Electronic patient records

Liverpool Women's will be going live with the new Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) from Wednesday 19th November 2014. The system will be implemented using a phased approach department-by-department. Any Oncology patient that has an appointment on or after this date will have an electronic medical record. The next department to use the EDMS will be Clinical Genetics and they are scheduled to use this from January 15th 2015. To find out how the EDMS will affect you, we’ve put together the information below...

What is EDMS?

EDMS or the Electronic Document Management System is used to create a fully electronic version of your patient record by replacing the paper version with a scanned digital image of the original document, which can be accessed from anywhere across the hospital network at any time. This will only be viewable by authorised staff within the Trust who have been given the rights to view this as part of your care delivery.
How will the Trust use EDMS?

The Trust will use the EDMS in order to display your patient record within a new Clinical Portal. This will replace the traditional patient record in that it will display not only your paper record in an electronic display, but also any other information held about your care on other specialist systems, such as x-rays, ultrasound and blood results, so that staff delivering your care have a single view of all the information about you. This is sometimes called an Electronic Patient Record.

We will still be capturing some information during your clinical or ward visits with us on a paper format, but these will be scanned into your record once you leave.
Who can view your electronic notes?

Liverpool Women's has a strict policy on who can gain access to electronic systems that hold your information, it is restricted by role and also the type of care a member of staff is employed to give. With EDMS the same policy will apply. Only users authorised to see your record as part of your care delivery will be able to view your record.
What are the benefits to you?

The full system allows all doctors and nurses and other health professionals a single view of your record, instead of having to scan through your paper case notes and electronic systems to gather all the information about the care you have received and tests you have had.

It will allow doctors and nurses to view your record at the same time should there be a need to discuss your care or hand your care over to another doctor or nurse.

It will also ensure that your information is always available when you attend the hospital, and ensures that your stay is not delayed, which is sometimes the case if your notes are not in the correct place when you visit.
What types of records will be included?
Anything currently within your paper medical record will be present in the electronic copy. These include:
- Patient ID
- Correspondence
- Clinical Notes
- Clinical Investigations (Pathology, Radiology, Cardiology)
- Nursing Documentation
- Maternity Records (Ultrasounds, CTG, any information found within the patient handheld maternity notes)
- A&E attendances (Emergency Room)
- Medication Records (both current & previous)
Want more information?

If you have any questions regarding the new way of accessing your clinical record, please speak to your clinician. Alternatively you can contact communications@lwh.nhs.uk with any queries you may have.