December 2023 Blog

Tarandeep Dhillon-Smith, Head of Digital Hospital at the NNUH

Enhancing Healthcare Efficiency: The Impact of Implementing Electronic Patient Records (EPR)

I’m Tarandeep Dhillon-Smith and have been engaging with the EPR Programme Team as a core team member and Transformation & Adoption enthusiast. I am the Head of Digital Hospital at the NNUH and manage Digital Health projects and transformation within the Trust.

I am very passionate about our acute hospitals getting an EPR and have witnessed first-hand the kind of impact this could have on our people and their families across the area.

An experience which comes to mind involves a patient who underwent open-heart surgery and the challenges we faced. It ultimately highlighted for me, the potential advantages of transitioning to an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system across the acute hospitals in Norfolk and Waveney.

The patient experienced a smooth pre-operative process, successful surgery, and initial postoperative care at one of our hospitals. However, complications arose during the transition from the High Dependency Unit to a general ward due to bed shortages. Subsequently, the lack of communication and follow-up post-discharge prompted concerns for the patient and their family.

The absence of a streamlined system for accessing patient documentation became evident when the family reached out to the GP and their own local hospital for information. The delay in obtaining the necessary records resulted in uncertainty and disrupted the continuity of care.

Reflecting on this experience, the family were satisfied with the quality of care provided during the immediate postoperative period, but rightly emphasised the need for improved care coordination in the months following surgery.

For me, this example illustrates how an EPR system across the three hospitals could significantly mitigate such challenges. With an EPR in place:

1. Information flow across multiple care providers would be streamlined, reducing the likelihood of missed care during transitions.

2. Immediate access to the patient's latest information by healthcare providers would expedite the care process, eliminating the need for extended searches and potential delays.

3. Through the Patient Portal, patients and their families could actively engage in their treatment plans, creating a sense of empowerment and reducing uncertainty about whom to contact for follow-up care.

While this example highlighted gaps in the current system, the implementation of an EPR is envisioned as a transformative solution to enhance healthcare efficiency. The focus is on providing consistent and informed care to every person across the area, irrespective of their geographic location, and empowering clinicians with readily available information to optimise decision-making and patient care.

I am excited to be part of the team implementing this programme.