Moorfields Takes First Step Towards Paperless Systems

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has commissioned Hicom, a leading provider of clinical information software, to develop and improve the functionality of OpenEyes, the specialist Electronic Medical Record (EMR) application for ophthalmology. The investment will enable Moorfields to move towards a fully paperless system that will provide clinicians real-time access to patient records across the trust’s 32 locations. The first phase of the implementation will be rolled-out in summer 2018.

Moorfields currently uses the OpenEyes application, which is a collaborative, open source project developed with contributions from a range of hospitals, institutions, companies and individuals. However, a more integrated solution was required to meet the anticipated needs of Moorfields as a world-leading ophthalmic clinical, research and educational organisation, and ensure that the organisation continues to deliver its high standards of patient care and experience.

Hicom will develop and build on OpenEyes, maintaining the open source solution for clinical ophthalmology functionality, and will provide core admin EMR functions from Hicom’s CareHub product suite. This will help Moorfields to implement a digital medical records solution in line with the NHS’ vision for integrated, paperless healthcare.

Elisa Steele, chief information officer at Moorfields Eye Hospital, said: We are excited to be starting this new EMR programme in partnership with Hicom, which will allow us to transform the provision of electronic medical records and our services across our network of sites. With OpenEyes at its centre, interfaced to Hicom’s CareHub, the solution will be fully integrated with our clinical services and provide support for  esearch. The new ophthalmic record will be available at the point of care. This will provide a seamless and efficient service to our patients across all of our 32 sites.”

John Sanderson, director, Hicom, said: “We are delighted to be entering into a strategic partnership with Moorfields to deliver the long term vision of a fully integrated aperless system that will both enhance operational efficiency and maintain the highest standards of patient care. Collaboration between healthcare providers and technology suppliers is increasingly being recognised as key to enabling transformation within the NHS, and we anticipate that this initiative will be a model for other organisations in the UK and overseas.”

James Morgan, chair of the OpenEyes Foundation, said: “The selection of OpenEyes as the electronic patient record for Moorfields Eye Hospital is a very exciting step to support clinical care, teaching and research. OpenEyes is intuitive and easy to use, thereby supporting rather than hindering clinical care. Adopting an Open Source will enable a collaborative approach to the development of an outstanding electronic record for ophthalmology and help maintain Moorfields’ role as a global leader in ophthalmology.”

Notes 

For more information, please contact the Moorfields Eye Hospital press office on [email protected] or call 020 7566 2628. For out of hours enquiries please call 020 7253 3411 to speak to the on call press officer.

• The NHS Five Year Forward View was published in October 2014 with a key objective of a paperless NHS by 2020. Integrated systems and paperless processes will help ensure that patients receive appropriate and coordinated care by providing all clinical teams involved in a patient’s care with access to the patient’s record and data.
• Procurement process Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust evaluated a number of options to develop its electronic medical record systems. A twin-track procurement approach progressed options to take forward OpenEyes and the adoption of a commercial off-the-shelf system to enable a front-runner to emerge based on firm bids from suppliers. The Hicom option offered the best value for money based on the financial and non-financial evaluation of the shortlisted options.
• Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the world’s leading eye hospitals, providing expertise in clinical care, research and education. It has provided excellence in eye care for more than 200 years and continues to be at the forefront of new breakthroughs and developments. The trust is an integral part of one of the UK’s first academic health science centres, UCL Partners, and is now part of one of the first science health networks. Moorfields was one of the first organisations to become an NHS foundation trust in 2004. For further information, please visit www.Moorfields.nhs.uk. In 2015/16 the trust treated more than half a million patients in their outpatient services and carried out almost 40,000 surgical procedures, making Moorfields the largest ophthalmic provider in the UK. They also provided care to 104,000 patients in their A&E department. Moorfields treat people in 32 locations in and around London enabling them to provide expert treatment closer to patients’ homes.
• Hicom’s aim is to be the provider of choice for software and consultancy solutions that meet its customers’ demands. Committed to delivering advisory services and integrated software solutions, Hicom combines consultancy with project management, design, development, implementation and support. Hicom’s capabilities extend to projects of any size and complexity, whilst its personalised approach ensures high quality, flexible and scalable solutions that meet clients’ specific business needs. With expertise in a range of market sectors, including clinical healthcare, healthcare recruitment, risk management, HR, retail and crime prevention, Hicom prides itself on its ability to deliver solutions that directly address specific industry needs. Its software platform provides organisations with a fully-integrated, scalable web-based solution, which can be tailored, helping achieve greater productivity and efficiency. Since it was formed in 1986, Hicom has achieved an extensive track record of successful implementation for clients in a wide array of sectors and locations in the UK and internationally, which include: ASDA, Health Education England, 100+ NHS Trusts in England & Northern Ireland, Tesco, Health Boards across Wales, Sainsbury’s Sports Surgery Clinic Republic of Ireland, Abu Dhabi Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, M&S, Great Ormond Street Hospital, UAE Health Authority.

For more information, please contact Hicom at [email protected] or call
01483 794 945

OpenEyes is an open source electronic patient record for ophthalmology. It was developed at Moorfields Eye Hospital and has since been deployed in other trusts in the UK. The development of OpenEyes is highly collaborative with clinical groups playing a leading role in the design of clinical modules. The OpenEyes Foundation, has charitable (not for profit) status and is responsible for the overall direction of OpenEyes development and the protection of intellectual property related to OpenEyes. Since the development costs are shared between Trusts so that they are kept to a minimum. OpenEyes has recently been successfully deployed in trusts outside Moorfields – most notable in East Kent and Bolton Hospitals. Details of these and future deployments can be found at the OpenEyes Foundation website (www.openeyes.org.uk).