Meddbase helps ICB increase referrals to NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme by 1,000%+
October 27, 2022

A pilot study of 795 pre-diabetic patients has shown the significant potential of ICB-managed text messaging, with text prompts leading to a 1,000% increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP). The study was designed to explore whether using the latest digital communications software, and managing it at ICB-level, is more effective than traditional postal invites when it comes to engaging patients in healthy lifestyle programmes. It was conducted by Meddbase, an advanced clinical management system provider, and NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. It found that using patient identification tools and automated text message prompts led to: ● 1,000%+ increase in NDPP referrals - from an average of 32 referrals per month to 363 per month ● 331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme (defined as ‘Milestone 1’) - with the previous monthly average of 16 patients rising to 69 in the first month of the study ● 181% increase in the number of patients attending sessions over a three-month period - with the findings showing an average of 45 patients reaching Milestone 1 each month, compared with the pre-study baseline average of 16 The results from the study and the key learnings for ICBs, including the importance of data quality and the need to facilitate patient choice, are explored in detail in a new white paper report, ‘It’s your GP texting: Utilising technology at ICB level to deliver a tenfold increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’. The study findings demonstrate how utilising technology at ICB level has the potential to deliver huge increases in patient engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes, such as the NDPP. The NDPP was developed by NHS England and Diabetes UK and offers patients at risk of type 2 diabetes free support from an evidence-based lifestyle programme. Some two million people in the UK are classed as having pre-diabetes, meaning they are likely to develop the condition if they don’t change their lifestyle. To date, one million people have followed the programme, with data showing that it reduces the chances of developing diabetes by 37% - but it can only have the desired impact with patient participation. The study was conducted using Meddbase’s software; the system was used to enable the ICB’s Engagement Officer to quickly identify eligible patients, check them against criteria and then schedule text message prompts, while also capturing information to update Electronic Patient Records. Commenting on the pilot, Scott Walker, Senior Partnership Officer (Diabetes) at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “We've seen phenomenal success with this pilot, which was driven by user need. Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough patients to start a group. In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions. That's the beauty of this solution - the untapped potential is huge.” Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, said: “Before this study, I thought we were doing NDPP referrals well, but in fact we were missing hundreds of patients with pre-diabetes. The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. Given the current capacity challenges within General Practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.” Erin Johnston, NHS Product Owner at Meddbase, said: “It has been exciting to work with colleagues at the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on this pilot, which has achieved brilliant results using our innovative clinical management software to reach patients at-scale as part of an effective and efficient programme. The outcome clearly shows that a strategic ICB-managed approach to patient communications, supported by the right kind of clinical management software, can have a significant impact on uptake of healthy lifestyle programmes.” In addition to the white paper, Humber and North Yorkshire ICB is working with Meddbase to provide a free webinar on how to deliver a strategic ICB-managed approach to increase patient uptake in healthy lifestyle programmes. The webinar will take place on Tuesday 22nd November from 12-1pm and will be presented by Scott Walker, Senior Partnership Officer (Diabetes) at Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, and Erin Johnston, NHS Product Owner at Meddbase. Sign-up here For more information on this press release please contact Matt Thompson on [email protected] / 07587 418710 or Chris Hayter on [email protected] / 07741 245596 About Meddbase Meddbase is an advanced secure cloud-based clinical management system that integrates Electronic Medical Records (EMR), workflow planning and patient communications as part of a truly end-to-end service to improve patient care, increase efficiencies and support clinicians. The powerful and flexible software is used across a range of settings including primary care, hospital management and occupational health and customers include the NHS, BUPA and HCA Healthcare UK. Central to the benefits of the Meddbase system is Pathways, its inbuilt industry-leading workflow management tool that enables custom configuration of a range of tasks, including sending a questionnaire to a patient, using the slot finder to book an appointment for a patient with the right clinician at the right time, attaching a document to a patient record, contacting the patient, making a patient referral, or creating a new task or form and finding a list of patients using filters. Tasks can also be shared with patients via the Patient Portal, allowing patients to have more choice and control over how their healthcare is planned and delivered, which is the goal of personalised care. These tasks can be packaged together in a single automated workflow, providing a range of benefits to both clinicians and patients: ● Increases speed and efficiency ● Saves clinicians time and allows for more time with their patients ● Allows organisations to grow without increasing staff costs ● Increases patient engagement through a secure Patient Portal ● Ensures that no task is ever forgotten About NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB is a statutory organisation accountable for NHS spend and performance for 1.7million people. The ICB is a core member of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, alongside NHS providers, local councils, health and care providers and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. The Health and Care Partnership is one of 42 Integrated Care Boards which cover England to meet health and care needs across an area, coordinate services and plan in a way that improves population health and reduces inequalities between different groups. The Partnership was first established in 2016 as Humber, Coast and Vale ICS, and since then partners have been working together to look for ways to join up health and care services and to make them work better for local people. The Partnership works across a geographical area of more than 1,500 square miles including the cities of Hull and York and the large rural areas across East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, as well as North and North East Lincolnshire, serving the different health and care needs of the population. More information can be found here

Electronic Health Records as a Catalyst for Eco-Conscious Healthcare
May 22, 2023

Over the past decade, the Earth has been experiencing exacerbated climatic conditions that can traced back to the relentless increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The consequences of this collective environmental disregard are becoming increasingly evident, with rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, extreme weather events, and shifts in ecosystems. According to WHO, the climate crisis, if unabated, will cause upwards of 250,000 annual deaths between 2030 and 2050. The medical industry, while dedicated to preserving and improving human health, paradoxically stands as one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. A report published by Arup in 2019, shows that the healthcare industry’s emissions make up 4% of global CO2 emissions, and up to 10% of national emissions from developed countries. That’s why, in the face of this escalating planetary crisis, it is crucial for healthcare practices to embrace sustainability and actively work towards achieving carbon net zero.  By implementing sustainable practices and embracing innovative solutions, healthcare organisations can make significant strides towards mitigating their environmental impact. The NHS, for instance, has made a commitment to reduce emissions by 80% in 2032 and to achieve net zero by 2040. Although there are many ways your practice can meet your sustainability goals, like reducing direct energy consumption (hospitals have the highest energy intensity of all publicly funded buildings), using ethically sourced, sustainable materials, offsetting carbon emissions and adopting circular practices, one of the most significant adjustments that you can make is adopting the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

What Impact Does The Adoption of EHRs Have on the Environment?

The most documented research on the impact of EHRs on carbon emission showed that for 8.7 million patients, the utilisation of electronic records resulted in the saving of 1,044 tons of paper medical records, avoided 92,000 tons of CO2 emissions by substituting face-to-face patient visits with virtual consultations and curbed 7,000 tons of greenhouse gases by embracing online prescription filling. It also reduced the use of toxic chemicals like silver nitrate by 33.3 tons through the digitization and archiving of X-ray images and other scans.  Although the study also found that there was increased energy consumption by personal computers from the adoption of EHR, the researchers concluded that it has a net environmental impact, akin to removing 300,000 cars off American roads annually. How Embracing EHRs Enhances Your Commitment to Sustainability Practices that genuinely embrace environmental stewardship and commit to sustainability can reap numerous benefits from adopting Electronic Health Records (EHRs), that extend beyond the environmental impacts, such as:

• Benefit from “Green” Initiatives. In a bid to encourage private and public entities to minimise emissions, governments have been offering incentives to support those that are making an effort to go green. In the UK, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will provide over £1 billion in grants up to 2025 to aid in heat decarbonisation and the adoption of energy efficiency measures. You may also be exempt from some taxes if you adopt energy-efficient technology in your business and are producing less waste.
• Enjoy Interoperability of Medical Records. One of the major benefits of EHRs is increased mobility of medical records across practices. So if you receive a new patient, you will not be bogged down with paperwork as their electronic record can be easily uploaded into your system.

• Reduce Spending on Energy. EHR systems are much more energy efficient than physical records. Not only do they require less physical space, but they also don't use energy-intensive storage components such as cooling fans to protect stored paper records. In addition, EHRs can be accessed from anywhere, so there is no need to install additional lighting or heating in the areas where paper records are kept.

• Unlock Efficient Billing and Revenue Cycle Management. An EHR system allows you to track and analyse how your organisation is performing, so you know where improvements can be made in terms of efficiency and sustainability. With the detailed reports generated by an EHR system, you can identify areas where processes may be lagging and make changes accordingly. By consolidating data into a digital format, EHRs also ensure that when records become obsolete, there are fewer papers that need to be recycled or thrown away.

• Secured Data. With the data security an EHR system provides (passwords, biometrics logins, 2-step authentication factors), you can trust that all of your files will remain safe from potential external threats while also reducing the overhead costs associated with paper storage.
• Reduced Transportation Costs. With electronic health records you will no longer require patients to come into the office for every appointment. Instead, they can leverage telemedicine to communicate with their doctors wherever they may be. This not only reduces emissions from transportation but also ensures that your patients can access medical attention wherever they may be, especially if they have issues with mobility or live in remote areas.

As your trusted sustainability partner, Meddbase offers you an effective EHR solution that will empower you to embrace environmentally conscious practices. With us, you will enhance your operational efficiency, improve patient care, and contribute to a greener future, with the confidence that we are with you, no matter the climate.

How Technology Can Streamline Discharges and Improve Patient Care Transitions​
May 17, 2023

The transition from hospital to post-acute care can be challenging for patients and their caregivers, especially in instances where they lack a proper support framework. According to the NHS, the highest proportion of emergency readmissions occur within 30 days of the most recent discharge, at an estimated 15.5% between 2021/2022. Out of these events causing readmission, 61% have been found to be preventable. Late last year, it was reported that about 14,000 hospitalised patients across England were unable to be discharged due to a severe shortage of social care. The situation was particularly dire in the South-West, where over 20% of patients were medically fit to leave but remained stuck in hospital due to a lack of available care options. This caused bed occupancy rates to soar to 44% higher than pre-Covid levels, placing a significant burden on hospitals that were already stretched thin. As a result, hospitals struggled to manage both these patients and new admissions, which were also at a record high. This surge in patients highlighted the importance of hospitals being equipped to handle discharges enmasse. To relieve hospitals of the challenges of providing in-house post-acute care, home-based and palliative providers must be empowered with the skills and technology needed to cater to patients post-discharge. This will ensure that the benefits accrued across the health continuum are not reversed during the transition, and that healthcare providers proactively engage their patients, create meaningful connections and effectively help guide successful outcomes. With burgeoning health information technology, such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), data integration and artificial intelligence, hospitals can now provide integrated patient care management regardless of time and place. These tools can help lower the rate of hospitalisation, improve experiences for those who have been discharged, and aid providers in handling their patient load while optimising the management of their resources.

Managing Transitions in Hospitals with Technology

With the integration of robust data into telehealth systems, caregivers can access patient insights, trends and a wide array of patient information on-demand. This ability to collect, analyse, and present data plays a crucial role in managing the care of patients and informing resource allocation decisions in hospitals. This information also helps caregivers to make enlightened decisions about the most appropriate care setting for a patient and the optimal timing for transition to the setting. With this comprehensive view of a patient's journey, clinicians can easily place patients in environments that are most likely to fast-track their recovery. The use of clinical decision support tools can also guide care transitions by converting data into practical and easy-to-understand insights. Because clinicians can access records regardless of their location, it is possible for them to quickly recognize health trends and identify patients who are ready to be transferred to another care setting or transition out of the hospital. This approach offers complete oversight throughout the entire process.  Since 2010, hospitals in the UK are no longer paid for costs of readmissions occurring within the first 30 days of discharge. If physicians don’t take enough caution to ensure that patients and their caregivers are equipped to handle the transition from the hospital, they bear the brunt should readmission occur. It is therefore imperative that every hospital has an air-tight strategy to prevent transitions in the wrong direction.  At Meddbase, we provide solutions that enable continuous data capture, advanced visualisation, and predictive analytics that empower clinicians to deliver proactive care and guide timely interventions, greatly improving patient outcomes.

Streamlining Out-of-Hospital Transitions

Among the major problems that hinder smooth transitions from hospitals to post-acute care, the one that has been cited most is the retared flow of patient information across practices. According to this source, up to a third of receiving caregivers don’t have access to patient records and test results from hospitals and only 12 to 34 percent of discharge summaries reach after care teams.  Since healthcare is now siloed, with patients having more than one specialist at a time, it is easy for crucial information to fall through the cracks as the patient moves along the healthcare pipeline. For instance, in one study conducted over a period of 18 months on 1000 patients, 37% were readmitted on the grounds of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), which were found to be, for the most part, preventable. Without proper medical reconciliation (the process of compiling all the medications a patient is taking, including medication names, dosages or strengths, frequencies of use, and routes of administration), the risks of ADRs are exponential. If the receiving carer does not have sufficient knowledge of the drugs their patient is on, they are bound to have difficulties with adherence and overuse, or may even recommend counteractive drugs. Before moving your patient to a palliative care facility, it is therefore essential that you compile their information into a comprehensive report that can be passed on to their subsequent caregivers. And because it can be time-consuming, dealing with bulky and dynamic data, it is advisable to make the switch to EHRs if you haven’t yet.  Meddbase's EHR provides a centralised, interoperable platform that fosters the smooth flow of information across practices. With its easy-to-operate interface, all caregivers can instantly access summarised or in-depth patient information on the go. This ensures that before admission, receiving facilities can assess the patient’s history to confirm that they have the right staff to care for them based on their respective healthcare requirements. 

Integration with Remote Monitoring Technology

A key part of ensuring seamless out-of-hospital transitions is to look out for early signs of deterioration, so that timely interventions can be implemented before they escalate. At present, most physicians monitor their patients through regular in-person follow-ups, which can be difficult to coordinate especially if regular monitoring is required or if the patient is immobile. Switching to remote monitoring however, can bring about significant cost savings without compromising patient outcomes. Wearable technologies have become increasingly popular and can play a vital role in the transition of patients from hospitals to their homes. In recent years, these technologies have become increasingly complex, allowing for the testing of a myriad of parameters. Now, wearables can track and record an array of biometric data, such as oxygen levels, blood pressure, glucose levels, sleep patterns, and even mental health indicators. Some fitness watches even have built-in electrocardiogram (ECG) capabilities. By monitoring real-time vital signs provided by wearable technologies, healthcare givers can track the progress of their patients without the need for in-person appointments. Patient non-compliance has proved to be a thorn in the sides of pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers. It is estimated that drug non-compliance causes up to 100,000 preventable deaths per year. But with platforms that digitise drug specialty management, abandonment and nonadherence rates have been seen to plummet. Seamless coordination between inpatient, outpatient and home-based care teams using such platforms can help to manage prescriptions and ensure sufficient followup is done on the patients. In cases where the patient or caretaker assumes full responsibility for all post acute patient care without an adequate understanding of post-discharge instructions, more than 30% are likely to wind up back in the hospital less than 6 months after discharge. This is why physicians should ensure that patient literacy levels are high as they administer care, this way, when patients are at home they can handle their treatment adequately. After discharge, hospitals should ensure that patients and caregivers can access patient portals that should, on top of their exhaustive medical records, include informational materials to enhance patient education. Simple interventions like leaflets to explain diagnostic information have been shown to increase patient understanding of their diagnosis from 77% to 100%, and medication literacy from 27% to 71%. The portal provides a forum for patients to track their progress, keep in touch with their practitioner, manage appointments and payments. At the end of the day, these technologies allow for the most important member of the team—the patient—to have more agency over their treatment as they transition away from hospitals.

5 Surefire Strategies to Improve Patient Engagement
May 8, 2023

A significant aspect of a patient's overall health hinges on the extent to which they are involved in the management of their own well-being. Although it's important that healthcare providers expend sufficient effort in appointments, consultations, and surgical procedures, eventually, a considerable proportion of a patient's long-term health outcomes is determined by their personal commitment and participation in their care, often within the confines of their own home. With the rapid rate of digitization across the medical field, healthcare givers need to adopt more advanced ways of ensuring that their patients stay consistently engaged. According to Deloitte, “the pursuit of a seamless, meaningful patient experience is a top priority for all participants in the health care delivery ecosystem, including life sciences companies, health care providers, health care payers, and others.” The modern patient, as studies have shown, wants to be more involved in all aspects of their healthcare, and expects high levels of integration into their entire treatment cycle. This survey, conducted in 2022, found that 61% of patients wanted to be more engaged in their treatment and wanted their healthcare organisations to prioritise patient-centred care to deliver better consumer experiences. In the same study, 25% of respondents said that their doctors don’t understand them, 38% said their doctors don’t listen to their concerns and another 35% don’t get enough face time with their doctors during appointments. These statistics point to the disconnect between the level of care that patients expect and the kind they receive. By improving patient engagement strategies, healthcare providers can deliver superior services and achieve enduring results, while unlocking numerous benefits for their practice.

What Exactly is Patient Engagement?

