Cambric Systems, a supplier of healthcare patient data software solutions used in secondary and community-based healthcare settings across Scotland, has announced that its Morse solution has been selected by NHS Shetland.
The Morse mobile Electronic Patient Record (EPR) has been chosen to support a wide range of community-based health services delivered in patients’ homes and community settings, across multiple islands.
The system will be used by clinicians working as they interact with patients, both online and offline, to deliver healthcare. It is hoped the system will be in place within the next six to 12 months.
Morse will enable NHS Shetland to move from paper-based to electronic patient records, which can be easily accessed and kept up to date, helping to provide an improved, connected patient journey.
Initially being implemented within the community nursing teams, it is planned that Morse will be rolled out in the future across other specialist community services and allied healthcare professionals.
Kim Anderson, chief nurse for community and mental health, NHS Shetland, said: “Using Morse will change how we access, record and share clinical information in our community.
“Having everything documented in Morse will give us complete visibility of our patient care. It will give us much better oversight and assurance in relation to the quality of and continuity our services.
“It will really help our nurses in the community save time and work more efficiently – we estimate time savings of 30 minutes per shift per nurse.
“Having all the information of previous tests and treatments when they visit a patient, particularly those with complex needs, helps decision making at the time for improved care.”
For NHS Shetland’s community nurses, using Morse will free up time spent on paperwork to spend with patients and will provide one electronic record instead of multiple systems and paper files.
System level integrations between Morse and the board’s GP system means information will be shared, avoiding doubling up of data entry and streamlining information flow between services and professionals.
The ability to work seamlessly both offline and online will allow the clinicians to access patient records, assessments and forms at the point of care, regardless of connectivity. Patient records and notes are then synchronised when a connection becomes available.
Bibianna Wojtczak, senior project manager and team leader at NHS Shetland, added: “The adoption of Morse supports NHS Shetland’s digital ambitions to move from paper-based processes and disconnected systems towards a more integrated, electronic approach to care delivery.
“The offline functionality in Morse is particularly important, as we will be able to record and share assessments with other services.
“Initially we are focusing on our community nurses, but we know that other patient services outside the hospital are interested in using the system.
“It offers a digital health solution that supports our frontline clinical work and the challenges of working across a remote and rural population.”
Garry Sherriff, MD at Cambric stated: “Morse has been developed in close partnership with NHS clinicians over many years and is already in use across multiple NHS Boards, particularly in rural, island and remote settings.
“It has been designed specifically for community and mental health care and is ideal for NHS Shetland to support its community nurses who are mobile across large and often disconnected geographies, and working as part of multidisciplinary teams.”
