Article | Supporting ICSs

In recent years, advancements in technology have revolutionised the healthcare industry, ushering in a new era of integrated care.

An integrated care system (ICS) brings together different healthcare providers such as hospitals, primary care, specialists, and community services. These providers then work in coordination to ensure continuity of care for patients, which gives them better healthcare outcomes.

We understand that healthcare technology plays a pivotal role in enabling and enhancing ICSs. With the rapid digitisation of healthcare, innovative solutions have emerged that empower healthcare professionals with tools and resources to deliver more efficient, personalised, and effective care.

Seamless data sharing

One of the main advantages of healthcare technology for integrated care systems is the seamless exchange of patient information.

Healthcare teams across an ICS need to work closely together to deliver pathways of care suited to an individual’s health needs. If a patient’s care involves different clinical teams whose systems don’t speak to each other, then care decisions could be impaired.

Interoperability tools such as the Medical Interoperability Gateway (MIG) ensure that real-time patient records are available in the right place and at the right time.

Connecting healthcare systems in this way ensures:

comprehensive and up-to-date information exchange among care teams
better coordination and collaboration
more informed decision making and reduced risk of medical errors
readily available treatment plans for patients, whichever healthcare provider they visit
more personalised and higher quality care for patients.

Enabling access to patient information from any system is crucial for teams to deliver the right care.

For example, if a district nurse can view an end-of-life patient care plan, it means they can meet the specific needs and wishes of the patient during their last days of life. Without the interoperability afforded by new healthcare technology, that might not be the case.

Streamlined triaging processes

Modern healthcare technology enables clinical teams to triage patients more smoothly, quickly, and appropriately than ever before.

A great example of this is Local Services, which is used in EMIS Web and PharmOutcomes. Local Services uses cloud-based technology to allow healthcare professionals to triage and refer patients to local care providers. This means:

patients get the right care first time
healthcare professionals have more time to dedicate to practical care.

Local Services even includes additional reporting on all triage treatments and referrals, to better understand the needs of an ICS population.

Empowered patients

Advancements in consumer healthcare technology have empowered patients to take control of their own health and wellbeing. In turn, this helps to reduce the strain on GP practices and pharmacies.

Clinically authored content on websites like Patient.info contributes to educating patients and equipping them with the knowledge to seek out the care they need.

Additionally, through apps like Patient Access, patients can:

access their medical records
view test results
book GP and specialist appointments
message their GP practice
order repeat prescriptions.

Similarly, Patient Access for Professionals allows pharmacists to:

offer physical or virtual appointments
track prescriptions
manage services
accept online payments.

Digitising these processes streamlines care for patients and medical professionals alike, saving everybody valuable time and broadening the accessibility of healthcare.

Data saves lives

Clinical intelligence and health data analytics are made possible by healthcare technology. This helps integrated care systems make informed decisions and deliver proactive and preventative care sooner.

Analytics suites like our own EMIS-X Analytics help ICSs better understand their organisational pressures and demands. This leads to evidenced-based decision making when it comes to redesigning services or referring patients for care.

Additionally, Pathway enables healthcare teams to identify cohorts of at-risk patients for intervention, and supports referral onto the appropriate care pathway. Our Pathway solution is currently used to support the NHS England Hepatitis C (HCV) elimination programme across the Cheshire and Merseyside ICS.

Data saves lives because it reveals patterns in medical conditions, allowing healthcare professionals to intervene sooner. This relieves pressures on healthcare services and ensures patients get the best care possible.

Ongoing innovation

Healthcare technology is in a state of continuous improvement. The same data that improves patient outcomes improves the technology itself, allowing it to run more efficiently and effectively.

For continuous improvement across integrated care systems, EMIS-X technology provides a robust, scalable, and secure platform. EMIS-X is already helping the NHS to plan resources better, and the life science industry to accelerate the development of new and more effective medical treatments.

Medical technology like EMIS-X is poised to meet the changing demands of the health and social care landscape as quickly as possible – now and for the future. In turn, patients receive better, safer, and more efficient care.

Interested in finding out more?

Take a look at our ICS sector to see how we can help you deliver integrated technology to coordinate your services, foster collaboration, and improve patient care across your ICS population.