To better illustrate patient engagement, let's consider a patient named Sarah. Sarah suffers from severe migraines with symptoms like debilitating headache pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Because she doesn't have enough information about her condition, Sarah doesn't know how to properly manage her illness and feels as though her episodes are getting worse, even with her prescribed medication. But when her healthcare provider decides to implement a patient engagement strategy, Sarah's experience with managing her migraines improves dramatically.  She was educated about her condition, including triggers, medication options, potential side effects and encouraged to take a more active role in her treatment. Her healthcare provider emphasised the importance of medication adherence and appointment attendance, providing reminders and discussing potential consequences of missed appointments. Over time, she noticed a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of her migraines, leading to improved quality of life. Sarah’s story exemplifies patient engagement and the impact it has on health outcomes. When patients are involved in decision-making, educated on tools for self-management, and their healthcare providers foster collaborative efforts between them and their physicians, there is a noted increase in patient satisfaction, reduced treatment costs, low recurrence rates, reduced wastage and most importantly, there is a remarkable improvement in the patients’ long-term health and well-being. But the advantages of patient engagement extend beyond patients' health. Healthcare providers can also reap numerous benefits from actively involving patients in their care, including;

• Enhanced patient loyalty: Patients are more likely to continue seeking care from providers who involve them in decision-making, listen to their concerns, and provide personalised care.
• Improved patient acquisition: Engaged patients are more likely to recommend their healthcare provider to others, improving patient acquisition. 
• Enhanced reputation: Providers who prioritise patient engagement are seen as patient-centric and committed to delivering high-quality care.
• Emphasis on preventative care: By actively involving patients in their care, healthcare providers can prioritise preventive measures such as screenings, vaccinations, and lifestyle modifications, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs in the long run.
• Higher job fulfilment for physicians: Providers who feel they are making a meaningful difference in their patients' lives and helping them achieve their health goals are likely to experience greater job satisfaction.

Strategies for Patient Engagement

Here are 5 effective strategies you can use to improve patient engagement:

1. Keep patients informed on the latest health information. It falls on healthcare administrators to provide patients with up-to-date information to help them make enlightened decisions about their health. Consider multiple channels to keep in regular contact with your patients like email, social media, and resources like patient portals, virtual consultations, and patient apps.
2. Motivate patients to adopt healthy habits. Through incentives, reward programs and positive reinforcement, you can encourage your patients to pick up and stick to health habits that set them on a path towards better health.
3. Increase access to quality healthcare. By investing in telemedicine, you can provide patients with real-time access to medical professionals and improve continuity of care. You can also provide clear information about insurance policies and simplify procedures where possible to ensure your vulnerable patients are attended to when they need it most. Additionally, integrating automated tools into your workflow will reduce the burden of administrative tasks on your medical staff and allow them ample time with your patients.
4. Track and Measure Patient Engagement Metrics. Tracking patient engagement metrics is a great way to measure the effectiveness of your initiatives and ensure they are producing desired outcomes. First, you should identify specific KPIs, such as the number of patients returning for follow-up visits, patient ratings of providers, or the number of satisfied patients.These parameters will allow you to measure the success of patient engagement efforts. Tracking patient satisfaction through surveys and analytical tools can also help you identify gaps in patient care.

Using Technology to Implement your Patient Engagement Strategy

There are several alternatives that are the disposal of healthcare administrators to streamline their patient engagement. Online patient management systems, like the one provided by Meddbase, offers a centralised solution to meet all your patient engagement needs. Our platform includes:

Online Scheduling

By using an online portal for scheduling appointments, healthcare providers make it easier for patients to book appointments at their convenience without the need for phone calls or paperwork.

Instant Messaging

Sending emails or text messages reminding patients about upcoming appointments can help ensure that they have time to plan and make it in on time. This reduces the number of missed appointments and no-shows. Our management platform also assists in patient education efforts. Using highly accessible patient data, you can send intuitive, engaging materials and resources that are personalised to a patient’s condition. 

Telehealth

Our telehealth service has enabled more convenient access to care in rural and underserved areas. Our clients can now connect with patients in areas that experience a shortage or a lack of specialists.   At Meddbase, we provide a unified practice management platform that gathers all patient data and communication in one place, to ensure care plan compliance. Providers that use our platforms report high connectivity with their patients that helps keep them on track towards recovery.  

Why Every Business Needs an Occupational Health Management System in 2023
May 6, 2023

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic bringing attention to the importance of prioritising employee well-being, only a small increase has been seen in the number of companies in the UK that have implemented Occupational Health Management Systems (OHMS) into their operations 4 years on. In fact, this number is so dismal that according to a telephone survey conducted on 4,950 employers in 2022, only 3% were found to provide comprehensive occupational health services to their employees.  Surprisingly, what the survey referred to as comprehensive OHMS were the basic components that any functional OHMS should possess, such as hazard identification, risk management, provision of information modifying work activities, providing training on occupational health-related issues, measuring workplace hazards, and monitoring trends in health. Given the importance of occupational health management, it is alarming that such a low number of companies have adopted even the basics of OHMS. Many business owners are still on the fence about implementing an OHMS, which can be attributed to their lack of awareness of the numerous benefits it can have for them. In today's dynamic world, the health and safety of employees is of the utmost importance, and an OHMS can help businesses achieve this.  The purpose of this article is to highlight the benefits of OHMS and demonstrate how it can help businesses to thrive in the face of unpredictability.

Benefits of Implementing an Occupational Health Management System

Implementing an OHMS can provide a wide range of benefits for businesses across the board. Some of the key benefits of implementing an OHMS include:

Improved Employee Health and Well-being

One of the most significant benefits of an OHMS is the potential to improve employee health and well-being. By prioritising health, businesses can boost job satisfaction, morale, and productivity. OHMS can provide employees with access to health and wellness programs, screenings, and counselling, which can have a positive impact on their overall well-being, making them better suited to carry out their assignments. This research published in 2020 showed that workers’ health programs had the greatest positive influence on retention and job satisfaction. By offering such services, businesses can help their employees stay healthy, reducing the likelihood of illnesses or injuries that could negatively impact their performance or lead to time off work. Ultimately, prioritising employee health and well-being through an OHMS shows that businesses value their employees and care about their well-being, making them feel more invested in their work. 

Compliance with Regulatory Requirements

Another key benefit of OHMS is that it can help businesses comply with regulatory requirements. This includes health and safety legislation as well as industry-specific regulations set by bodies like HSE.  By implementing an OHMS, businesses can meet all relevant requirements, hence avoiding any potential fines or legal issues. OHMS can also help businesses stay up to date with changes to ensure that their operations remain in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. This way, businesses avoid any negative consequences associated with non-compliance.  In the case of an eventuality, having an OHMS in place demonstrates an organisation's commitment to employee well-being, which can greatly enhance its public image.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation

A company that implements OHMS encourages a culture of continuous improvement. By regularly monitoring and evaluating workplace health and safety practices, policies, and training, employers and employees are constantly seeking ways to enhance and improve their operations to ensure they stay up-to-date with best practices and industry standards. This can lead to increased innovation outside of occupational health, as a culture of improvement permeates throughout the organisation. As a result, the workplace becomes better suited to discovering and adopting new work methods in general, leading to greater efficiency in all aspects of the business. OHMS can thus serve as a catalyst for positive change in the workplace, benefiting the company as a whole.

Cost Savings and Improved Financial Performance

Having an OHMS in place can result in substantial cost savings for businesses. By preventing workplace accidents and injuries, employers can decrease expenses related to medical treatment, workers' compensation claims, and legal fees. For instance, Johnson & Johnson's leaders estimate that their wellness programs have saved the company $250 million on health care costs over the past decade. Another study showed a 9.4% drop in injury claims and a 26% average savings on workers' compensation costs after a Cal/OSHA inspection, which points to the benefits of implementing safety and health programs. Additionally, lower absenteeism and reduced turnover rates from improved employee welfare services can result in recruitment and training cost savings.

Improved Risk Management

Businesses that have a functional OHMS can identify potential risks to employee health and safety and take steps to mitigate or eliminate them before incidents occur. This includes conducting regular risk assessments and implementing appropriate controls to reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents and injuries. By proactively managing risks, businesses can minimise the likelihood of disruptions to their operations and reduce their liability in the event of accidents. This can contribute to a safer and more productive workplace environment.

Data-driven Decision Making

Occupational Health Management Systems can facilitate judicious decision-making in the workplace, encouraging a more informed approach to risk management. By leveraging OHMS data, stakeholders can identify important risk factors, allowing for more deliberate, and well-considered decisions to be made. OHMS also provides a structured and systematic framework for analysing and evaluating occupational health risks, thereby encouraging strategic decision-making. Employing OHMS also promotes a proactive culture of anticipatory risk management, enabling organisations to react swiftly and decisively to potential threats, mitigating risks, and reducing the likelihood of unforeseen incidents.

Enhanced Workplace Safety Culture

By providing a platform for managing and tracking employee health data, OHMS helps create a safer working environment for employees. With easy access to safety data and hazard identification tools, employees become more aware of potential risks and take proactive measures to mitigate them. A safety culture that emphasises employee well-being and encourages employees to speak up about safety concerns also leads to increased job satisfaction and morale, improving the organisation's overall performance. OHMS provides an effective way to establish a safety culture by enabling the collection and analysis of safety data, providing insights into workplace hazards, and facilitating the creation of safety programs and training initiatives. By investing in OHMS, organisations can foster a culture of safety and improve the health and well-being of their workforce, while also reducing the risk of costly workplace accidents and injuries.

Getting Started with an Occupational Health Management System

The first step to establishing a workplace health and safety program is to engage an expert in the field. With their guidance, you can pinpoint risks in your operations and develop a tailored system that addresses your specific requirements.  To effectively manage your program, your expert will propose various solutions to assist you in implementing and overseeing your OHMS. These solutions help businesses streamline crucial processes and procedures, keep track of incident reports, and continuously evaluate the effectiveness of their OHMS. One of the primary technologies in the market currently is Occupational Health and Safety Management Software. This software offers an all-inclusive platform for managing employee health and safety, enabling businesses to track employee data including medical records, incident reporting, risk assessments, and compliance requirements, to support workplace safety and regulatory adherence. At Meddbase, we have vast experience with working with businesses using our software to improve the safety of their workplaces. If you want more information about how you can realise these benefits for your business, or are unsure about how to create an employee health program that is suitable for you, claim your free consultation here.

A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing an Occupational Health Management System That Works
May 5, 2023

When it comes to managing the health and safety of your workforce, choosing the right occupational health management system is crucial. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to determine which system will best fit the needs of your organisation. In this article, we present a comprehensive guide to choosing an occupational health management system, by narrowing down on the major features you need to be on the lookout for. Whether you are starting from scratch or considering a new system, this guide will help you make an informed decision that will facilitate your compliance with regulations while promoting the overall health outcomes of your employees. 

Understand the Elements of Occupational Health and Safety

An OHMS is designed to help employers meet their obligations in regards to their employees' health and safety.  To understand what features you should look for in one, it's important to first familiarise yourself with the components of occupational health and safety:

• Risk assessment: assessing and monitoring risks in the workplace
• Risk management: developing plans to mitigate or eliminate risks
• Health surveillance: monitoring employee health related to job activities
• Training: ensuring that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge
• Employee consultation: creating channels through which employees can communicate issues or concerns
• Incident identification, recording, investigation, and reporting.

These elements help employers create an environment where dangers in the workplace are minimised. Read more about them here.

Explore the Features of an Occupational Healthcare Management System

When looking for an OHM system for your organisation, there are several features that you will want to explore. First, look for a system that provides automated workflow capabilities. This means that the system should be able to process claims quickly and accurately while also providing real-time data updates. Automation will streamline your administrative processes and reduce the time spent on manual paper-based tasks. Next, consider whether or not a system offers electronic signature capabilities. This feature can help save time, as well as eliminate errors associated with manual document processing. Additionally, look for a system that allows users to securely store documents in the cloud as this will help ensure that sensitive medical records remain confidential and secure at all times. Finally, make sure that any system you are considering has comprehensive reporting capabilities. This should include an intuitive dashboard where administrators can easily access real-time data about claims processing, employee benefit usage, cost analysis and more. Reports should also be customizable so that administrators can tailor them to meet their specific needs and goals.

Analyse Occupational Risk and Conduct Assessments

Identifying and managing workplace risks is essential to having a safe and healthy work environment. If your OMHS comes with this feature, you can quickly analyse occupational risks in your workplace to better understand the potential danger posed by certain tasks, environments, or equipment. An effective OHMS should allow you to:

• Monitor employee health data, such as results from medical screenings and tests.
• Create individualised metrics for each employee to zero in on areas that need improvement.
• Generate real-time safety reports to identify areas of concern for employers.
• Develop an action plan to reduce risk in the workplace by taking proactive steps.

Monitor Regulatory Compliance for Occupational Health and Safety

Any OH management system you choose must be up to date with the latest regulatory requirements. This means that your system must be able to keep track of any changes in regulations, labour laws, and other rules that may impact the functionality of your operations. Some features to look for include:

• Automated compliance monitoring: Regular monitoring of regulations to help ensure your company is always compliant.
• Compliance management tools and reporting: Tools that allow you to manage your compliance strategies and easily create reports to use in audits and other regulatory reviews.
• Document library: A database of updated documents related to occupational health and safety regulations, including employee training materials and safety protocols.
• Electronic signatures: The ability to electronically sign documents which eliminates the need for paper filing systems.

Documentation and Record Keeping for Healthcare Management

The ability to store and manage patient information is an essential part of any OHMS. Your system should have the capability to store various types of documents, including medical records, injury reports, and other related documents. The system should also support forms that are compliant with local and national regulations, helping to streamline the process of filing expenses and claims. Here are some features that you should look for:

1. Flexible data storage – The system should store different kinds of information, as well as store different formats such as PDFs, images, audio files, and videos.
2. Flexible access control – Only authorised people should have access to sensitive information.
3. Automated record-keeping – This streamlines the entire process by performing tasks such as logging dates of service and tracking patient histories automatically so that healthcare professionals can focus on providing quality care.
4. Audit trails – These enable you to track who has accessed certain records so that any potential security breaches can be quickly identified and rectified.
5. Regulatory compliance – Look for a system that is compliant with relevant laws so that you don’t run into any legal issues down the line.

Implementing an Effective Process for Healthcare Management

Finding and implementing an effective process for healthcare management is a key part of managing your occupational health program. An occupational healthcare management system should include features to help streamline the process and ensure compliance with industry regulations. Here are some features to look out for:

Automated Visitor Check-In

Having an automated visitor check-in system in place can help you keep track of who has entered your workplace, when they arrived, and what their specific health status is. This allows you to quickly and easily identify which visitors need additional screening or other health services, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks.

Real-Time Alerts and Reporting

An occupational healthcare management system should also provide real-time alerts and reporting capabilities. This helps you stay on top of any issues that arise with employees or visitors, quickly identifying any potential health risks or compliance problems.

Accessibility from Any Device

Finally, look for a system that allows for easy access from any device, including smartphones, tablets and laptops. With this kind of flexibility, your team can access the information they need no matter where they are, ensuring a smoother workflow and faster response times to potential issues. In conclusion, selecting the right occupational health management system is key in promoting employee health and reducing healthcare costs in your business. Therefore, before making your decision, it is essential that you shop widely and consider various OHM providers to find the system that best meets your requirements. At Meddbase, you'll get a free consultation session with our in-house experts to identify your business’ needs, to enable them to customise a system that prioritises your requirements. To learn more about our comprehensive Occupational Health Management Software, and how it can protect you and your employees click here.

Embrace Online Booking for a Smarter, More Effective Workflow for Your Practice
April 24, 2023

According to research conducted by Zippia and Accenture, nearly two-thirds of patients book medical appointments online, and more than half would prefer to receive appointment reminders via email or text message.  While this form of scheduling might not be appropriate for every patient, especially at the onset of their relationship with you, it is not surprising that a big chunk of them would prefer to make appointments this way, given the convenience and speed that it offers. This holds even more true for Millennials and Gen-z demographics who are averse to phone calls to the point of anxiety; 83% of them in the UK prefer booking online. So in the next coming years, we expect e-bookings to gain more traction. For your practice, not having an online scheduling system is tantamount to missing out on potential clients. It has been reported that wellness spas, which share similarities with medical practices in terms of appointment scheduling, could lose up to 46% of bookings if they do not offer online booking options. This translates to a substantial loss in revenue and missed opportunities for practices that have yet to adapt to the growing trend.

Why is Traditional Scheduling no longer right for your Practice?

If you’ve relied on traditional methods of appointment scheduling, you’re probably all too familiar with their challenges; they’re fallible, inefficient, labour-intensive and often frustrating. Using paper scheduling usually involves numerous phone calls to continually manage new appointments, reschedules, cancellations and to prevent double-booking patients for the same time slot. This not only demands constant manual intervention but also significantly impedes the operational efficiency of the organisation. Your staff, who could be better utilised for other essential tasks within the practice, are often bogged down with scheduling, to ensure the practice runs smoothly. Oftentimes though, inexorable errors crop up and important information can be overlooked, and a failure to update the system with real-time changes – such as cancellations or reschedules– can lead to grave mix-ups. These errors can undermine the efficiency and dependability of your practice, leading to a loss of trust from your patients.

Online Appointment Scheduling Systems

The difficulties of traditional appointment scheduling are considerable, with mistakes and inefficiencies making the process cumbersome and onerous. Online booking, on the other hand, offers solutions by using modern technology to provide greater convenience, efficiency, and flexibility. This can greatly enhance the patient experience and improve treatment outcomes.  As we explore the advantages of online booking, it becomes clear that they have the potential to transform healthcare delivery and change the way patients interact with their providers.

