Digital Health Networks 60 Second Profiles: Claire Fitzgerald

Claire Fitzgerald from University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is our next 60 second profile volunteer. Claire explains more about her role as EHR delivery manager and what projects she is currently involved in.

Could you explain what your role entails?

I have been EHR delivery manager for inpatients, emergency care, theatres/anaesthesia and maternity care at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since September 2019 and my role is multifactorial.

Part of it is safeguarding day-to-day system maintenance, part of it is working with clinical teams or wider operational or strategic groups to evaluate workflows and identify where we can provide benefits such as improved system efficiency or patient safety, attainment of strategic business objectives, or widening of our research portfolio.

We then come up with design solutions following the appropriate change governance. In our design we incorporate structured data entry where possible to ensure we can extract and analyse information for reporting, research, evaluating change and in system learning. In our system upgrades, where there is optional content we engage appropriate teams to introduce concepts for transformation and drive consensus for adoption. At times new development has cost associated, requiring me to attain approval at digital healthcare board level.

What parts of digital health interest you the most?

I have a keen interest in system learning/ AI, having chaired our Clinical Decision Support Group jointly with our CMIO and as a member of our new Applied Advanced Analytics Group led by our CRIO, where I would like to drive implementation of cognitive computing models in sepsis & falls management.

What projects are you currently involved in?

• AI collaboration with Microsoft
• HIE [Health Information Exchange]
• Discharge reporting for NCL [North Central London]
• Digital improvement plan for adrenal insufficiency
• SDEC [Same Day Emergency Care]
• CP-IS digital solutions [The Child Protection – Information Sharing project]
• E-consent

If you could have any other job, what would it be?

CCIO in allied health.

If you have one piece of advice for other digital health leaders, what would it be?

When it comes to clinical decision support tools, be realistic. If your EHR has integrated alerts for everything to guide best practice, alert fatigue is probable, and the key messages will be lost.

What’s your favourite piece of technology at home and why?

My Amazon Alexa – she helps keep me organised!

Who would you like to play you in a film?

Gwyneth Paltrow