Working in partnership with East Midlands-based specialist distributor of bespoke healthcare IT solutions Hospital Services Limited (HSL), Hampshire Hospitals orthopaedic team has rolled out an innovative solution to enable better collaboration amongst Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) located across multiple hospital sites and in turn increasing the spectrum of input from healthcare professionals on cases coming through the Hospital’s orthopaedic department. The solution has aided the hospitals in reducing travel and increasing collaboration amongst regional MDTs currently working across multiple sites.
Implemented as a direct response to remote working required during the Covid-19 pandemic, the system has been successfully embraced by the Hip MDT, Knee MDT and Upper Limb MDT, accommodating meetings of approximately 6-15 team members as well as seminars of up to 50 people and recently a large meeting with regional hospitals which accommodated 104 participants. This flexibility in format and size makes the solution an optimal platform for not only MDT meetings but also trainings and general meetings for Hampshire Hospitals, facilitating remote working as social distancing and work from home remain important tools for combatting the ongoing pandemic.
The Pexip Infinity-powered system which integrates with Microsoft Teams and Cisco equipment offers a highly simplified and easy-to-use system for busy healthcare professionals based across numerous sites and allows attendees to join a meeting through Microsoft Teams or from a boardroom or meeting scenario using a Cisco system. Users can view all clinical data shared within a meeting room, working alongside the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) to include all information in one ecosystem. A three-screen setup also enables participants to take control of the screen and ‘drive’ the display, offering equal and secure access to the EPR, imaging, and test results for all participants within the meeting regardless of their location and making this an ideal platform to host virtual orthopaedic seminars.
Highlighting how increased collaboration through the virtual system is helping to improve the level of patient care at Hampshire Hospitals, a recent case was presented at Bath Hospital involving a young man who had been previously advised that he needed a new knee. Working in consultation with the MDT, the orthopaedic team at Bath took advantage of the vast pool of knowledge available from consultants in Basingstoke, the Regional Centre of Excellence for Osteotomy which runs masterclasses which are beneficial for improving knowledge within the region to benefit patients, resulting in a definitive answer for the patient.
Reflecting on the success of this collaborative project between HSL and Hampshire Hospitals Joanne Rix, Telehealth & Communications for HSL said, “The brief for this project was to provide a video conferencing system for MDT meetings with 3 screens, a good quality camera, and audio pick up to allow for collaboration across the region. HSL’s team worked closely with the consultation and IT teams at Hampshire Hospitals to explore the best solution to meet all the needs and future proof the communication function within the Trust. We are delighted by the outcome – an easy to use and adaptable telehealth solution devised to encourage collaboration, sustainability, and help improve the quality of patient care through additional expert input on cases.”
Commenting on the collaboration with HSL to deliver this innovative video conferencing solution David Howard, Lead Orthopaedic Surgical Practitioner and Orthopaedic MDT Lead at Hampshire Hospitals said, “From the second I got involved in the project, access to HSL’s team was simple and no request was ever a problem. HSL’s in-depth knowledge of our work and understanding of our needs as well as their calmness when reacting to challenges and fielding technical queries made them ideal partners for implementing the solution.”
Commending Hampshire Hospital’s IT team who are both passionate about their development and patient care Craig Effer, Service Delivery Manager at Hampshire Hospitals added, “Facing current challenges around face-to-face meetings and helping to reduce the amount of time and indeed the carbon footprint of travelling between sites for meetings, our IT team was enthusiastic about finding a video solution which would not only help to fill the gap of in-person meetings but also improve collaboration in a way that would willingly be sustained by healthcare practitioners post-pandemic. Working with HSL on the setup and ongoing support around the MDT virtual rooms solution has been an incredibly positive experience which has delivered significantly in terms of time savings, improved collaboration, and ease of use. The system is incredibly straightforward to use and we hope to implement this for MDTs in other departments in the near future.”
