Local health and care system plans innovative go-live based on use cases to encourage professionals to access its data and use it to reshape care

Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (MSE ICS) is working with Orion Health on a shared care record that will help it to address some of the most pressing health and social care issues faced by its population.

To support the development of the shared care record, the ICS and Orion Health are adopting an innovative strategy that focuses on solving real-world problems. This method guides every step of the process, from planning and design to building, configuring, and the eventual go-live.

The first priority under this strategy is using the shared care record to improve care for individuals facing frailty and complex adult health issues. People with complex conditions often receive care from multiple organisations across the Integrated Care System. This targeted strategy enables the efficient allocation of resources, maximising immediate benefits for both residents and providers.

Paul Scott, chief executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m delighted that we are working to develop a new shared care record across the Mid and South Essex area which will further enhance the way in which health and care professionals access crucial clinical information, resulting in continued improvements to the care that we can offer and freeing clinical time to spend with patients and those who use our services.”

Peter Fairley, director for strategy and health integration at Essex County Council, said: “This innovative development will support the creation of a more integrated health and social care system, by giving the professionals working in it access to information that is currently held in siloed systems.

“That will have a positive impact on care continuity, as people move between services, and support better, faster decision making in support of the citizens we serve.”

A shared care record takes data feeds from the many different information systems in use across health and social care and presents it to clinicians and care professionals through a portal, so they have a richer history of the patient or service user they are working with.

NHS England set a target for all integrated care systems to have a ‘basic’ shared care record in place by September 2021. MSE ICS has been using a shared care record developed by one of its neighbours. However, the new system will be tailored specifically to mid and south Essex, with an enhanced focus on addressing the unique requirements of local services and residents.

MSE ICS are now looking to enhance the capabilities and impact of shared records in line with wider objectives set out in their ICS Digital Strategy and ICS Digital Investment Plan. This includes rolling out a patient-held record for improved digital access, and a data and analytics platform to assist in planning and addressing health inequalities.

NHS England has also drawn up a roadmap for shared care record maturity. Additional data feeds, wider access, and new functionality will be added to achieve what is known as the minimum viable solution 2 or MSV2.

Ian Binks, business development director at Orion Health, said: “The Mid and South Essex Shared Care Record will be built on the latest version of Orion Health’s Amadeus Digital Care Record, which is part of its Unified Healthcare Platform.

“Amadeus will provide a comprehensive view of patient information, enabling the best possible decisions at the point of care and leaving frontline clinicians to devote more time to do what they do best – that is caring for the people.

“Having the opportunity to work on this project, and forming a strong partnership with the ICS, will also take us from a ‘basic’ record to MVS2.

“Mid and South Essex borders Cambridge and Peterborough ICS, which is another Orion Health customer. So, we will be looking to share knowledge and converge the records in line with NHS England’s plans to enable information to be shared across regional borders.

Work is already underway to create the data feeds for the project. It will start with GP data, then draw in information from acute and community providers, before moving on to data from Essex County Council and two unitary authorities, Southend City Council and Thurrock Council. In the future, MSE ICS aims to expand the shared care record to include a broader range of partners, including voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations.

Once the platform is live this spring, health and social care professionals with the necessary credentials and training will be able to access it. However, the priority will be to surfacing the data outlined in the use cases.

This will encourage take-up by showing professionals information that is immediately relevant to them, and support the delivery of more joined-up care, shaped around patients’ needs.