Soft technology innovations
These are both from the Health Services Journal (HSJ) Best Practice Awards
2011.
3. Bupa Care Services: Improving residential care by digitalising quality processes. In 2010, the English health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), changed its methodology for assessing quality processes in residential care homes. Bupa used this opportunity to review how they monitored its care services and re-engineer its quality assurance (QA) processes. It aimed to ensure that all QA processes were internally integrated and aligned with external regulation, to make QA simpler and less burdensome for care home managers, and to drive improved quality through better governance and more transparent reporting. Bupa moved from a paper-based QA process to an online model, where compliance assessments were fully digitalised. By using a free-to-market version of Microsoft Sharepoint, Bupa was able to develop the system on a tight budget. After introduction of the system, care home managers spent less time providing their compliance assessment reports to the CQC, which meant they concentrated more on the residents and their needs. Regional managers were able to see reports before they were submitted to the CQC to ensure their accuracy. The system also resulted in more useful and actionable management information, quickly identifying concerns and allowing managers to track improvement actions between their visits.
4. University Hospitals Southampton: Finding the missing millions and reducing admissions through medical intelligence. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the UK, with enormous social and economic implications. It is the second most common reason for an emergency hospital admission. The British Lung Foundation report Finding The Missing Millions highlighted the fact that the city of Southampton is a hotspot for COPD, yet the disease is significantly under diagnosed, leading to a higher admissions rate. It was clear that a strategy to identify undiagnosed and misdiagnosed COPD was needed. Using medical intelligence, GP practices were prioritised according to estimated undiagnosed COPD prevalence and hospital admission rates. A team from the hospital then visited and educated each GP practice. This was supported by wider educational meetings, an education package, and websites for health professionals and patients. The hospital employed a dedicated respiratory nurse to deliver the project and work closely with primary care. An audit of hospital attendances revealed that 34 patients were admitted more than three times the previous year and were responsible for 22% of admissions. These patients were looked after exclusively by the respiratory teams — reviewed in their homes by a consultant and specialist nurse to look at their health needs, optimise their current treatment and investigate the reasons why they needed to come into hospital. After implementing the project the rate of diagnosis look at their health needs, optimise their current treatment and investigate the reasons why they needed to come into hospital. After implementing the project, the rate of diagnosis increased from 1.5% to 2.3%, compared to an estimated 6% prevalence rate in the city. There was a 19% reduction in hospital admissions due to COPD exacerbations, and hospital readmissions within 30 days were reduced from 13% to 1.7%. Net financial savings in the first year were estimated to be GBP 301,800.
Box 3.4 EXERCISE: Classifying healthcare innovations
All the examples here have been recognised as ‘healthcare innovations’. Two can be described as hard technology innovations and two are soft technology innovations. Scan the material and answer the following:
• What is innovative about them?
• Try to categorise them according to
— their degree of novelty (how new?);
— their form or application (product, process, service);
— their ‘innovativeness’ (radical, incremental, architectural, modular).
In the realm of healthcare, innovation is paramount. It drives advancements that not only improve patient outcomes but also enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare services. Two remarkable healthcare innovations, recognized in the Health Services Journal (HSJ) Best Practice Awards in 2011, showcase how both soft and hard technology can be employed to tackle complex healthcare challenges. This essay examines these innovations, categorizing them according to their degree of novelty, form or application, and their overall innovativeness.
Bupa Care Services embarked on a transformative journey to redefine quality assurance (QA) processes in residential care homes. Their innovation focused on digitalizing quality assessment procedures. This innovation, while not entirely groundbreaking, represents an incremental shift in healthcare management. It enhances the form and application of QA processes by introducing an online model to replace the traditional paper-based system. The degree of novelty here is incremental as it builds upon existing practices.
What makes Bupa’s innovation stand out is its architectural innovativeness. It entirely restructured the way QA is conducted and reported, seamlessly integrating it with external regulations. The system streamlines reporting processes, thereby reducing the administrative burden on care home managers. This not only improves governance but also leads to more transparent reporting, enhancing the overall quality of care services.
University Hospitals Southampton tackled the prevalent issue of underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the city of Southampton. Their innovation involved the strategic application of medical intelligence to identify undiagnosed cases. This approach is radical in nature, introducing an entirely new way to address a pressing healthcare challenge.
The primary form and application in this case is the service aspect. The innovation revolves around educating GP practices, optimizing patient care, and implementing strategies to reduce hospital admissions. This approach is incremental in its innovativeness. It builds upon existing medical knowledge but applies it in a new and more effective way.
By identifying undiagnosed and misdiagnosed COPD cases and introducing targeted interventions, University Hospitals Southampton achieved a significant reduction in hospital admissions and readmissions. The innovation showcased the potential to improve the overall healthcare system by addressing the root cause of the problem in a more effective manner.
In conclusion, these two healthcare innovations exemplify the diverse spectrum of innovation in healthcare. Bupa’s digitalization of quality processes enhances existing practices, representing an architectural shift in healthcare management. Meanwhile, University Hospitals Southampton’s medical intelligence approach introduces a radical solution to a prevalent healthcare challenge. Both innovations demonstrate that in the pursuit of better healthcare, different degrees of novelty and innovativeness can lead to significant improvements in patient care, highlighting the dynamic nature of healthcare innovation. As healthcare continues to evolve, embracing both soft and hard technologies will be essential in providing high-quality and efficient services.
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