TPA: the future of surgery systems

Surgery is one of the most resource intensive areas of a hospital. However, theatre management is often disconnected, with nursing, surgery and anaesthesia operating autonomously and using their own - sometimes paper based - data systems, which may not share critical information.

As hospitals start to become more business and process focused, though, a number are looking to bring their surgical services under a single management structure and to unite all their theatre-related applications into a comprehensive perioperative information system.

Gary Mooney, principal consultant iSOFT, explains: "Total Perioperative Automation is a relatively new concept for NHS trusts, but it can provide an integrated view of a patient's perioperative journey; drawing on and sharing clinical and administrative information with relevant hospital systems.

"It helps to address key danger areas in the journey, namely at the point at which a patient is handed over between the various teams from the ward to theatres to PACU or CCU and back to a ward. Trusts that have embraced TPA are reporting significant benefits in key areas such as clinical safety, operational efficiency, clinical outcomes and patient experience."

From Torbay Hospital, consultant anaesthetist and director of day surgery Mary Stoker reports that integrated systems from iSOFT and Picis have enabled her trust to expand the range of day surgery procedures it offers and to carry out sophisticated audits to improve its performance in just these areas.

White paper: Why Total Perioperative Automation is essential for 21st Century health care systems

ISOFT has been working with PICIS on TPA. This white paper from PICIS outlines the concept of TPA, its potential contribution to hospital efficiency and patient safety, and options available to trusts who want to implement it.

Case study: Leading Day Surgery centre implements iSOFT Galaxy Surgery and Picis anaesthesia solution

This case study from iSOFT and Picis outlines how Torbay Hospital in South Devon replaced a DOS-based theatre system in its day surgery unit with Picis' Preop Manager, iSOFT's Galaxy Surgery, and Picis' Anaesthesia Manager.

Interview: Mary Stocker

The director of day surgery at South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust outlines the benefits she has seen from introducing integrated systems from iSOFT and Picis and why she thinks other trusts will need to run similar projects to deliver efficient, safe, high quality care to patients.