HISI Conference 16th Nov. 2005

Electronic Links to GPs and Primary Care

The St. James’s Experience

Martin Buckley, ManagerInformation Management Services (IMS).

St. James’s hospital.

Early beginnings

2000 Started pilot project with the South

Inner City of Dublin Partnership in Primary Care. (SICP).

(52 GPs in 29 Practices) (20 PHNs ; 5 Physio. ; 15 OTs)

Main Objectives Develop a Secure E-mail framework.

(using Digital Certificates, Encryption, etc.)

Initial Messages. Referrals and Discharge letter

Key Milestones 2001

Secure e-mail in place. GP to GP ; GP to Hospital ; GP to Community

Clinic. limited use, but strong motivation to continue.

2002 Renamed: Primary Care eTeam Project Additional partners

Eastern Health Shared Services South Western Area Health Board South City Community Nursing Services

Key Milestones 2003

EHSS Support Services Digital Certificates (Digi-sign , Class 2). Managed services for GPs

Secure e-mail server ; Practice management server. Technical support

St. James’s Secure Extranet Radiology reports OPD appointment details Community Nurse Referrals

Key Milestones

2004 Participation in HSE (HeBE) GP

Messaging Group. Assisted with HL7 message definitions.

Decision to join Healthlink Online. Development of laboratory message.

Current position Secure E-mail.

GP to GP GP to Community Clinics (e.g. Meath, Baggot Street). GP referrals to St. James’s OPD Clinics: 547

Secure SJH Extranet. Active GPs: 25 OPD Clinic appointment details: 1,086 Radiology Reports (in HL7 format): 1,007 PHN Referrals: 1,409

Healthlink (since Aug. 2005). Active GPs: 50 Laboratory results: 8,500

SECURE E-MAIL / MESSAGING INFRASTRUCTURE

SJH HOSPITAL

DATABASES

SJH EXTRANET

HEALTHLINK

PHNs GPs

EHSS Digital IDs Secure E-

mail

OTHER GPsSJH OPD

REFERRALS

PHYSIO.

O.T.s

Community CLINICS

Physio; O.T.s Comm.

Nursing

eTeam’s Unique Focus

Involves all members of the primary care Team.

Secure electronic communication within teams and between teams and hospitals.

Forms basis for Virtual Primary Care Teams.

Planned Next Steps

Extend Healthlink messages Radiology Dec. 2005. Discharge Summary Mar. 2006. Other messages 2006.

Extend SJH Extranet Physiotherapy referrals Occupational Therapy

Support for Virtual primary care teams.

Lessons learned Challenges

Multi-agency collaboration. Emerging Technology / standards. Process changes.

Main Drivers / Success factors Buy-in and enthusiasm of GPs and Primary care team. Single umbrella partnership structure for South Inner City. National initiatives on Data standards and Interoperability

(HL7). Valuable part of the overall relationship with the Hospital.

(GP Liaison group, website, other services).

Thank You!