IOM DHSC & MANX CARE

[Gladys]

12 minutes ago, wrighty said:

This article refers to clinic letters, the ones we dictate to GPs after seeing a patient, not the ones that get sent to patients telling them where to come for their appointment. 
 

The simple fact is that clinicians are doing more work (that’s generally considered to be a good thing) than the secretarial side can manage - like all areas there are vacancies and sickness absences. In orthopaedics we’ve been short of a secretary for ages now. The ones we have are overworked and will often stay late or come in at weekends to try and keep on top of things. 

Probably a good reason why not, but why don't the doctors dictate directly into a laptop linked into the system?  I can do that with the WP bit of my basic MS package.  Sure there will be medical terms that would have to be recognised by the package, but surely a good developer could perfect a system where the doctor dictates directly into the system and a letter is produced.  Many letters will be standard will they not? So you could have a set of templates that you add the asoects particular to each patient, or am I over simplifying?

[Sheldon]

1 minute ago, Gladys said:

Probably a good reason why not, but why don't the doctors dictate directly into a laptop linked into the system? 

Away with your fanciful 21st century witchcraft! Quill pens were good enough in the olden days.

[Guest]

Weighty thanks for the clarification.

[2112]

2 hours ago, Manx Bean said:

Simply..what the actual fuck!!??

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/a-fifth-of-health-letters-waiting-more-than-a-month-to-be-sent/

 

Instead of coming out with this, I would have more respect if it was followed up with an action plan on resolving the problem. It seems to be standard these days to tell you all the faults and not bother to try and sort the problems out. 

[Roger Mexico]

As ever you need to go back to the actual question to discover what all this is about.  Ashford had asked: How many patient letters, broken down by specialty, have not been typed and dispatched, since being dictated less than one month, one to two months, two to three months, three to six months, and more than six months ago.  On 4 October and the reply came out (a little late) on 20 October (so Manx Radio are only a fortnight late with the news)

As well as pointing to vacancies on the clerical side, they make the point that: Specialties currently reporting backlogs are those undertaking additional activity through the Recovery & Restoration programme, such as Ophthalmology which has seen 360 additional cataract procedures undertaken in the last six months, which has generated a significant increase in typing workload.  And also say they are looking at technological fixes.

Yet again it's a good example of how the NHS/Manx Care is over-managed and under-administered.  No doubt the minutes of all those meetings get typed up more speedily.  But such letters really need to to be turned round quickly, so that the examining doctors can check them when their memories are still fresh.

It's also a splendid example of Ashford unwittingly showing what a mess he left the Department in, but we knew that anyway.

[BriT]

4 hours ago, Sheldon said:

Away with your fanciful 21st century witchcraft! Quill pens were good enough in the olden days.

It’s insane though. I don’t know anyone who dictates anything and I haven’t done since about 1987. How on earth can a modern health facility survive in a system that sounds like it’s straight out of 1950s USSR? 

[wrighty]

4 hours ago, Gladys said:

Probably a good reason why not, but why don't the doctors dictate directly into a laptop linked into the system?  I can do that with the WP bit of my basic MS package.  Sure there will be medical terms that would have to be recognised by the package, but surely a good developer could perfect a system where the doctor dictates directly into the system and a letter is produced.  Many letters will be standard will they not? So you could have a set of templates that you add the asoects particular to each patient, or am I over simplifying?

We use BigHand which has voice recognition. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good with my English accent, not so much with some of my colleagues for whom English is their second language. Secretaries don’t have to type it all up, but they check, edit and format before we sign the letter to go out. 
 

We can use templates for some operation notes, but they’re generally frowned upon as if you’re cutting and pasting a standard letter, are you really offering individual patient care?

 Radiology use voice recognition for their reports without having a secretary check them. They come with a disclaimer, and sometimes there are glaring errors. 

[John Wright]

3 minutes ago, BriT said:

It’s insane though. I don’t know anyone who dictates anything and I haven’t done since about 1987. How on earth can a modern health facility survive in a system that sounds like it’s straight out of 1950s USSR? 

I think you’ll find the consultants, etc, dictate direct to server using voice recognition. Why it then takes so long to print out is the mystery.

[BriT]

1 minute ago, John Wright said:

I think you’ll find the consultants, etc, dictate direct to server using voice recognition. Why it then takes so long to print out is the mystery.

I agree it’s a mystery given that the hospital only seems to consist of administrators with minimal medical staff. 

[wrighty]

5 minutes ago, BriT said:

It’s insane though. I don’t know anyone who dictates anything and I haven’t done since about 1987. How on earth can a modern health facility survive in a system that sounds like it’s straight out of 1950s USSR? 

I can type pretty well. I could do much of my own admin, but it would take time, and I cost more per hour than a secretary. 
 

How do you suggest it’s done, if I’m not to dictate clinic letters into a voice recognition system?

[Sheldon]

4 minutes ago, John Wright said:

 Why it then takes so long to print out is the mystery.

It also wouldn’t hurt to have a more modern and effective delivery system than IOM Post. If only we had a renowned genomics expert who could engineer such a thing.

(Yes, I know, genomics isn’t genetic engineering, but I’ve always vaguely pictured Rachel as Dr Moreau for some reason.)

[Gladys]

5 minutes ago, wrighty said:

We use BigHand which has voice recognition. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good with my English accent, not so much with some of my colleagues for whom English is their second language. Secretaries don’t have to type it all up, but they check, edit and format before we sign the letter to go out. 
 

We can use templates for some operation notes, but they’re generally frowned upon as if you’re cutting and pasting a standard letter, are you really offering individual patient care?

 Radiology use voice recognition for their reports without having a secretary check them. They come with a disclaimer, and sometimes there are glaring errors. 

Yes, I understand that, but whoever signs the letter has to be happy that it is accurate, that is when you put your professional standing on the line.  Sorry, not a world I know, but to have letters dictated and waiting to be typed, let alone signed, is just crazy. 

[BriT]

6 minutes ago, wrighty said:

How do you suggest it’s done, if I’m not to dictate clinic letters into a voice recognition system?

I’m just saying it’s very old fashioned especially if you already have a Secretary anyway. 

[wrighty]

1 minute ago, BriT said:

I’m just saying it’s very old fashioned especially if you already have a Secretary anyway. 

So what’s the modern way?

[finlo]

5 minutes ago, wrighty said:

So what’s the modern way?

Telepathy!