Online Booking Systems Offer Convenience

Convenience is a key factor in any patient's decision to book an appointment. As more and more medical practices move online, the convenience factor has become increasingly important. Online booking provides a level of convenience that phone reservations or walk-ins simply cannot match. There are several factors that contribute to this convenience, including:

1. Accessibility: Online booking provides patients with 24/7 availability to book appointments, making it much easier for patients with busy schedules to make an appointment. With just a few clicks, patients can quickly and easily schedule appointments at any time of the day or night. For those who don’t speak the prevalent language, your system could be mutli-lingual to cater to a diverse audience.
2. Speed: Online booking is faster than traditional phone calls. Patients can schedule appointments quickly, eliminating the need to navigate a phone menu or wait on hold. This saves time for both patients and staff, and helps to reduce wait times for all patients.
3. Flexibility: Online booking allows patients to easily reschedule or cancel their appointments online, providing them greater control over their treatment process. This is especially valuable for patients with hectic schedules or those who travel frequently.
4. Ease of decision making: With online booking, patients can take their time to review their schedules and select the most convenient appointment time for them, eliminating the chances of selection of an inconvenient  time slot.

Online Scheduling Empowers Patients

Online appointment scheduling not only offers convenience but also empowers patients in several ways:

1. Caters to different communication preferences. Introverts and those who prefer not to engage in phone conversations may find online booking systems more appealing. Additionally, tech-savvy patients who prefer digital solutions will appreciate the option to book appointments online.
2. Reduces social discomfort and anxiety. Some patients may experience anxiety or discomfort when speaking on the phone, especially when discussing personal health matters. Online booking systems remove this barrier, allowing patients to schedule appointments without the potential stress of a phone call.

Online Booking Streamlines Operations for your Practice

Implementing an online booking system can also lead to significant improvements in practice operations:

Reduced administrative workload

By offering online appointment scheduling, healthcare providers can reduce the number of phone calls their staff members need to manage. This frees up time for staff to focus on other tasks and helps create a more efficient work environment. Moreover, online booking systems often include automated appointment confirmations and reminders, further reducing repetitive tasks.  More than half of the doctors in this survey claimed that the use of mobile phones in their practice expedited decision making in administrative tasks, so it's only natural that this usage will extend to scheduling to unlock the same advantages.

Improved appointment management

Online booking systems provide real-time updates on appointment availability, which helps reduce the risk of double bookings and scheduling conflicts. This leads to a smoother appointment process for you and your patients. Also, the information used for appointment scheduling, such as email address and phone numbers, can be used to support your e-marketing efforts, bringing in more visits by new and existing patients. Patient information collected on online booking portals is also likely to be up-to-date compared to the information provided on paper during the initial registration.

Increased client base from after-hours booking

According to this source 34% of appointments that are scheduled online are done so after the office is closed. So if your business does not support 24/7 scheduling, you could be missing out on potential business.

Enhanced privacy management

When patients book appointments online, they can complete any necessary online forms regarding their reasons for the visit and medical history. On the other hand, if a receptionist handles phone bookings, patients might share sensitive medical information with the receptionist instead of the practitioner, which could raise privacy concerns. Online booking systems help to address and mitigate such privacy issues, ensuring that sensitive information is only disclosed to the appropriate professional.

Increased Online Payment and Reduced Cancellations

Allowing patients to book and pay for appointments online can reduce the likelihood of missed appointments and can ensure your schedules remain full. Additionally, offering discounts on consultation fees or a free follow-up consultation can incentivize patients to utilise online appointment scheduling services. With online scheduling systems providing a safe and secure payment platform, patients are more comfortable than ever making payments digitally. By integrating an online booking system into your practice's workflow, you not only cater to the evolving demands of modern healthcare consumers, but also unlock numerous benefits such as increased efficiency, reduced no-shows (an average of 15.3% of missed appointments is reported in the UK), and the ability to attract and retain patients. 

Choose our All-in-one Practice Management Suite

At Meddbase, we offer a comprehensive practice management solution that includes an online scheduling feature. Instead of using a separate vendor for appointment bookings, practices can benefit from the seamless integration of Meddbase's suite of features, which include patient portals, electronic prescribing, report and auditing, telemedicine, and more.  By using a unified platform, your practice can streamline operations, reduce administrative burden, and improve the overall patient experience.

Occupational Healthcare Management Systems and Employee Productivity: How They’re Connected
March 30, 2023

One of the most remarkable benefits that businesses reap from the implementation of an Occupational Health Management System (OHMS) is a significant improvement in employee productivity. According to the CDC, companies that support workplace health have a greater percentage of employees at work every day, an aspect that cascades into the employees’ personal life, translating to less time spent away from work caring for sick loved ones. Additionally, ILO reports that SMEs that implement OHM systems are more successful at warding off presenteeism, a condition that sees businesses lose productivity when employees are not fully functioning in the workplace because of an illness or injury. Over the past few years, there has been a steady decline in worker productivity across the globe. In the UK, it is reported that since the economic downturn of 2008, productivity levels have never recovered. In the first quarter of 2019 for instance, there was a 0.2% decline of productivity per hour compared to the last quarter of 2018. Although several reasons can be attributed to this dwindling performance, one of the leading causes is the ineffective management of the health, safety and well-being of employees. It is therefore necessary for employers and EHS managers to ensure that they not only have an OHMS in place, but that it is harnessed to improve productivity.

Productivity and Workplace Health: What is the link?

In recently published results, the HSE reported that over 1.8 million workers in Great Britain suffered a workplace related illness in the 2021/2022 period. From the results, the HSE noted that over half of those illnesses were related to mental health, a number that has been on the rise post-pandemic. It was also estimated that around 37 million work days were lost in the UK in the same 2021/2022 period, translating in loses to the tune of￡18.8 billion. But the connection between occupational healthcare management systems and employee productivity goes beyond missed work days. While providing workers with access to health services, such as preventative care or ergonomic programs, leads to healthier employees who are better equipped to be productive, the major benefits that stems from OHMS aren’t always apparent. 

How does occupational health compliance impact productivity?

Studies have shown that providing occupational healthcare in the workplace yields numerous benefits on productivity including:

Increased job satisfaction leading to higher retention rates 

According to Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), organisations with strong wellness programs, which may include the implementation of workplace health management systems, experienced an average employee retention rate of 91%. This is compared to an average retention rate of 68% among organisations with weak or no wellness programs.

Fewer work-related injuries and illnesses

By implementing occupational health and management systems, employers can effectively prevent the onset of disease, stop the escalation of existing ones and help employees adopt a healthier lifestyle for longevity. This results in fewer absent days.

Improved worker morale and engagement 

According to a survey conducted in 2016, a survey found out that 1 in 3 employees felt that their employer prioritised output over their well being, resulting in reduced morale. Reduced morale can have a negative impact on productivity in several ways. For instance, employees who are disengaged are more likely to report late to work, cause delays in workflows and are less creative.

Increased employee productivity due to less stress and greater job security

The increased rate of mental health illnesses in the workplace has a significant impact on productivity, rivalling infectious and terminal illnesses and musculoskeletal injuries in the number of claims made per year. The HSE report  showed that there were an estimated 914,000 cases of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2021/22. Additionally, mental health-related issues are reported to be the leading cause of presenteeism. 

How to Implement Occupational Health Management Systems to Boost Productivity

By providing employees with access to timely medical care and health advice, managers can help them stay more productive on the job.  Here’s how you can implement your OMH System to improve workplace productivity:

• Provide timely medical care

When employees are taken ill at work, quick access to a trusted medical provider is essential. OHMS provides businesses with a network of trusted medical providers who understand their occupational health needs and can provide timely responses. This ensures that employees have access to appropriate medical care when they need it most, reducing time spent off the job due to illness or injury.

• Offer education and advice

OHM systems offer education and advice for employers, helping them create and maintain a culture of health in the workplace. This includes health screenings for potential candidates and onboarding support for new staff members. By offering regular health checks, education sessions, and stress management exercises, organisations can help their personnel stay healthy—both physically and mentally—for maximum productivity. To ensure that employees are able to get the full benefit of their healthcare plans, employers must make sure that their occupational healthcare management systems are up-to-date and functioning properly. These systems include measures such as:

• Regular medical checkups
• Workplace policies that promote healthy habits
• Access to mental health services
• Employee wellness programs

As the link between productivity and workplace health management becomes more apparent, it is evident that organisations that prioritise employee health and wellbeing can reap significant benefits.  By keeping up with the trends emerging in OHMS and utilising the latest technologies and techniques in occupational healthcare management, companies can ensure that their employees are healthy, happy, and stay productive for longer.

Why Ignoring Compliance in Occupational Health Management Can Cost You More Than Just Money
March 29, 2023

Although occupational health management (OHM) is a critical component of workplace safety, many businesses, especially SMEs have a difficult time keeping abreast with the laws and regulations that govern it. This does not come without repercussions though. In 2020 for instance, the National Safety Council estimated that companies paid upwards of 150 billion in employee compensation for workplace related injuries alone. However, ignoring compliance in OHM can have more than just financial implications.  While most people initially prioritise compliance for the potential savings from financial losses (which is fair given the importance of finances in running a business), it is necessary to recognize that the non-monetary benefits of compliance may be even more salient. To illustrate just how important compliance is, the UN reports that 7,500 people die daily from non-compliance with occupational safety and health standards. In this blog post, we'll delve into the significance of adhering to occupational health management standards, highlighting the potential hazards associated with non-compliance. We'll also discuss strategies for achieving and maintaining these standards, and provide practical tips for implementing policies and procedures that work. By the end of this blog, you'll have a deeper appreciation for the crucial role that compliance plays in occupational health management, and gain actionable insights for cultivating a safe and compliant workplace. The Risks Of Non-Compliance in OHM The potential consequences of non-compliance can be severe. That’s why it's essential for businesses to understand the risks associated with it. Below are some of the negative outcomes that may arise from ignoring OHM standards: Legal Action This is one of the most significant risks that businesses face when they are non-compliant. Regulatory agencies like OSHA and HSE have the power to levy fines and penalties for non-compliance and, in severe cases, even force a business to shut down.  Apart from regulatory action, businesses can also be sued by employees who have sustained injuries due to non-compliance. Such lawsuits can lead to significant financial losses, including legal fees, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. Punitive damages are intended to punish the business for its negligence, and can be substantial, depending on the severity of the violation and the resulting injury. In extreme cases of willful disregard or gross negligence, business owners can even face criminal charges and imprisonment. It is important to note that in the UK, cases that are taken forward by the HSE have an overwhelmingly high success rate; up to 94%. In some of these cases, those at the top —the executive management— are held liable, as it is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the people under their employ. As a business owner therefore, you should be at the forefront of championing safety practices in your business. Reputational Damage Non-adherence to safety regulation can have a detrimental impact on a company's reputation. Businesses that fail to comply with can be perceived as irresponsible, resulting in a loss of goodwill from both employees and clients. Additionally, this negative publicity can spread quickly through social media and other channels, leading to a tarnished reputation that the business may struggle to recover from. Unnecessary endangerment of lives According to the ILO, every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease, which equates to over 2.8 million worldwide deaths per year. When businesses prioritise profit over safety, they put their employees at risk of injuries that may have life-altering consequences. In the event of death, families are irreparably affected by the loss and might seek heavy compensation. Over the past few years the costs of payouts have been increasing, with the highest ever costing £5 million. According to the EHS Today, as of February 2016, new sentencing guidelines could see companies pay over £10 million in costs for the most serious health and safety violations, and more than £20 million for corporate manslaughter convictions. How Can You Stay Compliant to OHM Standards? Many of the risks we’ve discussed can be avoided if employers and their workers can take issues of health and safety in the workplace with the gravitas it requires. To stay compliant, our team of experts here at Meddbase suggests that you:

1. Conduct a thorough analysis of the workplace to identify potential hazards and assess the risk associated with each one. This will help determine the necessary precautions to be taken.
2. Develop and implement an occupational health and safety policy. This policy should outline the company's commitment to providing a safe and healthy work environment and include clear procedures for identifying, reporting, and addressing hazards.
3. Provide comprehensive training to all employees on the hazards relevant to their roles.
4. Regularly inspect and maintain equipment to ensure it is safe to use and in good working condition.
5. Keep accurate records of any incidents or accidents that occur in the workplace and maintain documentation of compliance efforts. Use occupational health software.
6. Conduct regular safety audits to identify potential hazards and address any issues that arise.
7. Provide appropriate PPE to employees and ensure they are properly trained on its use.
8. Encourage employees to report any hazards or safety concerns they identify in the workplace.
9. Regularly monitor compliance with occupational health and safety policies and procedures to ensure they are being followed.
10. Continuously improve occupational health and safety practices by incorporating feedback from employees, conducting regular reviews of policies and procedures, and staying up-to-date on industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

The Cost of Fines Is Higher Than of Compliance Investing and adhering to an occupational health management system may seem like a financial burden for businesses, but in reality, the cost of non-compliance can far outweigh the cost of maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. According to a study conducted in the UK in 2016, SMEs that invested in health and safety avoided fines £75,000 higher than the cost of complying with regulatory standards. The potential costs of fines, penalties, and legal fees resulting from non-compliance can be devastating to a business's finances, not to mention cause a decline in productivity and negatively impact its image. On the other hand, investing in OHMS not only ensures that you avoid financial losses, it also improves output from employees, boosts morale and can even open up avenues for new investments.

Protecting Your Workforce: The Importance of Occupational Healthcare Management Systems for Small Businesses
March 27, 2023

As small businesses adapt to changing market conditions, there has been an increasing need for them to invest in the health and safety of their employees. With the rise of remote and hybrid work, and the evolving contexts of wellbeing in the workplace, small businesses are faced with unique challenges in managing the health and safety of their employees. In 2021/2022, there were more than half a million employees involved in non-fatal workplace injuries in the UK, a majority which occurred in small businesses, seeing as they make 99.2% of all private businesses, and account for three fifths of the total employment in the country. It is also well documented that workers in small businesses carry a higher risk for accidents and occupational diseases. This highlights the need for business owners to prioritise the safety and well-being of their employees. By investing in an Occupational Health Management System (OHMS), SMEs take the first step in protecting their most important asset: their people. In the following sections, we will explore the benefits of OHMS for small businesses in detail and provide practical tips for implementing an effective program. Why is Occupational Healthcare Management Essential for Small Businesses? Having an employee safety protection program is crucial for any business, regardless of its size. For small businesses however, there are some bottlenecks that make it harder for them to invest, compared to their medium and large enterprise counterparts.  Often, small businesses have scant financial and human resources to dedicate to OHM programs. As a result, they may struggle to acquire the necessary equipment, sponsor training sessions, and employ personnel needed to create a comprehensive program. Compliance with regulations can also be a challenge. While they are subject to the same OHM regulations as larger organisations, they may lack the capacity to stay up-to-date with changing requirements. High turnover rates also make it difficult to maintain a consistent OHM program, as it can lead to gaps in training and knowledge, increasing the risk of workplace accidents and injuries. But this isn’t to say that it is impossible for SMEs to implement an effective OMHS. In fact, at Meddbase, we have had high success rates with small businesses that started their employee health management journey with us. Once the initial kinks are worked out, and the business owners and core staff are fully onboard, there are numerous benefits to be experienced. Here is why it pays to invest in an occupational health management system:

• It reduces sickness absenteeism and associated costs, such as disability coverage and hiring temporary staff.
• It creates a safer work environment. In addition to reducing accidents, it can also help prevent the spread of diseases both inside and outside the workplace, minimising downtime.
• OHMS can provide legal protection against any potential liability claims by employees.
• It gives employers insight into the overall health of their workforce, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding employee performance and wellbeing.
• It encourages workers to become more engaged with their work, since they know that their safety is a priority.
• It helps employers comply with any relevant occupational healthcare regulations at local and national levels.

In addition to these benefits, investing in OHM programs also demonstrates the company’s commitment to employee safety and health, which can help attract and retain customers who value ethical business practices.

Making the Transition to OHMS: Tips and Tricks

Starting out with an OHMS can seem daunting to many small business owners. While at first it could appear to be an expensive undertaking, the long-term benefits outweigh the initial strains by far. So what should you keep in mind when making the transition to OHMS?

1. Establish a timeline - An organised timeline will help you stay on track and ensure that all aspects of the transition are completed in a timely manner.
2. Set clear objectives: Establish specific goals and objectives for how you want the OHMS system to be used in your business before starting implementation and training. This will make it easier to track progress and measure success over time.
3. Choose the right platform - Choosing the right platform is critical for the success of the OHMS, so make sure to research various options before deciding which one will work best for your business’s needs. We talk more about the components of an effective OMHS here and explain what you should be on the lookout for when shopping for a solution.
4. Create an employee engagement plan - This is essential for any successful OHMS program, as it increases buy-in from employees, raises their understanding of workplace safety regulations, and ensures that everyone is included in making workplace safety decisions.
5. Create a robust onboarding process: A well-thought-out onboarding process will help ensure that the OHMS system is used correctly and consistently across the business.
6. Monitor usage - Once you have implemented your OHMS program, make sure to keep track of its usage (by both employees and managers) in order to ensure its success over time.
7. Leverage data - Use the data provided by your system to optimise operations and health outcomes over time.

Solutions Available in the Market for Small Businesses Like other businesses, SMEs need solutions that are tailored to fit their budgets, timelines and objectives. Fortunately, there are a wide range of occupational health management solutions available in the market that can help owners protect their employees while complying with relevant regulations. Meddbase's OHM software, for instance, is an ideal solution for small businesses looking to streamline their workplace health and management processes. The software monitors employee health and provides powerful reporting tools to ensure accurate records are kept. It also allows businesses to track employee training and adherence to safety regulations – all through an accessible platform. The software provides access to comprehensive occupational health services that can be incorporated to meet the individual needs of each business – from pre-employment questionnaires to health screenings. This helps small businesses provide the necessary healthcare for their employees in a timely and cost-effective way. To ensure the safety of your workforce today and well into the future, take the proactive approach by investing in an OHMS now.

