What is the challenge your project is going to address and how does it connect to the theme?

Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems are often customisable for optimal use. However this requires significant digital resource. In our own Trust there is a backlog of 2-3 years of requests for EPR modifications, which impacts the effectiveness of clinical teams. We know that other Trusts face similar issues and are often doing similar work themselves – effectively duplicating effort.

While Trusts across the UK have some unique requirements, there are many similar technical needs. Reuse of code could save hours or days of technical time to implement. There is also significant benefit to sharing approaches, skills and capabilities and working on projects together.

We propose to start the project initially through existing connections with Reading, Milton Keynes and Chelsea and Westminster, from there expanding to the 32 Trusts that use a Cerner EPR, followed by other systems. By applying an improvement methodology to test and learn we will optimise the approach.

What does your project aim to achieve?

This project aims to optimise customisation of EPR systems across the NHS, saving time for overstretched digital resources, improving wait-times for EPR modification requests, and providing equal service across different geographies.

Some informal knowledge sharing is already happening between EPR teams, but it is insufficient. We propose an exchange of ideas and resources across those teams including a community of practice and online library of code/configuration information.

Objectives of this project:

1. Scoping of platform and approach with partners
2. Identification of priority projects with significant potential for efficiency
3. Initial events / exchanges of ideas on priority projects
4. Review of approach and improvements

The future solution: an online library of EPR modifications accessible across the NHS, with a “librarian” function to aid Trusts looking for solutions / requiring configuration support and a community of practice to obtain informal support and best-practice sharing.

How will the project be delivered?

The project will be led by TheHill, a digital innovation team at Oxford University Hospitals with significant expertise in project and event management, community building and digital, supported by the QI and digital teams at the Trust and the CCIO. We will work through existing relationships to build the core partnership, subsequently expanding out through the CCIO network.

We will conduct meetings by Teams and will use existing software platforms for sharing code to minimise costs. Some face-to-face meetings will be necessary to build relationships.

For this pilot we will prioritise EPR modification challenges which require significant effort and where sharing of expertise and prior work will therefore be of most benefit.

We have established that there is appetite for the project amongst digital teams thus minimising the main risk of lack of engagement. The project will measure time saved and poll participants to establish the value they have gained.

How is your project going to share learning?

As a pilot community of practice, dissemination is baked into the project objectives. We will start with a small group and expand out through the CCIO network and other connections to engage further digital teams.

A key question of the project is the amount of time required for configuration of others’ code to be suitable for a local environment, and hence the time saved by sharing prior work. As we progress with the pilot projects we will measure and share this learning, which we expect to be applicable not just to EPRs but to all digital solutions within the NHS.

We have a number of routes to wider dissemination including:

1. Our existing digital innovation community and network, including partners such as Digital Health Networks
2. The CCIO network
3. Publication of project results on our website and social media, and via the Q community
4. Appearance at conferences and events