Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34642622›Full record

ArticleHealth policy and technology2021

Rapid adaptation of a local healthcare digital system to COVID-19: The experience in Birmingham (UK).

Tanya Pankhurst, Jolene Atia, Felicity Evison, Suzy Gallier, Joshua M Lewis, Deborah McKee, Steve Ryan, Elizabeth Sapey, Simon Ball, Jamie J Coleman

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health policy and technology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Tanya PankhurstUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Jolene AtiaUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Felicity EvisonUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Suzy GallierUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Joshua M LewisUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Deborah McKeeUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Steve RyanUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Elizabeth SapeyUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Simon BallUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Jamie J ColemanUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_21015Medical Research Council MR/L008335/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented pressure on hospitals globally. Digital tools developed before the crisis provided novel aspects of management, and new digital tools were rapidly developed as the crisis progressed. In our institution, a digitally mature NHS Trust in England which builds software systems, development during the early months of the crisis allowed increased patient safety and care, efficient management of the hospital and publication of data. The aim of this paper is to present this experience as a case study, describing development and lessons learned applicable to wider electronic healthcare record development.

methodsRequest, triage, build and test processes for the digital systems were altered in response to the pandemic. Senior Responsible Officers appointed for the emergency triaged all changes and were supported by expert opinion and research active clinicians. Build and test cycles were compressed. New tools were built or existing ones modified in the central Electronic Healthcare Record, PICS (Prescribing, Information and Communication System), Clinical Dashboards and video platforms for remote consultation were developed.

findings2236 patients were admitted to UHB with suspected COVID-19 between March and May 2020. Dashboards and visualisation tools enabled by efficient real-time data collection for all new patients, contributed to strategic, operational and clinical decision making.Over 70 urgent changes were made to digital systems, including a screening proforma, improved infection control functions, help and order panels, data dashboards, and updated prescribing features. Novel uses were found for existing functions.

interpretationDigital tools contributed to a co-ordinated response to COVID-19 in an area with a high disease burden. Change management processes were modified during the pandemic and successfully delivered rapid software modifications and new tools. Principal benefits came from the ability to adapt systems to rapidly changing clinical situations. Lessons learned from this intense development period are widely applicable to EHR development. LAY SUMMARY: Digital tools, which are well designed, can help clinicians and safeguard patients. Health crises such as the COVID pandemic drove rapid development of digital tools. This case study outlines accelerated development within a governance framework that successfully reused existing tools and built new ones. The lessons from this development are generalizable to digital developments in healthcare.

Indexed as

Clinical decision support systemsCOVID-19EHRElectronic health recordsMedical informatics

Identifiers

PMID34642622
PMCPMC8498783
OpenAlexW3207791288

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.