5 Components of an Effective Occupational Health and Safety Management System
March 24, 2023

A well-designed occupational health and safety management system is essential to ensuring the safety of employees and minimising the financial and legal liabilities that may stem from work-place related injuries. According to a study by OSHA, businesses that implemented an occupational health and safety management system saw a 20-40% reduction in the number of workplace illnesses and diseases, and were more adept at mitigating incidents when they occurred. However, OHM systems are multifaceted and involve a myriad of procedures, processes and policies to promote a safe and healthy work environment. After analysing our clients at Meddbase and their approaches towards occupational health management systems, we can conclude that a uniform solution does not apply to everyone. In this article, we will explore some of the essential elements of occupational health and safety management systems and how they can help organisations create a safer, more efficient workplace. By implementing these basic components effectively, businesses can mitigate risks, improve employee morale, increase productivity, among other crucial benefits.

Designing a Comprehensive OHM System

An effective OHM system should be tailored to an organisation's specific activities, processes, culture and environment. That being said, there are some key facets that should underpin any well designed OHMS. These include:

Risk Assessment

Conducting a thorough risk assessment is the first step to identifying potential hazards in the workplace. All stakeholders should be involved at this stage to ensure that the assessment is thorough and all-encompassing, and that it takes into account the risks that may be inherent to those with special needs. There are two main types of risk identification and assessment:

• Traditional approach, which involves manually identifying hazards within the workplace, assessing their potential risks, and developing strategies to manage them.
• Modern approach, which uses workplace health and safety software that includes sophisticated features such as predictive analytics that may help to identify obscure hazards. It can also provide real-time intelligence on the severity of a hazard, alerting businesses immediately if an event occurs.

Policies and Procedures

Establishing an industry-compliant safety strategy ensures that businesses operate under the guidance of set laws, and that their employees are always protected from hazardous conditions, supplied with appropriate protective equipment and receive training in their line of work. In addition to protecting employees, these policies may also include provisions to safeguard customers and communities near the workplace. In the UK, the HSE ensures that these policies and procedures are continuously upheld.

Training & Education

To keep employees up to date with the potential risks and safety measures in place, it is imperative that regular training is conducted. Also important is to integrate operational health and safety training to onboarding procedures. These training sessions should be designed to help employees learn about their assignments as well as any associated risks. Employees should also be enlightened on the identification, mitigation and response procedures in case of an emergency. This might include courses on first aid, fire prevention, ergonomics, hazardous materials identification, accident reporting systems, and so on. For compliance, employers should periodically test their employees to ensure they maintain a high level of proficiency in their roles vis-à-vis safety. This feedback is essential in examining the effectiveness of the training.

Safety Monitoring & Auditing

Analysing the performance of an occupational health management system is critical in improving its underlying processes. This involves monitoring the progress of the existing system, a comprehensive analysis of procedures and documentation and an examination of data compiled from inspections, incident reports and surveys. Measuring OHMS performance requires evaluating a range of factors, including:

• The efficacy of implemented policies and processes
• The accuracy of incident reports
• How effectively hazards are identified and managed
• Occupational injury/illness rates
• Compliance with relevant legislation
• Employee engagement in safety initiatives
• Engagement with industry stakeholders

Because of the large datasets that need to be constantly analysed, EHS experts recommend the use of occupational health management software. Meddbase offers an all-encompassing solution for all your health and safety management requirements. Our OHMS software adheres to record keeping standards, advances implementation of clinical protocols and delivers information on an easy-to-operate platform. With Meddbase, your organisation is always fully compliant with all regulatory requirements.

Emergency Preparedness and  Response Plans

In addition to providing guidance during the occurrence of an eventuality, the preparation of an emergency plan offers several other benefits. For instance, you may discover the existence of potentially hazardous conditions that could exacerbate an emergency situation, and take steps to eliminate them. The planning process can also reveal any shortcomings, such as the lack of necessary resources, equipment, trained personnel, or supplies, which can be addressed before an emergency arises. Furthermore, an emergency plan demonstrates your organisation's commitment to the safety of its workers and fosters safety awareness. The absence of such a plan could have severe consequences, such as multiple casualties and even pecuniary losses in trying to mitigate the ensuing fallout. Therefore, it is crucial to plan for emergencies in advance, to avoid the confusion that arises from the urgent need for rapid decisions, shortage of time, and lack of resources and ill-prepared personnel. The implementation of an occupational health management system is a dynamic process. It requires a cyclical approach to ensure that new hazards are identified, potential loopholes addressed and changes in legislation are incorporated. Furthermore, the evolving needs of employees must be taken into account to ensure the success and sustainability of the system.

Unlocking the Power of Digital Healthcare: The Benefits and Features of Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems
March 23, 2023

Manual handling of patient records has proved to be a cumbersome and unnecessarily arduous mode of operation for many modern practices, especially those with high numbers. This is why most of them have adopted EHR systems in their day-to-day, to handle voluminous records with ease.   An Electronic Health Record (EHR) System is a comprehensive digital record of a patient’s overall health. Although the term EHR is used interchangeably with EMR (Electronic Medical Record), the two have distinct scopes. The major differences between EHR and EMR is the context of their usage, their functionality and capabilities. While EHR presents a universal picture of the patient’s wellbeing, including lifestyle factors, past surgeries, immunisations, allergies, data from wearable technology and health tracking devices and relevant information like insurance and demographic data, EMR is limited to a patient’s medical history, diagnoses, medications and test results — information typically found on a paper chart. EMRs work well internally and are rarely shared outside a practice, while on the other hand most EHR systems are highly interoperable and travel well across practices and specialists.  

What Are The Benefits Of Implementing an EHR System?

To reap the full benefits of an EHR system, hospitals and clinics must incorporate comprehensive electronic patient record management models, where data is an essential component at all levels.  With this transition, clinicians and patients can benefit from:

1. Streamlined workflows
2. Improved efficiency and cost savings
3. Significant error reduction
4. Ease of transfer of patient data across the care continuum
5. Enhanced patient privacy
6. Increased patient participation in the care and recovery process
7. Higher patient satisfaction scores

Types of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems

These are the most prevalent EHR models in the market currently:

• On-premise EHRs: These systems are installed and run on a healthcare provider's own servers, allowing them to maintain complete control over their data.
• Cloud-based EHRs: These systems are hosted remotely on the internet and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. They are often less expensive to implement than on-premise EHRs and require less technical expertise to manage; they are one of the most preferred solutions.
• Patient Portals: These are web-based applications that allow patients to access their own health information, such as test results, medication lists, and appointment schedules.
• Personal Health Records (PHRs): These are similar to patient portals, but they are managed entirely by patients themselves. PHRs allow patients to track their own health information and share it with healthcare providers as needed.
• Specialty EHRs: These systems are designed to meet the needs of specific medical specialties, such as paediatrics, cardiology, or oncology. They often include specialised templates and features that are tailored to the needs of the specialty.

How to Choose The Best Medical Record Keeping Solution

In a rapidly evolving and increasingly complex EHR landscape, where vendors are consistently creating highly advanced offerings, it can be difficult for you to choose the right package for your practice. However, there are some basic pointers that can help narrow down your choices. 

Here are the key factors to consider when selecting an EHR system:

• Technological infrastructure: This includes considerations such as whether the EHR is hosted on-premise or in the cloud, and what types of hardware and software is required and the accompanying costs.
• EHR Interoperability: The ability to integrate with other applications is critical for creating a unified, cohesive patient record from disparate sources.
• Customizability: Healthcare providers have varying needs and workflows, so the ability to tailor an EHR to their specific requirements is imperative.
• EHR Security and privacy: Protecting patient data is of utmost importance, so the EHR should include robust security and privacy features to safeguard against breaches and unauthorised access. One of the main issues arising from digital patient records is the possibility of leaks, so ensure that security features prominently in EHR features and functionalities of the solution you choose.

Additionally, you need to have an exhaustive conversation with your vendor of choice about their software, as part of your due diligence before signing a contract. For instance, you should ask about: Scalability costs: Find out how the cost of the platform/service will change as your practice grows to accommodate more patients. Termination costs: Should you want to back out of a contract before it elapses, are there any penalty fees you’ll be required to pay? Inflation: Your vendor should have a transparent and predictable cost model to show how their prices will vary over time. Integration with internal and third-party software: Will it cost you more? Updates: Ask how often they upgrade their systems, whether it comes with a financial implication and if there will be any down-time during maintenance processes.

How To Successfully Approach EHR Implementation

Implementing a new Electronic Health Record (EHR) system can be a significant challenge for healthcare organisations, requiring not only technical expertise but the ability to manage change and people effectively. Although EHR systems have the potential to revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered and managed, their success depends largely on how they are utilised by healthcare providers. One key aspect of implementing an EHR system effectively is ensuring that all stakeholders are involved and engaged. This includes your clinical and administrative staff and your patients.This way, you can find out early on whether the EHR system is adequate, and mitigate any potential issues or risks in good time. Another important consideration is the need for effective training and support. Implementing a new EHR system can be challenging for users, especially those who are accustomed to working with paper records, so it's important to provide adequate training to ensure that everyone across the board is adept at using the new system. Meddbase provides the best cloud-based EHR system that has been meeting the needs of practitioners and patients alike for almost two decades. The system can be accessed on any web-enabled device (including mobile phones) at no additional costs. This easy accessibility and portability is crucial in modern practices because it facilitates the mobility of healthcare providers in a highly unpredictable world. Click here for a free demo!

The Top 8 Emerging Trends in Occupational Health Management
March 22, 2023

The field of occupational healthcare management has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with new trends and technologies shaping the industry. This rapid change shows no signs of slowing in the near future, as today's dynamic business landscape requires organisations to evolve, adapt, and maintain effective strategies for safeguarding employees' health and safety in the workplace.  By closely examining current trends and breakthrough advancements, occupational health management professionals can capitalise on opportunities for improvement and anticipate the changing nature of worker well-being. In this article, we will discuss the emerging trends in occupational healthcare management expected to shape the future. 

Emphasis on Mental Health and Wellbeing 

Mental health has gained significant recognition as an integral component of overall worker wellbeing. Employers are becoming more aware of the role that mental health plays in determining productivity and employee satisfaction. Consequently, companies are starting to develop comprehensive mental health strategies that encompass awareness campaigns, training programs, and diagnostic tools. The introduction of digital mental health apps and telehealth platforms further enables organisations to tackle mental health issues effectively and discreetly.  By promoting a culture of mental health awareness and offering support and resources for employees, employers can improve employee engagement and job satisfaction. This can lead to reduced turnover rates and increased productivity as employees feel supported and valued in the workplace. 

The Impact of Telemedicine 

The advent of telemedicine has transformed how workers access cutting-edge healthcare services. Employees now leverage digital solutions to consult with medical professionals and receive diagnoses remotely. This approach not only expedites the diagnostic process but also minimises downtime associated with clinical visits. Organisations must adapt to this transformation by integrating telehealth technology into their occupational health management strategies.  Integrating telemedicine into occupational health can offer several benefits to businesses. For instance, it can reduce healthcare costs by minimizing the need for expensive in-person appointments and emergency room visits. It can also enhance employee satisfaction and retention by offering a convenient and flexible way to access healthcare services, especially for remote or geographically dispersed teams.   Telemedicine can improve productivity by reducing the time and resources required for healthcare-related absences and by enabling faster diagnosis and treatment of work-related injuries and illnesses.   Moreover, investing in telehealth technology can help businesses create a healthier and more productive workforce, which can lead to improved performance and increased profitability. 

Focus on Preventive Care    

Preventative care is an essential aspect of occupational healthcare management that cannot be overlooked. In addition to reducing the risk of serious health issues, preventative care can also help to identify health problems early on when they are easier and less expensive to treat. Regular health screenings, immunisations, and health risk assessments can play a critical role in preventing workplace injuries, chronic diseases, and other health issues.  By promoting a culture of health and wellness in the workplace, employers can create a positive and productive work environment that benefits everyone involved. 

Use of Big Data and Personalised Healthcare 

 In the era of big data, healthcare providers are embracing the power of analytics and artificial intelligence to inform decision-making and better understand workplace hazards. By examining vast datasets, occupational health professionals can identify previously unnoticed patterns or trends, leading to insights that can inform data-driven preventative measures. Moreover, access to extensive health records enables healthcare providers to deliver personalised care tailored to individual workers' needs and vulnerabilities.  It can help to identify high-risk areas and prioritise preventive measures to reduce workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses, thus lowering costs associated with workers' compensation claims and lost productivity. It can also improve the accuracy and efficiency of medical diagnoses and treatment, reducing the time and costs of medical care.  

Integrating Wellness Initiatives into Corporate Culture 

Encouraging employees to take an active role in their own health is paramount. Progressive organisations are increasingly supporting a culture of wellness by offering health education, lifestyle coaching, and exercise programs as an integral part of the corporate experience. By emphasising prevention and proactive approaches to health, companies are fostering a climate where employees value self-care and personal wellbeing.  

Workplace Ergonomics and Design 

The future of occupational healthcare management will place a heightened focus on ergonomics and workplace design. Growing awareness of the impact of sedentary work, poor posture, and repetitive stress injuries has led employers to adopt measures aimed at preventing poor health outcomes related to workplace-environmental factors.   One such initiative is the integration of sit-stand workstations and ergonomic furniture, helping to mitigate discomfort and long-term musculoskeletal issues. This way, employers can guarantee increased productivity. 

 The Role of Wearable Technologies 

 Wearable devices, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, are revolutionising the way people monitor their health. As fine-grained, real-time data becomes increasingly accessible, both employees and employers can leverage these digital tools to better understand individual risks and work-related health concerns. Consequently, occupational health management teams must brace for the challenges associated with wearable technology, such as ensuring data privacy while promoting employee health. 

Regulation Compliance and Data Privacy 

As occupational healthcare management continues to evolve, the importance of complying with regulations and protecting employee data becomes paramount. Organisations must stay informed about the various laws, guidelines, and best practices around employee healthcare while taking steps to safeguard sensitive health information.  The future of occupational healthcare management is both exciting and challenging. Trends such as mental health recognition, big data analytics, workplace ergonomics, wellness initiatives, and data privacy will pave the way for a new era for employee health and safety. By staying apprised of these emerging directions, industry professionals can ensure their organisations protect and advance the well-being of their workforce. 

How a Practice Management System Can Improve Patient Care Efficiency
March 16, 2023

Ensuring the safety and efficacy of patient information is indispensable for any medical facility. Administrators must be able to access sensitive data from appointment records, billing info, insurance claims, etc., quickly yet securely at all times in order to provide optimal care.  A well-organised record system can significantly enhance a hospital's operations and reduce errors and liabilities while greatly improving communication between practitioners, their patients, and the rest of the hospital or clinical staff.   In the past record keeping was handled manually, however, the digital revolution has spurred the automation of data handling in hospitals. The demand for Practice Management Software (PMS) has been so high recently, that it is estimated that the value of the market will increase by 8.5% annually until 2030. Another salient statistic is the 2020 survey by Black Book Market Research that found that 78% of medical centres are currently using some form of medical practice management software. 

What is a Practice Management System (PMS) and How Different is it From Electronic Medical Records (EMR)? 

Running a healthcare practice involves both medical and administrative aspects, which can be managed through two distinct software systems: Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Practice Management System (PMS).   EMRs store patients' clinical data such as their historical diagnoses, prescriptions, allergies, lab results and other medical information. By providing real-time access to up-to-date information, these records assist healthcare providers in making informed treatment decisions while monitoring patient progress and treatment outcomes.  Practice Management Systems (PMS) on the other hand, facilitate the managerial aspect of healthcare practice administration. These systems efficiently streamline administrative responsibilities, reduce exertion on non-clinical staff and lessen the duration needed to carry out tasks manually. PMS software provides a platform for healthcare providers to regulate their patients' appointment schedules, generate invoices, process payments, and electronically submit insurance claims, ultimately mitigating errors and expediting the billing and reimbursement process. In most practices, these two systems work in collaboration to improve patient care. According to a study by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, one community hospital in the US adopted an integrated system and reported an average billable gain of $26/patient and enjoyed a $100K increase in revenue during the study period. 

Advantages of Adopting a Practice Management System in Your Practice 

Here’s how adopting PMS software can dramatically increase your competitive edge in the healthcare industry:   Efficient Appointment Scheduling  Your staff can easily view available time slots and schedule appointments without having to rely on manual paperwork or phone calls, saving effort and reducing time conflicts.  Improved Patient Record Management  You can input patient information into the system, and access and update records as needed. This improves the quality of care provided to patients and ensures that you comply with regulatory requirements.   Streamlined Billing and Claims Processing  PMS software can simplify billing and claims processing, resulting in faster and more efficient claim submissions and payments.    Enhanced Reporting and Analytics  With PMS software, you can generate reports on various aspects of your operations, such as patient volume, revenue, and expenses. These reports can help identify areas for improvement and help you make informed, data-driven decisions.  

Meddbase Offers Top-of-the-Line Solutions 

In today's fast-paced and competitive healthcare industry, your practice needs to stay ahead by providing optimised services to patients. As discussed above, Practice Management Systems (PMS) can help simplify your administrative and business tasks, while also improving your workflows.    At Meddbase, we understand the intensive efforts that go into running a successful medical practice. That’s why we provide robust systems that take the burden off your staff, so they can concentrate on providing the best care to patients.   With over six million patient records and counting, our cloud-based PMS provides both clinical and administrative interoperability for healthcare facilities across the UK and the globe. And we also take it a step further, offering unique branding templates to help provide all levels of support you need in running your practice on an efficient basis.  Don't miss out on unlocking the full potential of your practice. Contact us to learn more about how our innovative PMS can pave the way for your practice's success. Our team of experts is ready to guide you in optimising your healthcare management experience, equipping you with the tools necessary for scaling your practice and increasing patient satisfaction. 

