Enabling new functions to existing tools to improve communications and reporting

Background

Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust were already using Microsoft 365 and Teams, but wanted to go one step further to create a one-stop-shop for staff and patients to increase efficiency and make better use of their time.

Situation

There were several areas within the Trust that could benefit from being made more efficient through expanding the use of their existing Microsoft tools, helping to reduce the burden on staff:

Telehealth

The Trust had been using Teams as an internal solution, but needed something to provide integrated telehealth at scale for patients and found other solutions to be expensive.

Reporting and analytics

Previously data was manually pulled from various sources into weekly and monthly reports, which was time consuming and an inefficient use of staff time.

Communication

The use of Teams in the trust to communicate often fell down due to people not always being signed in, leading to inefficiencies as admin staff spent time phoning staff.

Aspiration

The Trust wanted to make the most of the available capabilities within Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, while reducing the admin burden on staff and freeing up clinician’s time, by:

• Providing integrated virtual consultations
• Improving internal and external communications channels
• Upgrading to cloud-based analytics production
• Automating staff covid test reporting processes

Solution and impact

Telehealth

Microsoft Teams was used to create a telehealth solution, initially with speech therapy patients, with a Teams channel set up for each patient. This allowed staff to record patient visits and prescribed exercises. Microsoft Forms were used to collect patient outcomes before and after each session.

Paper based processes like assessments and exercises were digitised, saving clinicians time entering records into the electronic system. Integration with Outlook and Teams also removed the need for manual administration.

Working with OX.Digital Health, the Trust customised the OX.virtual waiting room solution which is based in Teams allowing patients to:

• Book online
• Receive confirmation texts
• Get reminders 10 minutes before appointments so they can prepare
• Check in via a bot using Power Virtual Agent forms
• Join appointments through a virtual waiting room

The telehealth system also links to the trust’s EPR system. All completed forms are stored in Microsoft SharePoint, allowing for easy access and analysis.

Reporting and analytics

Power BI, an app available on Teams, was used to connect multiple data sources and create real-time reports and mobile phone apps. This functionality enabled the creation of engaging visuals in reports, making the data easier to understand. It also included elements of predictive analytics.

As Teams and Power BI are cloud-based services, it meant that staff could now securely and easily access information from any internet connected device.

Impacts included better resource allocation and decision making by using real-time data on demand to match capacity which led to a reduction in specific specialty outpatient waiting lists of 65% in 6 months.

Communication

A Teams channel was created to manage internal communications and Power Automate was used to link Teams and the Trust’s mobile texting provider. This meant that when a message was sent in the Teams channel, even those staff not signed in and using Teams would also receive a text message.

During the coronavirus pandemic, this channel was used to send text messages to staff with positive PCR results, immediately after they became available.

This replaced the previous labour and time intensive method which involved the PCR admin team phoning staff. This also had the benefit of staff no longer having to isolate for an entire day while waiting for their test results.

By removing the duplication and re-entry of information between the Trust’s disparate systems and databases when recording lateral flow and PCR test results, the admin burden on staff was reduced.

To maximise the benefit of this channel during the pandemic, the functionality was also expanded to include gaining parental/carer consent for childrens covid vaccinations. This allowed parents/carers to confirm and provide consent from any device, instead of using paper forms.

Functionality

Microsoft 365 / Power BI

• Can be used on desktop and mobile devices

Microsoft 365

• eForm data is seamlessly integrated into SharePoint and Power BI
• Integrates with Outlook and Teams
• Integrates with the Trust’s lab systems for PCR test results for immediate notification of COVID results

OX.Waiting Room

• One way Integration between the Trust’s EPRs and Teams

Capabilities

• Video conferencing on any device including smartphones
• Patients can book appointments using an online platform, with confirmation texts, reminders, and check in online using forms
• Provides instant and automatic updates via text messages to staff (Staff communications, PCR/Lateral flow results)
• Provides instant and automatic updates via text message to parents/carers to provide consent for their child’s COVID vaccination
• Data and insight models can be accessed via any device with an internet connection.
• Departments and team can build their own data visualisations

Scope of capacity

• Virtual clinics can be run from any location as long as there is an Internet connection.
• Parents/carers can confirm and provide consent for their child's vaccination from any device.
• Lateral flow results can be uploaded instantaneously.
• Front line operational and clinical teams can access near real-time performance information from any location.
• Data and information is stored in repositories that can be securely accessed and analysed by permitted staff
• This can be used to support the whole patient journey, from booking appointments through to confirmation, and holding virtual clinics.
• The only limitation is the need for an internet connection.

Key learning points

• Working as an agile team allowed us to implement these changes in small steps, accepting and improving mistakes along the way.
• Including clinicians was important as it allowed us to co-design the new processes, and gather feedback on built processes quickly.
• Once we got something working, we went back to look at how it could be improved and scaled up.
• We held training sessions to upskill and educate other teams on how to co-create. This was to promote innovation and empower teams who weren't aware of the capabilities available to the organisation, and to be able build and use their own solutions
• OX.virtual waiting room can be set up using either a local or the national NHS tenant and has been rolled out in Bolton (using their local MS tenant) and Barnsley (using the NHS national tenant).

Digital equalities

Video conferencing is not a one size fits all solution and where needed, patients are offered alternative methods to communicate with clinicians.

If consent cannot be obtained digitally, parents are able to provide consent using traditional methods such as paper forms.

Where consent can be obtained digitally, parents are able to use their own accessibility tools, such as magnifiers, with the digital forms.

For reporting purposes, staff are able to access accessibility tools provided by the hardware or organisation. For example, Power BI has inbuilt capabilities to change settings such as contrast.

Key figures/ quotes

Better resource allocation and decision making using real-time data on demand to match capacity led to a reduction in specific specialty outpatient waiting lists of 65% in 6 months

Rebekah Davies, Digital Clinical Transformation Manager

Find out more

Microsoft Case study

OX virtual waiting rooms

OX.Digital Health case study

Key contact

James Rawlinson, Director of Health Informatics, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
jrawlinson@nhs.net

John Kosobucki, OX.DH
john.kosobucki@oxdh.health

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Page last updated: October 2022