Overview
Open Medical is collaborating with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre’s Rural Centre of Excellence (RCE) to develop a referral management plan aimed at improving the community occupational therapy service in Moray and beyond. This initiative is part of a research and development scheme that will integrate self-assessment and digital assessment tools to facilitate self-management and minimize waiting times.
Key Objectives
- Utilize the PATHPOINT Referral Management platform to enhance the quality of referral information.
- Establish a digitally enabled occupational therapy triage pathway.
- Reduce the time occupational therapists spend on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on patient care.
Funding and Goals
The RCE is supported by a £5 million investment from the Moray Growth Deal, aimed at fostering economic growth and job creation. The project is expected to yield a new asset that Open Medical can commercialize for other services facing similar challenges of rising demand and limited resources.
Insights from Leadership
Marie Simpson, a program manager at the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre and a registered Occupational Therapist, stated:
“The local occupational therapy service, managed by Health & Social Care Moray (HSCM), has seen an increase in requests for support. We are collaborating with Open Medical to enhance the service model by improving referral quality and automating triaging.”
Community Impact
The HSCM team, consisting of community Occupational Therapists and assistants, provides essential support for individuals needing home adaptations or equipment for daily living tasks. Referrals can be made by anyone with the citizen’s consent, but incomplete or inappropriate referrals can lead to additional clinical time being spent on prioritization.
Workshops and Development
Open Medical and the DHI conducted workshops with Occupational Therapists to identify challenges and desired features for a new digitally enabled service. The integration of the PATHPOINT platform with the Mydex CIC Personal Data Store will streamline the process for patients to upload and share their information with local health and care services.
Automation and Efficiency
Open Medical plans to implement automation tools within the PATHPOINT system to:
- Screen out ineligible referrals.
- Direct individuals who do not require the service to local Community Connections.
- Determine the need for digital or face-to-face assessments.
Future Prospects
Dr. Tim Hoogenboom, head of research at Open Medical, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, emphasizing the importance of understanding workflow to develop supportive systems for clinical teams. The testing phase of the project is set to begin soon, with feedback from users anticipated to guide further refinements.
About Open Medical
Open Medical specializes in patient flow solutions, with its PATHPOINT Referral Management product designed to enhance referral quality and streamline patient triage across various clinical specialties.
About the RCE
The Rural Centre of Excellence for Digital Health and Care Innovation is a £5 million initiative funded by the UK Government, aimed at advancing Scotland’s digital health agenda and supporting economic recovery.
About the DHI
The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre serves as a national resource to facilitate the digital transformation of health and social care in Scotland, focusing on person-centered solutions that align with national priorities.