Tomorrow’s Healthier Workplace: Strategies for Success in Occupational Health Management Systems
March 10, 2023

The importance of incorporating an Occupational Health Management System (OHMS) in your business operations cannot be understated. Although it is only recently that businesses have begun taking into consideration the overall well-being of their employees, especially in workplaces that have long-been considered low-risk, the overall integration of OHM systems into the core functionality of businesses has been dismal. In the UK for instance, there has only been a 0.8% growth in the OHMS industry in the last 5 years.

Since health is such a dynamic hot-button issue, even those businesses that have legacy systems in place may still have challenges in their implementation because of how rapidly the areas of focus shift. For instance, 10 years ago, businesses would not have had to factor in too seriously the mental health of their employees or taken nebulous issues like burnout into consideration. But in recent years, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, and the increase of Gen-Zs in the workplace, there has been increased demands of accountability from employers.

As workplaces evolve, so do the practices and policies that support employee health and safety. In this post, we will explore some of the latest trends in OHMS and discuss future directions, including the role of emerging technologies such as big data. By staying up-to-date on these developments, we can create safer and healthier workplaces for your employees.

Forward-thinking Approaches in Occupational Health Management Systems

Mental Health in the Workplace

The overall health of a modern workplace includes both the physical and psychological well-being of its workers.

While discharging their duties, employees may undergo extreme psychosocial distress stemming from the demands of their tasks,  your company’s organisational structure and their interpersonal relationships. Although not immediately apparent, the hazards emanating from poor mental health practices in the workplace have the potential to impact your employee’s health and safety, as well as to reduce their productivity and cause other adverse organisational outcomes, which in the end impact your bottom line.

In many countries, including the UK, occupational acts have been amended to encompass psychological well-being in the definition of workplace safety and harassment. So on-top of ensuring that no physical harm comes to your employees, some legislative requirements compel you to protect their psychological wellbeing as well. These laws now recognize psychological health as part of the overall health and safety responsibilities in the handling of claims.

Working with your employees, you can create a comprehensive workplace health and safety program to achieve a psychologically safe workplace. Incorporating aspects such as stress management programs, teletherapy, and mindfulness training into your operational culture can have a significant impact on the wellness levels in your workplace.

The Role of Big Data in OHMS

Occupational Health Management Systems can leverage the power of big data to gain valuable insights into employee health and safety. By analysing large sets of data from various sources such as employee health records, safety incident reports, and environmental monitoring, OHMS can identify trends in employee health that may indicate potential hazards in the workplace.

A perfect example of the impact of big data in detecting risks is a study conducted in Europe utilising 20 datasets on physician reporting and compensation claims from 10 different countries, deriving trends in occupational disease incidence. The researchers considered the varying methods of data collection used in each country and concluded that the increased pool of information from data sharing had tremendous benefits in the detection of patterns.

The increased computerization of the workplace and the rise of occupational health compliance software over the last few years has been a key enabler of the accurate interpolation of risks and liabilities from past occurrences.

 

Diversity and Inclusion

OHMS are tasked with promoting and maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of all employees, regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or physical ability.

To truly address the needs of diverse populations, OHMS professionals must first acknowledge the unique challenges that different groups face in the workplace. This includes understanding the specific health risks and hazards that may affect workers from different backgrounds and adapting prevention strategies accordingly.

For instance, as of 2021, there were over 4.4 million disabled people employed in the UK. These workers may face challenges such as difficulties in being alerted to danger and mobility issues that could hinder their evacuation during emergencies like a fire. Therefore, special considerations must be made to accommodate these differently-abled persons in the case of an event.

One way to ensure that your internal systems are inclusive is to incorporate the perspectives and experiences of diverse communities into the development of workplace health and safety policies. When you engage and consult with employee groups that represent the interests of underrepresented or marginalised populations, there are reduced chances of discrimination.

 

Adoption of OHMS software

Implementing OHMS software can have a significant impact on the overall health and safety of employees, while also streamlining and simplifying the management of occupational health data. OHMS software enables companies to better track and manage workplace injuries and illnesses, reducing the likelihood of recurrent accidents and improving overall health outcomes for employees. It also provides a centralised database that can be easily accessed by relevant stakeholders, allowing for better communication and collaboration between health professionals, managers, and employees. This is especially important for the remote and hybrid work systems that have gained traction in the past few years.

Investing in workplace health management systems software can also have significant financial benefits for companies. By reducing the frequency and severity of workplace injuries and illnesses, companies can save money on lost productivity, medical costs, and compensation claims. Additionally, OHMS software can help companies comply with regulatory requirements and avoid costly fines.

Meddbase provides a comprehensive OHMS software package that provides a high return on investment by creating a safer, more productive workplace for employees, and a more efficient and profitable business for your company.

5 Steps for Buying a Medical Management Software – Make the Right Choice for Your Organisation
March 7, 2023

Medical management software is an essential tool for healthcare providers to streamline their operations, manage their risk, improve patient care, and maintain compliance. But with so many options available in the market, choosing the right software can be overwhelming; a survey from Gartner shows that more than three-quarters of customers found the process very complicated or difficult.   However, by following a few simple tips and being clear with your provider, you can make the process much smoother and ensure that you choose the right solution for your organisation.   In this article, we'll outline the steps to help you navigate the buying journey and make the right choice for your needs. 

Research & Assess Your Needs  

The first step in selecting the right medical management software is to determine what features you need. Are there specific functionalities required or do you need something more comprehensive? Make sure you research all available systems and compare them against your needs. This will help you narrow down your options and make an informed decision about which system best suits your organisation’s requirements.  

Discuss With Stakeholders & Staff 

It is also important to discuss any proposed changes with other stakeholders in your organisation as well as employees who will be using the system on a regular basis. Ask for their input on which features they think are most important and suggest any changes that could improve the efficiency of their workflows. By getting feedback from stakeholders and employees, you can ensure that everyone is on board with the chosen system before making a purchase.  

Test-Drive The System  

Before committing to any medical management software, it’s important to request a demo to test-drive it first so that you can get a feel for how it works and whether it meets all your requirements. This will give you an idea of how user-friendly the system is, how intuitive its interface is, and whether its features are adequate for your needs.  

Evaluate Security Features  

Security should be a top priority when choosing medical management software. Be sure to research any security measures in place such as data encryption or two-factor authentication and how those measures might affect other aspects of your organisation’s operations. Additionally, take into account any regulatory requirements that may apply such as GDPR compliance.  

Inquire About Training & Support Services  

Training is essential when introducing new technology into an organisation. Make sure that any solution you are considering offers robust training and support services so that your staff can quickly become comfortable using the system and feel confident in their ability to use it efficiently on a daily basis.   Ask about availability of documentation, on-demand videos, and one-on-one support from experts in case any issues arise during implementation or while using the system on an ongoing basis.   In summary, when buying medical management software for your organisation, it's important to take into account all aspects of the purchasing process including researching different solutions available on the market, evaluating security features carefully, and inquiring about training and support services offered by vendors. Making an informed decision will help ensure that you select a solution that meets all your organisation’s needs, both now and in the future. The right choice can save time and money while providing optimal results for everyone involved.  Meddbase is a healthcare management software provider that offers a full suite of features, including consultations, scheduling, patient analysis, document management, electronic referrals, pathology, and reporting. The system also includes a patient portal, automated appointment reminders, and a built-in telemedicine platform.   Whether you're a small clinic or a large hospital, Meddbase has the tools and support you need to streamline your operations and improve patient care. Here, you can get in touch to request a demo to see how we can transform your business.   

The Impact of Occupational Health Management Software on Compliance and Risk Management​
February 27, 2023

For occupational health leaders, managing compliance and risk can be a huge challenge. Compliance with occupational health and safety regulations is critical for organisations to avoid legal liabilities, maintain productivity, and protect the health of their employees. Even if it sounds complicated, with the help of comprehensive occupational health management software, organisations can effectively manage their safety programs, risk and maintain compliance with regulations.  Occupational health management software (OHMS) is a technological tool that helps manage and run occupational health programs efficently.  It doesn’t only support companies in managing employee health records, performing safety risk assessments, tracking safety incidents and accidents, but also maintains compliance with regulatory requirements. With an effective OHMS put in place, organisations can manage their safety programs by automating safety-related tasks and providing real-time data analytics to identify safety trends, hazards, and risks.  By harnessing this technology's power through quick implementation processes & automated programs, it’s easy to manage safety programs in various ways. Here are the main impacts of OHMS on compliance and risk management: 

Streamlined Safety Processes 

With occupational health management software, safety processes can be simplified and automated. This will not only create a more sustainably profitable and efficient business, but it will also give organisations the valuable gift of peace of mind; knowing that their staff is kept safe from hazards or incidents which could jeopardize productivity. 

Improved Efficiency Through Automation  

One of the biggest benefits of OHM software is that it automates certain processes to save time and effort. These processes include scheduling appointments, filing paperwork, tracking employee data, and filing claims with workers’ compensation providers. By taking care of these tasks automatically, the software makes life much easier for occupational health departments.  Using the right OHMS provides the perfect opportunity to grow occupational health services while sustaining high-quality care. Digitising processes can assist organisations in reaching more patients without increasing staff, streamlining workloads and ensuring smooth healthcare experiences for everyone involved. 

Easy Regulatory Compliance 

OHMS helps organisations maintain and demonstrate compliance with occupational health and safety regulations. The software can track regulatory requirements and provide alerts when compliance deadlines are approaching. It can also generate reports that demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements, which can be useful during inspections and audits. 

Better Access to Data 

OHMS provides data analytics that can help companies identify safety trends, hazards, and risks. It generates reports that provide insights into safety performance, such as incident rates, injury rates, and compliance status. 

Improved Risk Management 

It can support occupational health organisations in identifying safety risks and hazards before they lead to incidents or accidents. With using the right software, organisations at any scale can easily provide risk assessments and suggest mitigation strategies to reduce risks. This proactive approach to risk management can prevent accidents and injuries, which can save lives and reduce costs associated with workplace injuries. 

Improved Employee Health 

OHMS can assist in managing employee health records, tracking occupational illnesses, and monitoring employee health. The software can generate reports that provide insights into employee health, such as the prevalence of chronic diseases or the effectiveness of wellness programs. It can help identify health risks and develop strategies to improve employee health, which can reduce healthcare costs and improve employee wellbeing.  In summary, occupational health management software can have a significant impact on compliance and risk management. It can help organisations create a sustainably profitable business, streamline safety processes, provide real-time data analytics, maintain regulatory compliance, improve risk management, and improve employee health.   By investing in Meddbase Occupational Health & Safety software, your business could remarkably reduce the cost of accidents and injuries on-site, which in turn also boost productivity and keep your organisation's reputation to a high standard. Contact us and see Meddbase in action to discover how it can transform your business. 

The Role of Technology in Advancing Occupational Health Management
February 20, 2023

With the rapid advancement of technology, it is now more important than ever to leverage the benefits of technology in managing occupational health. From tracking employee health to mitigating risks, technology has become an integral part of occupational health management. Here, we will take a deeper look into how technology can be used to enhance occupational health management and what data suggests about its effectiveness.

The Benefits of Technology in Occupational Health Management

When it comes to managing occupational health, there are many advantages that come with utilising technological solutions. For starters, technology can help automate repetitive processes such as tracking employee health and monitoring workplace safety. Automation reduces the amount of manual labour required for these tasks, freeing up time for more important work.

Additionally, automation ensures that data collection is accurate and consistent across all locations or departments within an organisation. This helps ensure that employees have access to accurate information regarding their health and safety at all times. Another way in which technology enhances occupational health management is by mitigating employee risk. Automating the process of managing the occupational health process massively reduces risk. With a purpose-built application like Meddbase, the mitigation of risks is already pre-built into the solution, along with support services provided by the vendor.

Further benefits also include:

Centralised Health Data Management: Occupational health management software allows employers to centralise employee health data in one place, making it easier to identify patterns and trends that may indicate a potential safety risk. With all health data in one place, employers can quickly identify workers who may be at risk due to factors such as chronic health conditions or medication use.

Increased Efficiency: Technology can help streamline processes, reduce paperwork, and save time. For example, electronic medical records can improve the speed and accuracy of medical assessments and ensure that all necessary data is recorded.

Better Employee Engagement: Technology can improve employee engagement and motivation. For example, wearable devices can track employee activity levels, encourage healthy habits, and provide personalised health coaching.

Cost Savings: By improving safety and reducing workplace injuries, technology can help employers save money on insurance premiums, medical costs, and workers' compensation claims.

Up-To-Date Data and Statistics on the Role of Technology in Occupational Health Management

The below findings suggest that investing in technological solutions can lead not only to improved worker safety, but also a healthier work environment and cost savings over time:

• A survey by the Society of Occupational Medicine found that 58% of occupational health practitioners use electronic medical records (EMRs) to manage employee health data.
• The same survey found that 57% of occupational health practitioners use online appointment booking systems.
• A survey by Mercer found that 67% of UK employers use online platforms to deliver employee health and wellbeing programs.
• The same survey by Mercer found that 42% of UK employers use mobile health apps to support employee health and wellbeing.
• According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of workplace injuries and illnesses has declined steadily over the past decade, due in part to the use of technology to improve safety and reduce hazards.
• In addition, a study published by the World Economic Forum found that 81% of organisations believe investing in occupational health technologies will result in significant cost savings over time. It was also found that two-thirds of organisations felt they were able to reduce the risk associated with workplace hazards more effectively thanks to technological solutions.

The use of technology in occupational health management has numerous benefits, including improved safety, increased efficiency, better employee engagement, and cost savings. However, employers must also be aware of the challenges associated with implementing new technology, including cost, data security, technical issues, and employee privacy concerns. By doing thorough research and analysis, employers can choose software that aligns with their specific needs and requirements. The right software will not only help to reduce costs and increase productivity but also minimise risks associated with data security and technical issues. As with any significant investment, taking the time to carefully evaluate and select the right software can pay off in the long run, leading to improved occupational health management outcomes for both employers and employees.

This includes helping them understand the impact of the new system on processes, roles, and structure, and making sure that everyone is ready to embrace and adopt the changes that come with the implementation. By providing ongoing support and guidance, we can help ensure that we deliver the expected results.

Change Management Strategies for Successful Healthcare Software Implementation
February 14, 2023

By Will Temple, Managing Director of Meddbase

The rapid pace of advancements and transformations in healthcare puts continual pressure on providers to revamp their operations, and cater to the changing requirements of patients while incorporating the latest innovative technologies.

This article highlights the significance of change management in the healthcare industry and provides guidance on healthcare software implementation - as without a structured approach to managing change, developments can be hindered by a lack of uniformity and misunderstandings.

Organisational Readiness: Communicate Clearly and Consistently

Before any software implementation can begin, it’s important to assess the organisation’s readiness for change. This includes evaluating the organisational culture, resources available for the project, organisational structure and the processes that will need to be adjusted or changed, and any other factors that could influence success.

By understanding the “big picture” of the organisation before beginning a software implementation project, you can better align your strategy with organisational goals and objectives.

A key factor is to make sure that your team is aware of the reasons for the change, the benefits it will bring, and how it will impact their work. Keep them informed throughout the process, and encourage open communication to address any concerns or questions they may have.

Get Leaders to Support Change Management

Having executive leadership support is critical for any successful software implementation project. This means that top-level decision makers are actively involved in setting objectives, providing necessary resources for success, communicating progress throughout the process, and ultimately taking responsibility for outcomes.

Without executive level buy-in from leadership, software implementations are often destined to fail due to lack of resources or commitment from stakeholders who are not fully invested in the project and its success.

Prioritise Clear Communication

Successful organisations prioritise communication during their software implementations—both internally amongst staff members as well as externally with customers/clients/patients who may be affected by changes associated with the project.

Involve your team in the planning and decision-making process to ensure that their needs and concerns are taken into account. This can also help to build buy-in and commitment to the change.

Provide Training and Support

Additionally, having a comprehensive training program in place prior to launch ensures that all staff members have an understanding of how to use new systems effectively and efficiently when they go live. It’s also important that employees are given adequate time to become comfortable with new technologies before being expected to use them in their day-to-day roles.

Ensure that your team has the necessary training and support to become proficient in the new software. This may include in-person training, online tutorials, or ongoing support from the software provider, or an internal IT team.

Adapt to the Culture of Continuous Learning

Encourage your team to embrace the change and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Encourage ongoing learning and support to ensure that your team is able to continually improve and adapt to new technologies.

Implementing a new medical management software solution can be a challenging process, but with careful planning and support, you can ensure that your team is able to successfully adopt the new technology and realise the benefits it brings.

Change management is a critical component of digital transformation in healthcare settings. Organisations looking to implement healthcare software should consider each step of their change management strategy carefully—from assessing organisational readiness through to communication and training—in order to ensure a successful outcome for their projects.

