Call for wider use of decision support
A charity is calling for more widespread use of decision support systems in general practice after a survey it commissioned found nearly two out of three patients fear being misdiagnosed when they go to see their GP. Doubts have been voiced, however, about the usability of decision support systems in general practice. The Isabel Medical Charity, […]
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AxSys wins major Scottish system contract
AxSys Technologies has been named as the successful bidder in NHSScotland’s national generic clinical system (GCS) procurement. The Clydebank-based company will deliver a national licence for its product, Excelicare, and provide supporting services as part of the GCS contract. The overall aim is to provide NHSScotland with the tools to create a diverse set of local clinical […]
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Increased mortality after drug entry system installed
Researchers in the US have found a surprise rise in the mortality rates in a children’s hospital since the implementation of a software system designed to reduce adverse drug effects. The computerised physician order entry system (CPOE) was installed over a period of six days in the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. The study was undertaken […]
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Great Ormond Street implements electronic prescribing
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust has begun implementation of JAC’s Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) System. The new EPMA system now provides clinicians at the trust with software for the electronic prescribing and administration of medicines on a nephrology ward, and work has now begun on introducing the system into other wards […]
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Birmingham PCTs sign up for Pfizer self-care project
Two PCTs in Birmingham are to be the first in the UK to implement a community self-care project in which patients with diabetes and other long-term conditions will receive regular telephone support at home by trained community nurses. The OwnHealth project, which will be run by UK Pfizer Health Solutions in conjunction with NHS Direct, will […]
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Decision support helps cut antibiotic over-use
Clinical decision support can help to reduce the inappropriate prescription of antibiotics in primary care, according to a US study. Over-prescription of antibiotics – often for viral respiratory tract infections – fosters the spread of resistant organisms such as MRSA. The researchers, writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, say they were prompted to […]
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IT has critical role in patient safety, says watchdog
Public service watchdog, the National Audit Office, has underlined the key role IT should play in improving patient safety not only in avoiding medication errors but in supporting audit and providing information to professionals. An NAO report published today identifies medication errors, record documentation errors and communication failures as leading causes of incidents in which […]
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Community nurses to start e-prescribing pilot in 2006
Community nurses are to take part in NHS Connecting for Health pilots of electronic nurse prescribing early next year. Barbara Stuttle, Connecting for Health’s clinical lead for community nurses, told EHI Primary Care that community staff such as district nurses and health visitors would be provided with laptops and handheld computers as part of the […]
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Choose and Book referrals top 20,000
GP referrals made under Choose and Book have topped the 20,000 mark on a curve that is “rising but delayed”, a conference heard. Richard Gibbs, a Connecting for Health (CfH) executive lead for Choose and Book, said bookings were now being made at the rate of over 700 per day but he added: “If all […]
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Singapore’s National Healthcare Group buys Soarian
Siemens Medical Solutions has signed a major deal with Singapore’s National Healthcare Group (NHG) for an enterprise-wide implementation of its next generation Soarian electronic patient record (EPR) solution. NHG, one of Sinapore’s two public healthcare provider networks, will implement the full Soarian Electronic Patient Record system over the next two years, including the Computerised Clinician […]
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