These days it is possible to create a single digital patient record, where relevant medical data can be retrieved from disparate health systems, at the point of care. Allscripts' dbMotion solution can pull data from any number of systems, which helps clinicians eliminate the painful process of tracking down patient details from different sources.

Its secure access solution uses semantic interoperability to retrieve medication history, medical notes and laboratory results, via a shared vocabulary. This provides medical professionals with intuitive and actionable information in whatever system they are using.

Viewing patient information from a single digital patient record can lead to better outcomes by improving clinical decision-making. This also reduces costs by eliminating redundant searches, avoiding duplicate tests, and limiting unnecessary admissions.

A survey carried out by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center confirmed that clinical decision-making is positively impacted by the software used. The research revealed that two out of three providers reported that data viewed directly affected clinical decision-making and helped determine patient care plans.

Making it easier to capture patient data within regular workflows can also increase job satisfaction for clinicians because this removes some of the frustrations that makes their jobs most challenging.

Dr Vincent Roche, a GP at Southern Medical Centre in Moss Vale, New South Wales, Australia, said he found retrieving patient data extremely time-consuming: “I spend probably an hour plus each day looking for information that everybody thinks doctors have at their fingertips, but it's really hard to find. To be able to have those results that come to me with a couple of clicks of my mouse will make a huge difference.”

The dbMotion solution was implemented in South Western Sydney Primary Health Network as Project iRAD (Integrated Real-time Active Data). This was part of a strategic software roll-out, initiated in 2016, to share critical patient data between hospitals, surgeries and other connected health professionals. iRAD now delivers what it describes as, “a single, clear view of a patient’s key clinical information real-time, from trusted health providers, enabling better patient care”.

Patient care can certainly be improved by better connectivity. If patients are admitted to hospitals far from home, for example, emergency physicians can immediately access medical records detailing their family history, medications and allergies, which can be checked for counter-indications or risk factors.  

Or when patients are discharged from hospitals, connected systems can instantly update their own GPs, who can then implement hospital recommendations, such as booking patients into community diabetes services or weight management programmes, potentially improving their future health.  

DbMotion is now being applied in many parts of the world including Australia, Canada and Israel.

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