When done correctly, these strategies help set a foundation for long-term success within an organisation by promoting user adoption rates and helping teams work together more efficiently towards common goals. With careful planning and execution of these change management strategies, organisations can gain greater control over projects while ensuring positive outcomes overall. ​

By staying up-to-date on best practices for change management, organisations can better prepare for upcoming projects and initiatives. This includes having a clear understanding of the existing infrastructure and organisational goals, ensuring that all stakeholders are included in the process, identifying key metrics to measure success, and creating user training programs to ensure that everyone is on board with the changes. Additionally, setting up a change control plan prior to any transitions will help identify risks and potential roadblocks early on while helping stakeholders stay ahead of any issues that may arise throughout the project lifecycle.

The Meddbase team will help prepare your organisation for the challenges of change management by providing training to your staff and working closely with them to ensure that they are fully prepared for the adoption of Meddbase.

This includes helping them understand the impact of the new system on processes, roles, and structure, and making sure that everyone is ready to embrace and adopt the changes that come with the implementation. By providing ongoing support and guidance, we can help ensure that we deliver the expected results.

Meddbase in National Health Executive Magazine
December 1, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in National Health Executive Magazine.

The Critical Role Technologies Can Play in Supporting Patients and Health Leaders at ICB Level

‘When you know better, you do better.’ We often say this in my family when our knowledge on a topic improves or changes, to remind ourselves that our behaviour should now be adjusted accordingly. After 19 years as a GP - and one who thrives on learning about innovation and systems management - I enjoy working with the technology around us to discover ways we can do better for ourselves, our colleagues and our patients. Since becoming the regional lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire in 2019 I have been focused on a topic that I believe to be an obvious area in which we could do better: patient recruitment to the National Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP). This nine-month behavioural intervention, either face to face or online, is aimed at adults in England at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. After running for three years, only 19% of those eligible had participated in the NDPP in our area, despite evidence that course attendance reduces your personal risk of Diabetes by 37%.' Read the full article at National Health Executive.  

Meddbase in Digital Health: Text message prompts boost engagement
November 11, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Digital Health. Read the full article on Digitalhealth.net

Text message prompts boost engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes

A pilot study from NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has revealed how powerful text messaging can be in increasing patient engagement in healthy lifestyles programmes. The pilot found that text message prompts to patients increased the number of referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) by over 1,000%. The study set out to explore whether the digital communications software managed at ICB-level is more effective than postal invites to engage patients in health programmes. It was supported by the ICB’s clinical technology partner, Meddbase. According to the study, using patient identification tools and automated text message prompts led to a:

• 1,000% + increase in NDPP referrals
• 331% increase in the number of patients who attend at least one session of the NDPP
• 181% increase in the number of patients attending sessions over a three-month period.

Meddbase software was used to enable the ICB’s engagement officer to quickly identify eligible patients, check them against criteria and also schedule text message prompts for the patient. At the same time all this information is captured into the electronic patient record. Dr Tom Milligan, clinical lead for diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, said: “The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. “The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. Given the current capacity challenges within general practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.”

Meddbase in News from the North: prompts to patients increase referrals
November 8, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in News From The North. Read the full article on Newsfromthenorth

Study: Text message prompts to patients increase referrals to NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme by 1000%+

A pilot study of 795 pre-diabetic patients has shown the significant potential of ICB-managed text messaging to engage patients with health intervention programs – after text prompts led to a 1000%+ increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) The study was designed to explore whether using the latest digital communications software, and managing it at ICB-level, is more effective than traditional postal invites when it comes to engaging patients in healthy lifestyle programmes. The study was conducted by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, with support from its clinical technology partner Meddbase. It found that using patient identification tools and automated text message prompts led to:

• 1,000%+ increase in NDPP referrals – from an average of 32 referrals per month to 363 per month
• 331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme (defined as ‘Milestone 1’) – with the previous monthly average of 16 patients rising to 69 in the first month of the study
• 181% increase in the number of patients attending sessions over a three-month period – with the findings showing an average of 45 patients reaching Milestone 1 each month, compared with the pre-study baseline average of 16

The results from the study and the key learnings for ICBs, including the importance of data quality and the need to facilitate patient choice, are explored in detail in a new white paper report, ‘It’s your GP texting: Utilising technology at ICB level to deliver a tenfold increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’. The findings demonstrate how utilising technology at ICB level has the potential to deliver huge increases in patient engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes, such as the NDPP. The NDPP was developed by NHS England and Diabetes UK and offers patients at risk of type 2 diabetes free support from an evidence-based lifestyle programme. Some two million people in the UK are classed as having pre-diabetes, meaning they are likely to develop the condition if they don’t change their lifestyle. To date, one million people have followed the programme, with data showing that it reduces the chances of developing diabetes by 37% – but it can only have the desired impact with patient participation. The study was conducted using software from Meddbase, an advanced clinical management provider. The software was used to enable the ICB’s Engagement Officer to quickly identify eligible patients, check them against criteria and then schedule text message prompts, while also capturing information to update Electronic Patient Records. Commenting on the pilot, Scott Walker, Senior Partnership Officer (Diabetes) at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “We’ve seen phenomenal success with this pilot, which was driven by user need. Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough patients to start a group. In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions. That’s the beauty of this solution – the untapped potential is huge.” Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, said: “Before this study, I thought we were doing NDPP referrals well, but in fact we were missing hundreds of patients with pre-diabetes. The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. Given the current capacity challenges within General Practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.” Erin Johnston, NHS Product Owner at Meddbase, said: “It has been exciting to work with colleagues at the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on this pilot, which has achieved brilliant results using our innovative clinical management software to reach patients at-scale as part of an effective and efficient programme. The outcome clearly shows that a strategic ICB-managed approach to patient communications, supported by the right kind of clinical management software, can have a significant impact on uptake of healthy lifestyle programmes.”  

Meddbase in Diabetes Times: Prompts increase referrals to NHS DPP
November 5, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Diabetes Times. Read the full article on Diabetestimes.co.uk.

Text message prompts increase referrals to NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

A pilot study of 795 people with prediabetes has shown the significant potential of ICB-managed text messaging to engage individuals with health intervention programmes.  According to the findings, text prompts led to a 1000 per cent increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP). The study was designed to explore whether using the latest digital communications software, and managing it at ICB-level, is more effective than traditional postal invites when it comes to engaging people in healthy lifestyle programmes. The study was conducted by the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, with support from its clinical technology partner Meddbase. It found that using identification tools and automated text message prompts led to:

• 1,000 per cent increase in NDPP referrals – from an average of 32 referrals per month to 363 per month
• 331 per cent increase in the number of people attending at least one session of the NDPP programme (defined as ‘milestone one’) – with the previous monthly average of 16 participants rising to 69 in the first month of the study
• 181 per cent increase in the number of people attending sessions over a three-month period – with the findings showing an average of 45 participants reaching milestone one each month, compared with the pre-study baseline average of 16.

The results from the study and the key learnings for ICBs, including the importance of data quality and the need to facilitate choice, are explored in detail in a new white paper report, ‘It’s your GP texting: Utilising technology at ICB level to deliver a tenfold increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’. The findings demonstrate how utilising technology at ICB level has the potential to deliver huge increases in engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes, such as the NDPP. The NDPP was developed by NHS England and Diabetes UK and offers people at risk of type 2 diabetes free support from an evidence-based lifestyle programme. Approximately two million people in the UK are classed as having pre-diabetes, meaning they are likely to develop the condition if they don’t change their lifestyle. To date, one million people have followed the programme, with data showing that it reduces the chances of developing diabetes by 37 per cent. The study was conducted using software from Meddbase, an advanced clinical management provider. The software was used to enable the ICB’s Engagement Officer to quickly identify eligible people, check them against criteria and then schedule text message prompts, while also capturing information to update Electronic Patient Records. Commenting on the pilot, Scott Walker, Senior Partnership Officer (Diabetes) at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “We’ve seen phenomenal success with this pilot, which was driven by user need. “Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough people to start a group.” He added: “In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage conversions. That’s the beauty of this solution – the untapped potential is huge.” Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, said: “Before this study, I thought we were doing NDPP referrals well, but in fact we were missing hundreds of people with pre-diabetes. “The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer individuals that would otherwise have been missed.” He added: “The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. “Given the current capacity challenges within general practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.” Erin Johnston, NHS Product Owner at Meddbase, said: “It has been exciting to work with colleagues at the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on this pilot, which has achieved brilliant results using our innovative clinical management software to reach people at-scale as part of an effective and efficient programme. “The outcome clearly shows that a strategic ICB-managed approach to communications, supported by the right kind of clinical management software, can have a significant impact on uptake of healthy lifestyle programmes.”

Meddbase in Healthcare Newsdesk: prompts to patients increase referrals
November 4, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Healthcare Newsdesk. Read the full article on Healthcare-newsdesk.co.uk

Study: Text message prompts to patients increase referrals to NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme by 1000%+

A pilot study of 795 pre-diabetic patients has shown the significant potential of ICB-managed text messaging to engage patients with health intervention programs – after text prompts led to a 1000%+ increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) The study was designed to explore whether using the latest digital communications software, and managing it at ICB-level, is more effective than traditional postal invites when it comes to engaging patients in healthy lifestyle programmes. The study was conducted by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, with support from its clinical technology partner Meddbase. It found that using patient identification tools and automated text message prompts led to:

• 1,000%+ increase in NDPP referrals – from an average of 32 referrals per month to 363 per month
• 331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme (defined as ‘Milestone 1’) – with the previous monthly average of 16 patients rising to 69 in the first month of the study
• 181% increase in the number of patients attending sessions over a three-month period – with the findings showing an average of 45 patients reaching Milestone 1 each month, compared with the pre-study baseline average of 16

The results from the study and the key learnings for ICBs, including the importance of data quality and the need to facilitate patient choice, are explored in detail in a new white paper report, ‘It’s your GP texting: Utilising technology at ICB level to deliver a tenfold increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’. The findings demonstrate how utilising technology at ICB level has the potential to deliver huge increases in patient engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes, such as the NDPP. The NDPP was developed by NHS England and Diabetes UK and offers patients at risk of type 2 diabetes free support from an evidence-based lifestyle programme. Some two million people in the UK are classed as having pre-diabetes, meaning they are likely to develop the condition if they don’t change their lifestyle. To date, one million people have followed the programme, with data showing that it reduces the chances of developing diabetes by 37% – but it can only have the desired impact with patient participation. The study was conducted using software from Meddbase, an advanced clinical management provider. The software was used to enable the ICB’s Engagement Officer to quickly identify eligible patients, check them against criteria and then schedule text message prompts, while also capturing information to update Electronic Patient Records. Commenting on the pilot, Scott Walker, Senior Partnership Officer (Diabetes) at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “We’ve seen phenomenal success with this pilot, which was driven by user need. Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough patients to start a group. In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions. That’s the beauty of this solution – the untapped potential is huge.” Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, said: “Before this study, I thought we were doing NDPP referrals well, but in fact we were missing hundreds of patients with pre-diabetes. The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. Given the current capacity challenges within General Practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.” Erin Johnston, NHS Product Owner at Meddbase, said: “It has been exciting to work with colleagues at the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on this pilot, which has achieved brilliant results using our innovative clinical management software to reach patients at-scale as part of an effective and efficient programme. The outcome clearly shows that a strategic ICB-managed approach to patient communications, supported by the right kind of clinical management software, can have a significant impact on uptake of healthy lifestyle programmes.”

Meddbase in Health Tech World: Soaring patient referrals
October 31, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Health Tech World. Read the full article on Healthtechworld.co.uk.

Soaring patient referrals in diabetes prevention programme – thanks to ICB texting pilot

The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme has seen a 1000% surge in patient referrals thanks to a study by Meddbase – using ICB texting over traditional postal invites.

A pilot study of almost 800 pre-diabetic patients has shown the significant potential of ICB-managed text messaging, more than doubling the number of pre-diabetes patients attending sessions over a three-month period. The study was designed to explore whether using the latest digital communications software, and managing it at ICB-level, is more effective than traditional postal invites when it comes to engaging patients in healthy lifestyle programmes. It was conducted by Meddbase, an advanced clinical management system provider, and NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

It’s your GP texting

The results from the study and the key learnings for ICBs, including the importance of data quality and the need to facilitate patient choice, are explored in detail in a new white paper report: ‘It’s your GP texting: Utilising technology at ICB level to deliver a tenfold increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’. The study findings demonstrate how utilising technology at ICB level has the potential to deliver huge increases in patient engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes, such as the NDPP. It found that using patient identification tools and automated text message prompts led to: ● 1,000%+ increase in NDPP referrals – from an average of 32 referrals per month to 363 per month ● 331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme (defined as ‘Milestone 1’) – with the previous monthly average of 16 patients rising to 69 in the first month of the study ● 181% increase in the number of patients attending sessions over a three-month period – with the findings showing an average of 45 patients reaching Milestone 1 each month, compared with the pre-study baseline average of 16

Pilot brings “phenomenal success” for diabetes scheme

The NDPP was developed by NHS England and Diabetes UK and offers patients at risk of type 2 diabetes free support from an evidence-based lifestyle programme. Some two million people in the UK are classed as having pre-diabetes, meaning they are likely to develop the condition if they don’t change their lifestyle. To date, one million people have followed the programme, with data showing that it reduces the chances of developing diabetes by 37% – but it can only have the desired impact with patient participation. Commenting on the pilot, Scott Walker, Senior Partnership Officer (Diabetes) at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “We’ve seen phenomenal success with this pilot, which was driven by user need. “Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough patients to start a group. “In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions. That’s the beauty of this solution – the untapped potential is huge.” Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, added: “Before this study, I thought we were doing NDPP referrals well, but in fact we were missing hundreds of patients with pre-diabetes. “The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. “The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. Given the current capacity challenges within General Practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.” Erin Johnston, NHS Product Owner at Meddbase, said: “It has been exciting to work with colleagues at the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on this pilot, which has achieved brilliant results using our innovative clinical management software to reach patients at-scale as part of an effective and efficient programme. “The outcome clearly shows that a strategic ICB-managed approach to patient communications, supported by the right kind of clinical management software, can have a significant impact on uptake of healthy lifestyle programmes.”

Meddbase in NHE: Text prompts driving patient engagement
October 30, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in National Health Executive. Read the full article on Nationalhealthexecutive.com.

Text prompts driving patient engagement in diabetes care

Meddbase in Clinical Services Journal: Text prompts increase referrals
October 29, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Clinical Services Journal. Read the full article on Clinicalservicesjournal.com.

Text message prompts increase referrals to NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme by 1000%+

A pilot study of 795 pre-diabetic patients has shown the significant potential of ICB-managed text messaging to engage patients with health intervention programmes, after text prompts led to a 1000%+ increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP). The study was designed to explore whether using the latest digital communications software, and managing it at ICB-level, is more effective than traditional postal invites when it comes to engaging patients in healthy lifestyle programmes. The study was conducted by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, with support from its clinical technology partner Meddbase. It found that using patient identification tools and automated text message prompts led to: ●  1,000%+ increase in NDPP referrals - from an average of 32 referrals per month to 363 per month ●  331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme (defined as ‘Milestone 1’) - with the previous monthly average of 16 patients rising to 69 in the first month of the study ●  181% increase in the number of patients attending sessions over a three-month period - with the findings showing an average of 45 patients reaching Milestone 1 each month, compared with the pre-study baseline average of 16 The results from the study and the key learnings for ICBs, including the importance of data quality and the need to facilitate patient choice, are explored in detail in a new white paper report, ‘It’s your GP texting: Utilising technology at ICB level to deliver a tenfold increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme’. The findings demonstrate how utilising technology at ICB level has the potential to deliver huge increases in patient engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes, such as the NDPP. The NDPP was developed by NHS England and Diabetes UK and offers patients at risk of type 2 diabetes free support from an evidence-based lifestyle programme. Some two million people in the UK are classed as having pre-diabetes, meaning they are likely to develop the condition if they don’t change their lifestyle. To date, one million people have followed the programme, with data showing that it reduces the chances of developing diabetes by 37% - but it can only have the desired impact with patient participation. The study was conducted using software from Meddbase, an advanced clinical management provider. The software was used to enable the ICB’s Engagement Officer to quickly identify eligible patients, check them against criteria and then schedule text message prompts, while also capturing information to update Electronic Patient Records. Commenting on the pilot, Scott Walker, Senior Partnership Officer (Diabetes) at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “We've seen phenomenal success with this pilot, which was driven by user need. Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough patients to start a group. In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions. That's the beauty of this solution; the untapped potential is huge.” Dr. Tom Milligan, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, said: “Before this study, I thought we were doing NDPP referrals well, but in fact we were missing hundreds of patients with pre-diabetes. The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. Given the current capacity challenges within General Practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.” Erin Johnston, NHS Product Owner at Meddbase, said: “It has been exciting to work with colleagues at the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on this pilot, which has achieved brilliant results using our innovative clinical management software to reach patients at-scale as part of an effective and efficient programme. The outcome clearly shows that a strategic ICB-managed approach to patient communications, supported by the right kind of clinical management software, can have a significant impact on uptake of healthy lifestyle programmes.” In addition to the whitepaper, the ICB will provide a free webinar on how to deliver a strategic ICB-managed approach to increase patient uptake in healthy lifestyle programmes.

Meddbase in Pulse: Ten-fold referral increase for diabetes prevention
October 28, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Pulse. Read the full article on Pulsetoday.co.uk.

