Electronic Links to gps and Primary Care The St. James’s Experience

Electronic Links to GPs and Primary Care

• The St. James’s Experience

• Martin Buckley, Manager

• Information 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

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!