit a Yellow Card on ending a medication course, when you record an adverse reaction.

You can read more and watch demo videos on submitting a Yellow Card by searching KB0063127 on EMIS Now.

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Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG)

Spring 2024

Connecting you to real-time patient data from any care setting. Access health and social care information with our award-winning interoperability solution, the Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG), that enables a secure two-way exchange of patient information from any system, any setting.

View real-time patient data within EMIS Web including:

Social care data from Liquidlogic

Community, mental and child health data from Access Rio

Acute data from Teleologic

Improving access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) data from Mayden iaptus

Save time, make fast informed decisions Real-time health and social care data, at the point of care so you can make faster, more informed decisions. Access patient data in the right place, at the right time Improve efficiency and standard of care by reducing unnecessary hospital appointments or duplicate examinations. A holistic view of your patient Access data from a range of healthcare services that are involved in a patients care, based on current information.

For more information on MIG click the arrow

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