Ten-fold referral increase for diabetes prevention when eligible patients texted, finds study

Texting patients to inform them of their eligibility to take part in the diabetes prevention programme brought about a ten-fold increase in referrals, according to a pilot study. Conducted by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, the intervention saw the number of patients referred to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) rise from 32 referrals per month to 363 (1,034%). According to a study authors, the findings indicate how using technology at ICB-level can improve patient engagement without adding to GP workload. The ICB identified 795 patients across four practices who were eligible for the NDPP, and sent automated texts over two weeks in January 2022 informing patients of their eligibility. In addition to a spike in referrals, the study saw a 331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme, rising from 16 patients to 69 in the first month of the study. This continued over three months, with an average of 45 patients each month attending their first session, up by 181% on the baseline 16 per month. The NDPP launched in 2015, and is typically accessed via GP referral, NHS Health Check or self-referral. It supports people with pre-diabetes to change their lifestyle, with data suggesting it can help cut a person’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 37%. The authors said that although it is common for patient comms to be managed at practice level, it ‘might not be the most efficient or effective’ means, given the time-cost and expertise needed. The study said: ‘Utilising technology to enable an ICB to invite patients from multiple GP practices at once also appears to have unlocked a number of efficiencies, saving GP practices time and money.’ It added that responsibility for the pilot sat with the ICB’s engagement officer ‘meaning that patients benefited without increasing the burden on GP practice staff’. It also suggested that the software it used – Meddbase – allowed the ICB to quickly identify and invite patients, while also mitigating against the risk of digital exclusion. Scott Walker, the ICB’s senior partnership officer for diabetes, said: ‘Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough patients to start a group. ‘In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions.’ And Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and clinical lead for diabetes at the ICB, said: ‘This pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. ‘The result was far greater uptake as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. ‘Given the current capacity challenges within general practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.’ The launch of the diabetes prevention programme has led to a 7% reduction in the number of new type 2 diabetes diagnoses in England between 2018 and 2019, representing around 18,000 people, NHS England said earlier this year. The University of Manchester research also showed that completing the nine-month NHS programme reduces a patient’s chance of developing the condition by more than a third (37%), with patients seeing an average weight loss of 3.3kg. Unless urgent action is taken to reverse rising case numbers, one in 10 adults will be living with diabetes by 2030, Diabetes UK warned last year.  

Increasing Referrals to Diabetes Prevention Programmes with Meddbase
October 28, 2022

It was during a conversation with one of our diabetes clinical leads at Humber and North Yorkshire ICB in late 2021, that we recognised our ability to recruit patients onto the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) was one of the things that had suffered severely during Covid. We recognised the need to alleviate some of the perceived burden of referrals to the NDPP in a way that wouldn’t detract from the benefits of patient of the programme. The programme had been running for 3 years but our primary care colleagues understandably needed to focus on other areas during this difficult time. There must be an easier way, we thought - and we began to come up with a concept; we recognised that everything in our record keeping is done digitally, so why not remove some of the workload from an already overstretched workforce by using a digital solution for this aspect of our healthcare management. Through an opportunity with NHS Digital, we were introduced to Meddbase as a partner, to look at the potential to produce a digital solution to drive up referral volumes and improve the health of our patients. The pilot programme we ran with Meddbase exploited the changing attitude towards digital communications that happened during Covid, as people became used to interacting digitally; we all have phones in our pockets and we knew we needed to capitalise on that. We also knew we couldn’t achieve these things without a provider to share the expertise and tools to fully exploit the possibilities; we can be risk averse when it comes to trying new things, but programmes outside of the core NHS work, like the NDPP, allow us to be more innovative in our thinking. We worked with Care Plus Group on the pilot as they hold the GP Data Quality contract for the practices involved and were able to run immediate searches for similar list sizes and demographics, so we could compare like with like in the context of this pilot and better understand the real implications of “opt-in” and “opt-out”invitation campaign using  patient text messaging. Our NDPP delivery partner, Xyla, were also keen to adopt and adapt their care pathway as part of the efforts. What we have now is a closed loop solution, that creates a set of states. Patients go into it and what you get at the end of the process is a defined set of outcomes: a group of patients who will proceed, a group who have declined, and a group who have yet to respond but are still identifiable. Compared to a few hundred patients that nobody quite knows what’s going on with, that’s a huge improvement - and you can work with that data in future to help with the overall understanding in terms of what patients want for support. The vast majority of patients have a mobile phone number on their record, so it’s great: simple automated activity but with the right checks and balances in place to know we are doing it safely and doing it well. It’s important to know that while we have used this method for the NHS  Diabetes Prevention Programme, because we have a strong focus on it, these mechanisms work to support any programme where you are looking at bulk identification and referrals. It gives the most precious resource we have back to practice staff which is time. They can then focus on the key areas which place more immediate demands on them, for example Covid vaccination programmes. A quick conversation with each practice confirmed that for patients who were referred off the back of the pilot, real health benefits were seen and none of these patients would have been contacted otherwise due to the ongoing pressures and demands. This pilot has shown us the ease with which eligible patients can be invited and processed, and the fact that we are now poised to roll it out to the entire eligible pre-diabetic population across Humber and North Yorkshire population footprint fills me with great excitement. The potential improvement we can make to the overall health of the population and the opportunity for other programmes across England to share in this new opportunity is endless. We also learned that even with clear instruction and parameters, in this case text messaging, some people will misunderstand so in future iterations we are looking to integrate email and electronic postal solutions on future versions. We do need to acknowledge digital exclusion too – no solution is perfect, and we didn’t get to all the patients, but we got to a situation where instead of sending out hundreds of postal invites a practice sends out only a handful, so it’s more cost effective, and leads to huge time savings. With a 1.6 million total population of the region, if we extrapolate the figures that’s a lot of people’s whose lives can be changed and while we have a large footprint, but we are not as densely populated as other geographical areas who could see a far higher volume of patients in a much smaller area. Scott Walker will discuss the key learnings from the successful pilot study determining the impact of using technology to increase patient uptake of healthy lifestyle programmes such as the NDPP during a live webinar on November 22nd 2022. Register to attend this webinar to learn more about the project findings and the implications for your practice or healthcare setting. For more information about using Meddbase for your healthcare management requirements, call +44 (0) 207 482 6290 or email [email protected]  

Meddbase in Healthcare Leader: ICB-level text scheme boosts referrals
October 27, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Healthcare Leader. Read the full article on Healthcareleadernews.com

ICB-level text scheme boosts diabetes referrals ten-fold

ICB-level texts prompting patients to engage with health intervention programmes brought about a ten-fold increase in referrals to a diabetes prevention service, a pilot study has shown. Conducted by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, the ICB-level intervention saw the number of patients referred to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) rise from 32 referrals per month to 363 (1,034%). According to a study authors, the findings indicate how using technology at ICB-level can improve patient engagement without adding to GP workload. The ICB identified 795 patients across four practices who were eligible for the NDPP, and sent automated texts over two weeks in January 2022 informing patients of their eligibility. In addition to a spike in referrals, the study saw a 331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme, rising from 16 patients to 69 in the first month of the study. This continued over three months, with an average of 45 patients each month attending their first session, up by 181% on the baseline 16 per month. The NDPP launched in 2015, and is typically accessed via GP referral, NHS Health Check or self-referral. It supports people with pre-diabetes to change their lifestyle, with data suggesting it can help cut a person’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 37%. The authors said that although it is common for patient comms to be managed at practice level, it ‘might not be the most efficient or effective’ means, given the time-cost and expertise needed. The study said: ‘Utilising technology to enable an ICB to invite patients from multiple GP practices at once also appears to have unlocked a number of efficiencies, saving GP practices time and money.’ It added that responsibility for the pilot sat with the ICB’s engagement officer ‘meaning that patients benefited without increasing the burden on GP practice staff’. It also suggested that the software it used – Meddbase – allowed the ICB to quickly identify and invite patients, while also mitigating against the risk of digital exclusion. Scott Walker, the ICB’s senior partnership officer for diabetes, said: ‘Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say that we will have enough patients to start a group. In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions.’ And Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and clinical lead for diabetes at the ICB, said: ‘This pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so they could identify, invite and refer patients that would otherwise have been missed. The result was far greater uptake as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. ‘Given the current capacity challenges within general practice and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes to the NHS, the findings here could have a huge impact.’

Meddbase in Building Better Healthcare: Texts prompt increase in referrals
October 26, 2022

Meddbase's pilot study with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB on using technology to improve Diabetes prevention referrals has been featured in Building Better Healthcare. Read the full article on Buildingbetterhealthcare.com.

Texts prompt increase in referrals to NHS diabetes programme

A pilot study of 795 pre-diabetic patients has shown the significant potential of text messaging to engage patients with health intervention programmes. The study was designed to explore whether using the latest digital communications software, and managing it at an Integrated Care Board (ICB) level, is more effective than traditional postal invites when it comes to engaging patients in healthy lifestyle programmes. Conducted by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, with support from its clinical technology partner, Meddbase; the pilot led to an increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) of more than 1,000%. It found that using patient identification tools and automated text message prompts led to:

• A 1,000%-plus increase in NDPP referrals – from an average of 32 referrals per month to 363 per month
• A 331% increase in the number of patients attending at least one session of the NDPP programme (defined as ‘Milestone 1’) - with the previous monthly average of 16 patients rising to 69 in the first month of the study
• A 181% increase in the number of patients attending sessions over a three-month period; with the findings showing an average of 45 patients reaching Milestone 1 each month, compared with the pre-study baseline average of 16

The results from the study and the key learnings for ICBs, including the importance of data quality and the need to facilitate patient choice, are explored in detail in a new white paper report entitled It’s your GP texting: Utilising technology at ICB level to deliver a tenfold increase in referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.

Patient engagement

And the findings demonstrate how utilising technology at ICB level has the potential to deliver huge increases in patient engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes, such as the NDPP. The NDPP was developed by NHS England and Diabetes UK and offers patients at risk of type 2 diabetes free support from an evidence-based lifestyle programme. Some two million people in the UK are classed as having pre-diabetes, meaning they are likely to develop the condition if they do not change their lifestyle. To date, one million people have followed the programme, with data showing that it reduces the chances of developing diabetes by 37%, but can only have the desired impact with patient participation. The study was conducted using software from Meddbase, an advanced clinical management provider.  

Capturing information

The technology was used to enable the ICB’s engagement officer to quickly identify eligible patients, check them against criteria, and then schedule text message prompts, while also capturing information to update Electronic Patient Records. Commenting on the pilot, Scott Walker, senior partnership officer for diabetes at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “We’ve seen phenomenal success with this pilot, which was driven by user need. “Previously, we had to wait to achieve the critical mass required to make our diabetes prevention programme viable, but we can now confidently say we will have enough patients to start a group. “In fact, the success of the pilot has given us the confidence to bring in additional human resources to manage patient conversions. That’s the beauty of this solution - the untapped potential is huge.”

A huge impact

Dr Tom Milligan, a GP and the clinical lead for diabetes in Humber and North Yorkshire, added: “Before this study, I thought we were doing NDPP referrals well. But, in fact, we were missing hundreds of patients with pre-diabetes. “The software used for this pilot enabled the ICB to conduct advanced searches for the first time, so we could identify, invite, and refer patients who would otherwise have been missed. “The result was far greater uptake of the NDPP as well as significant time saved for clinical staff. “Given the current capacity challenges within General Practice, and the cost to the NHS of lifestyle-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, the findings here could have a huge impact.”

Is There A Perfect Release Day For Medical Software?
October 3, 2022

As Meddbase customers may already know, we update and release a new version of our Meddbase medical software every month like clockwork. You have probably guessed that an enormous amount of work and planning goes on behind the scenes to enable each and every new feature and upgrade we release. But here we want to talk you through the unseen planning and decision-making process that went into determining our release schedule.  How did we identify the perfect release day? It's not as straightforward as you may think. The process of releasing new versions of Meddbase is something which has taken a lot of forethought - and picking a perfect release day that will always suit our customers, month in, month out, is one of the seemingly small decisions which required a great deal of consideration. The timings and conventions around releasing new software versions may be a mystery to you, and you may wonder if it is really necessary to think about something as seemingly straightforward as which day to choose for software release dates - let alone write a blog post about it. However just like with any other aspect of running an online patient record system, nothing about our software releases can be left to chance and every possibility must be thought through and tested, to make sure our customers are always getting the most convenience possible from our service, and that patient care is protected from potential disruption.

Typical Software Release Rules

For a long time we followed the simple industry conventions and rules around software releases; we would wait until a release was ready, give our clients the correct amount of notice, and release on the day that made the most sense for that specific release. This would obviously vary from one release to the next, but we held to some fairly common sense conventions: Don’t release software on a Friday night This is to ensure that any potential instability can be remedied without delay, and that if a customer needs support when using a new feature, they don't have to wait until after the weekend. Don’t release software on a Sunday night Mondays often involve heavier workloads for our clients and we would not want you to start your Monday morning adapting to change on top of tackling your usual to do list. Account for public holidays We understand the healthcare sector is a 24/7/365 industry but holidays can still be disruptive for many reasons, and are best avoided for software releases, especially when it comes to medical software. This way of approaching Meddbase releases worked well for quite a long time, but as our company expanded and our customers' businesses grew, we recognised that putting a stringent process, with predictability and reliability, into the release schedule would create an improvement for everyone.

Picking a Perfect Release Day

A large amount of work and research was done within the Meddbase development team to make a new release schedule possible. Once we had the potential to release on a cadence of our choice, the question then became, what exactly should that cadence be? We understood that releasing too frequently means the pace of change becomes hard to keep up with for our customers, particularly in this space where change control is vital. But release too infrequently, and branch management becomes more of a concern, QA takes a prohibitively long time and the amount of change contained in any one release becomes an issue. To balance these extremes, we settled on a monthly release cadence. Once we’d made that decision we started talking about what the monthly calendar should look like.

• Completes the development tasks for the upcoming release
• Processes the changes into a QA environment allowing enough time to test all new features and functionality
• Allows enough time to write release notes and other documentation to keep customers fully briefed on the changes they can expect to see
• Communicates to customers, giving the correct notice period ahead of the release

Introducing Medication Delivery by Meddbase
July 27, 2022

As a pharmacist, like many of my colleagues and other clinicians, I have first-hand experience of the frustration caused by poorly integrated or inaccessible technology; I know how it feels to struggle to get the information I need to safely care for my patients.  Seeing technology hamper rather than facilitate patient care is one of the reasons I chose to work at Meddbase. From the outset, Meddbase was founded to provide an integrated and easily accessible yet secure cloud-based electronic medical record (EMR) solution - an unusual concept back in 2005 when Meddbase was first deployed.  Of course digital-first health innovations have, over the last 10 years, been at the forefront of healthcare here in the UK and internationally, whether that be within large hospital groups or small private practices ^[1,2], and we have all witnessed the way in which the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the drive to provide effective virtual healthcare. The latest innovation to be built into the Meddbase application, Medication Delivery, helps do just that.  Meddbase Medication Delivery is a new totally paperless prescribing feature within Meddbase. This feature offers straightforward integrated dispensing of prescriptions, with a free delivery service. This ground-breaking feature builds on our company mission to foster healthier lives, and ensures healthcare remains as accessible as possible through digital innovation by ensuring patients receive the medication they need. Using the Medication Delivery feature prescriptions are created electronically without the need to follow up with a paper signature. They are then fulfilled and dispatched straight to the nominated address on a same-day delivery basis, at no extra cost. Through our partnership with Signature Pharmacy, we have already run a successful pilot of the new service with several of our clients and the functionality has been extremely well-received, with clients commenting that the feature is simple to use and ensures patients safely receive their medication when they need it, making clinicians and patients lives easier, and helping mitigate barriers and delays to treatment.   In a world where technology is at our fingertips, and is a crucial part of our day-to-day lives, the delivery of medication and the creation of online prescriptions may seem straightforward. However, with any healthcare provision security and safety is paramount from a data and operational perspective. The Meddbase Medication Delivery functionality is therefore fully compliant with legislation including The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 ^[3] ensuring it is a secure healthcare solution you can easily incorporate into your organisation.     So, what’s the catch? Digital innovation when not implemented well and integrated into existing workflows has been well publicised in causing disruption and barriers to care, providing a solution to one problem but creating several problems for clinicians and caregivers to solve. ^[5] This includes evidence suggesting digital-first video consultation solutions can increase GP workload by up to 25% ^[4]. It is widely recognised that seamless integration and user experience are key when adopting new technical solutions to avoid situations of clinician burnout and increased workload.   When developing the Medication Delivery feature, as with our video consultation (Telemedicine) feature, we followed a pragmatic approach to facilitating a seamless user experience. We worked closely with our users to design and introduce this extra functionality to the product and into clinical workflows avoiding unnecessary clicks. When asking a recent pilot customer what they thought of the feature they commented that it is “a seamless process, and it integrates with Meddbase really well, so you prescribe, you get a view of what the prescription will look like and then it’s a click and it’s done.”  As a pharmacist and and health informatics professional, I welcome this move toward safer, more streamlined and more effective patient care. The Meddbase Medication Delivery feature is now available to all new and existing UK clients. If you have any questions regarding the Meddbase Medication Delivery feature or wider Meddbase configuration questions, please do not hesitate to contact our client account management team via email or our support team via our helpdesk ticketing system.  If you’d like to join the thousands of clinicians and medical staff all over the world who use Meddbase, get in touch with our sales team at [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7482 6290. 

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References:

[1] https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-plan/ [2] https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/banks-healthcare-will-become-digital-first-2022-zoom-healthcare-lead-says [3] https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1916/regulation/219/made [4] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/550866/Wachter_Review_Accessible.pdf [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7327596/

Customers’ Top Five Config Tips – Get More out of Meddbase in just 5 Minutes
April 28, 2022

One of the things we hear often hear from customers when talking about Meddbase is just how configurable and bespoke the system is.

Just like when choosing an important piece of clothing, buying off the peg may be a quick fix but being measured up by a tailor, and getting something that's bespoke and of the highest quality will last you for many years to come.

A software system like Meddbase can be tailored to suit your needs too - and we have done so for multiple clients over the years. So with the help of our account managers and clients we've compiled our top 5 most popular config tips for Medbase users - these are small, fast and easily actionable changes which have a big impact on your workflow and efficiency every day.

These often overlooked pieces of configuration can make a big impact on system usability. The team have picked these from their implementations experience.

Calling on all of our discussions with clients who have successfully implemented the system, we have collected 5 Top Config Tips that take under 5 minutes. Each is tried and tested and has come recommended straight from our customer-facing team:  

1. Customise Your Meddbase Home Page

You have the option to streamline the tile options on the Meddbase Start Page removing those tiles that are not needed for groups of users or certain roles. You can also move less frequently-used tile options behind other tiles to achieve a simpler home page layout. Create new tiles and add these to the homepage to minimise the number of clicks a user needs to complete an action in the system. You can also add hyperlinks to tiles. Useful hyperlinks may include those to company policies, our knowledge base or training material such as videos. For more information on how to configure start page layouts on the home page please refer to this knowledge base article on our helpdesk. If not in use at your organisation you can also disable the messaging feed on the right hand of the screen by navigating to Admin>Configuration>Application and disabling the following checkbox:  

2. Customising Page Layouts

For patient, appointment, clinician and company records. Much like the Start Page tiles, you can reorder, remove and add to the layouts of Meddbase, including patient and clinician records (and anywhere you see the following in the top left of the screen: ) Removing sections can help simplify screens and eliminate data entry in fields others may not reference, whilst reordering sections can help facilitate workflows and ensure the right information is shown to the right person at the right time. For more details regarding the adding and reporting of custom fields see the following knowledge base article on our helpdesk. The dimensions of sections can also be edited to eliminate scrollbars on menus such as the patient details page as shown below. Lengthening the height of sections will reduce or eliminate scrolling making all options immediately visible.  

3. Email from your organisation’s domain

As part of your day-to-day clinical care and operations, you are likely to need to email patients and/or employees. We understand that you would like to use your organisation’s email domain or have emails appear as they come from your organisation. There are two ways you can do this using Meddbase:

1. Our advised and preferred method is for Meddbase to be configured using your SMTP settings. This means adding your email SMTP details (which you can obtain from your IT team or email provider) to Meddbase via Admin>Configuration>Email>SMTP shown above.
2. Using the Meddbase company SMTP and asking your email provider to make SPF changes is the other method. This method works by spoofing Meddbase emails to appear as coming from your email, this is less preferable. More details of this method can be found in this knowledge base article.

If you are looking to use your domain/email address then you need to add the email address into the Sender fields under Automated email and Manual email as described in this knowledge base article Running reports via URLs  

4. Running reports via URLs – Microsoft Excel and other platforms

There are a wealth of reporting possibilities using our built-in Meddbase reporting feature. Reports can be built by users via a supported UI meaning your data is quickly and easily accessible. Data accessed via Meddbase reports can then be extracted using unique URLs via various platforms from Tableau to Microsoft Excel. For a quick guide to simply pull report data into Meddbase into Microsoft Excel reference this step to step knowledge base article.

 

5. Medical history PDF Previews

Research shows that clinician decision-making with incomplete patient medical history presents significant clinical risk and can lead to patient harm. In turn, we understand that time is precious and efficiently reviewing documents during a consultation is a difficult task. This is why Meddbase can now preview PDF documents in the Medical History section of a patient record. This allows clinicians to more efficiently review documents uploaded to a patient's record. Documents such as third party discharge summaries and letters may not have data directly entered into Meddbase and therefore, once uploaded, previewing these documents helps ensure clinicians can quickly review a more complete patient record. To enable this tick the check box shown below and found in Admin>Configuration>Document>Medical History.

Looking For Other Healthcare Software Config Options? Get In Touch!

Meddbase remains highly flexible and in turn configurable to your business needs. I hope the above 5 tips help you to make high impact improvements to the user experience of all your users in turn helping with change management and system adoption. For more guidance regarding Meddbase configuration check out our knowledge base which contains hundreds of articles at your disposal. The account management and training teams at Meddbase are always on hand to facilitate your business growth and clinical care using Meddbase, and for those of you who are not yet using Meddbase we hope you allow us to show you how Meddbase can help you. If you have any questions regarding the functionality detailed within this blog post or other configuration questions about Meddbase, please do not hesitate to contact our support team via our helpdesk ticketing system. If you'd like to join the thousands of clinicians and medical staff all over the world who use Meddbase, get in touch with our sales team at [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7482 6290.

Favourite Features of Meddbase: The Billing Rules Date Sensitivity Upgrade
March 29, 2022

We recently made some upgrades to the Billing and Contract Management System in Meddbase, an area of the application that's always been of great benefit to our customers in a multitude of ways, allowing the configuration of some exceptionally complex billing rules.

Statement Regarding Cyber Security Risk Mitigation During Ukraine Crisis
March 7, 2022

Medical Management Systems' Statement Regarding Cyber Security Risk Mitigation, 7th March 2022

 

Due to the conflict in Ukraine and the heightened threat level towards countries supporting Ukraine, the UK's National Cyber Security Centre has asked all UK companies to stay alert and closely monitor their cyber security space. This statement addresses data security measures we are taking in light of the current situation.

What does this mean for you as a Meddbase user?

With regards to the use of Meddbase, and the security and backup of your data, nothing has changed.

Medical Management Systems runs the majority of operations from within the UK including UK customers' data hosting - with additional hosting in the Republic Of Ireland, Canada and the USA serving customers in those geographical markets. Currently there are no specific threats to UK organisations, and Medical Management Systems is highly unlikely to be the target of any direct threats.

As an ISO 27001-certified provider, business continuity and data security is integral to our operations at all times and preparing for unforeseen circumstances is a standard element of our Infosec planning process.

How are we mitigating the heightened security risk?

Whilst we consider it highly unlikely for Medical Management Systems or our Meddbase product to become a specific target of cyber attacks, we are aware that services and infrastructure provided by our suppliers could potentially be disrupted. This includes business critical services such as internet service providers and data centres, which underpin the provision of Meddbase to our customers in the UK and overseas.

We would like to assure all our customers that we are closely monitoring the situation, are committed to following official guidelines and have policies in place to ensure continuity of operations based on several eventualities.

If one of our critical suppliers becomes unavailable, we have procedures in place to switch to a secondary provider with minimal interruption.Additionally, if one of our offices becomes unavailable, we have a secondary location acting as a 'warm site', which can be made fully operational within a few hours. Employees have the hardware and software capability to work from home whenever necessary.

We are aware that the current crisis is volatile and subject to change, and we are prepared to respond accordingly.

Meddbase - Key Security Facts

We have outlined a set of key points to pre-empt specific questions and concerns about the company, the product, and your data security at this time.

Backups
All client data (including but not limited to patient records, medical records, appointments, documents) continues to be replicated across our two Tier-3 data centres in close-to-real time. We take additional backups of data and systems' configuration daily, encrypt them and store all data at separate locations ensuring failover options should an emergency situation arise.

Anti-malware
Our anti-malware solution is deployed to all endpoints on our network and scans all devices in real-time.

Firewalls
Our firewalls come with Unified Threat Management capabilities and include intrusion prevention and detection, web and application filtering, data loss prevention, network discovery among other precautions.

Vulnerability Assessments and Patch Management
All of our servers are regularly scanned for vulnerabilities. Outputs of these are analysed and fix roll-outs are prioritised based on criticality.

Monitoring
We have a range of network and hardware sensors with pre-defined thresholds that alert our Incident Response Team when any suspicious activity is spotted, or the moment any of our critical systems are down.

Please feel free to contact us
Should you have any further questions related to this statement or if you believe you have noticed something suspicious, please raise a ticket for Support Team as soon as possible via existing client communication channels.

We are committed to continuing to support our customers and we are always on hand to assist and respond to your concerns.

Will Temple
Managing Director
Medical Management Systems Ltd

Learn more about Meddbase Security Policies

Is Your Healthcare Business Ready – or Resistant – To Change?
January 13, 2022

For the first blog post of 2022 we want to cover something that's topical, and indeed typical, for people and businesses to contemplate in the month of January - the desire for change. While humans aren't renowned for their appetite for change, the New Year offers a unique chance to re-evaluate how we do things and ask ourselves if certain habits, processes and solutions are actually still working for us - or if they ever did. Whether in a personal or business setting, now is the time to make far-reaching changes that can revolutionise and overhaul the way our lives and businesses function and succeed. And as the hectic packed calendars that typify the run-up to the holiday period subside, the New Year usually offers the perfect time to schedule in these changes in practical terms too.

6 Quotes On Change That Will Inspire You To Embrace It

When you stop to think about it, Change is a concept that has inspired all the great thinkers, and 1001 famous quotes, including;

- Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change - Wayne Dyer - When you're finished changing, you're finished - Benjamin Franklin - The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change - Bill Clinton - Change is the law of life - John F. Kennedy

And possibly the most famous of them all:

- Be the change that you wish to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi

But for our purposes, to look at how attitudes to change fit in with upgrading your healthcare software, let's take our inspiration from possibly the oldest known quote on change in existence.

- The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new

Socrates is said to have uttered these words over two and a half thousand years ago, yet they are startlingly relevant to changing software systems today. It seems that underlying human nature hasn't altered since the 5th century and change can still be associated with things people fear they are losing rather than the long-term gains. Helping you to understand the huge gains on offer when updating your patient records system and optimising your business processes is what we do, and have been doing for over 17 years. Our implementation team will help you use our software to build a new, safer, more streamlined and efficient healthcare business of any scale, from one to 1000 users. We also understand that you and your team will be continuing to manage your day to day workloads during the building phase, and therefore have limited energy and resources for the change in processes; we will help you channel your available time and energy as efficiently as possible, and build new systems and pathways designed to enhance your operation. The number of quotes that exist to persuade people that change is good is testimony to just how much persuading we all need at the outset. When it comes to the process of change in business applications, especially in a healthcare setting, the reticence can be especially hard to overcome. We understand that an Electronic Healthcare Records system like Meddbase inherently involves most of a customers' teams - from Accounts and Finance to Administration, Clinical, Customer Service and Governance. Closely managing business changes to a crucial aspect of multiple departments' working lives must be handled with strategy, security and consideration constantly at the forefront.

If Change is Scary, Change Management Can be Scarier

Change management is defined as 'a collective term for approaches to prepare, support, and help individuals, teams, and organisations in making organisational change.' This makes it clear that change management is focused around the journey people are taken on during the adoption of any new systems or practices. Those who aren't familiar with the phrase 'change management' may find the idea even scarier than the concept of change itself. But when it comes to moving over to Meddbase, we prefer to define Change Management more simply as 'helping to make the process of change as easy as possible for you, using our resources and experience' which, let's face it, sounds far less scary - and actually something to welcome rather than avoid. We know that most people either fear, avoid or resist change in many aspects of life, and going through the process of change in business applications, especially in a healthcare setting, must be managed extremely carefully as it such a high impact change. Business productivity, patient safety and staff morale must all remain uncompromised and that's where the expert management of change is the key.

Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way

So, there are plenty of sayings about change, but the old adage ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’, is probably more famous than all of them put together. Psychologists have identified the fact that change actually requires both the will and the way in order to work successfully. Studies show that it takes less energy for your brain to use the areas related to habits and instinct than to run the more complex decision-making and problem-solving areas and that leads to people being resistant to change at a biological level.  But the final old adage we will quote in this post is the most overused phrase of them all: insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If something is not working for you or your business, it won't fix itself. If you've now got the will to make that change happen, Meddbase can show you the way. If you’d like to join the thousands of clinicians and medical staff all over the world who use Meddbase, get in touch with our sales team at [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7482 6290.  

How Meddbase Serves Occupational Health Software Users
December 7, 2021

Occupational health means different things to different people, depending on their role and their industry. Something that we’re always thinking about when building out the Meddbase software platform are the needs of the user. These needs can best be summed up by asking ourselves the following three questions:

1. Who are our users?
2. What do they need to do?
3. Why do they need to do it?

In our experience the more detail you have around those three questions, the better equipped you are to create a software solution that your users will be happy with, and that will meet or even exceed their expectations. Thinking specifically about occupational health, the needs of the users we serve using our Meddbase EHR software can vary considerably, and that’s because in an occupational health setting you are trying to serve many different user types, including, but not limited to;

• HR Business Partners
• Line managers
• Health and Safety Leads
• Employees
• Governance Heads

And the list goes on, and continues to grow, particularly as we see increased focus on occupational health as a result of the need to respond to the challenges of Covid. Thankfully, as a software provider you don’t need to worry about all of these user types all the time, because they often access different parts of an EHR software system due to their roles being so different. Often we find that these roles can be split between companies in heavy industry, where health and safety often leads the occupational health effort, and office-based industries which are often lead by their HR business partners. Health and Safety-led occupational health users tend to be more interested in:

• Assessing and monitoring the health of their at-risk workforce through health surveillance programmes to ensure that job roles aren’t affecting employees' health negatively
• Handling a large volume of care requirements with efficiency, ensuring booked clinic days are utilised fully with the highest priority cases
• Reporting on up-to-the-minute accurate datasets which describe and, if possible, even predict the future health status of employee populations to ensure high levels of compliance are maintained

HR-led occupational health users are interested in;

• Monitoring the health and wellbeing of their workforce to keep morale and engagement high
• Ensuring a high level of care provision for each employee engaged with occupational health, to get the most out of each referral
• Utilising Case Management referral programmes to prevent absence and handle it deftly when if does occur
• Ensure a high digital engagement with the employee to correctly capture consent and other critical details during the course of a referral

These paint very different pictures of who our user is, what they need to do, and why they need to do it, so it’s important that the software we develop serves each of them, is aware of these nuances, and correctly accounts for them. With many years of experience in the sector, working alongside key strategic clients, Meddbase has a successful track record in solving a myriad of common and unique problems for all of these types of OH user. This has allowed us to grow with our customers, and continue to help them to tackle new and emerging challenges they may face, as a partner and using a problem-solving mentality, rather than merely as an out-of-the-box software provider. If you'd like to join the thousands of clinicians and medical staff all over the world who use Meddbase, get in touch with our sales team at [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7482 6290.

7 of the Best Things About Meddbase – As Chosen By Meddbase Staff
November 1, 2021

  To mark Meddbase's 17th birthday this week we asked our staff to name their favourite things about the Meddbase application; here we share the top 7 answers - from speed to security, via pathways and patients, our team have a few features that stand out as making Meddbase the best EHR platform available.

1. Superior Speed

'I love how fast the Meddbase application generally is. We always get comments saying “is it really that quick?” - and yes, is it. And it stays fast even with a vast amount of data. Seeing how snappy the main side by side diaries are for our largest customers' data load always impresses me. None of our competitors ever come close to it.'

2. Right Data, Right Place, Right Time

'The best thing about Meddbase is the application's ability to put the right information in front of the right person at the right time using the pathways system, referrals and task management, which all allow data to be shared and moved between the people that need to see it, while remaining safe and secure. We let clients manage those data flows as they need to which accomplishes all sorts of goals and aligns with our own philosophy and values.'

3. Secure Document Sharing

'Meddbase's secure document sharing is a simple, elegant solution to a common problem that might otherwise lead our customers to spend a lot of money on a standalone solution  - or even take the easy way out and do something less safe and secure. Meddbase document sharing makes collaboration easy and ultra secure at the same time.'

4. The Flexibility of the Cloud

'Being a cloud-based system is the biggest plus for me when I compare Meddbase to other software systems I have used when working overseas. The last few years have made this benefit even more valuable, but the ability to configure a system that allows practices to be informed at all times and not be limited to being in a single location, ultimately provides better care for their patients. It’s also an extremely flexible system that allows clients to customise the application to suit their needs, and not be limited to out of the box designs.'

5. Perfect Pathways

'These are a smart and powerful way to drive process forward in a consistent and quality-assured way.

Meddbase pathways offer functional breadth in enabling a wide range of actions from sending a questionnaire, through uploading a document to booking a process. Control in defining the relative timing of when tasks should be done. Wide engagement in being able to allocate tasks to roles, patients and employer managers. All of this is capable of being elegantly wrapped together within a single workflow.'

6. Pertinent Patient Questionnaires

'Meddbase allows patient questionnaires to be automatically triggered by appointment bookings, streamlining an otherwise manually-initiated task. The appropriate questionnaires can be matched to a specific appointment type, ensuring that the right questions can be asked in the right appointment context.

This enables the patient to take control of answering questions at a time to suit them and forms part of a smooth information flow on completion to become part of the patient record available for clinician review. In other words convenience for the patient, and convenience for the doctor.'

7. Superb Slot Finder

'When booking an appointment, the Meddbase slot finder provides a simple tool with a compact set of steps to facilitate making an appointment booking.

Even within this procedural simplicity, it still offers a superb set of filters to help find the best appointment slot for the patient - meaning speed and thoroughness are both achieved.'

Of course these 7 superior features of the Meddbase electronic EHR are just a small selection of the impressive functions on offer. Each of our customers have their own hero Meddbase features that save them countless hours of administrative time, help them give better care to their patients, and facilitate their business processes.   If you'd like to join the thousands of clinicians and medical staff all over the world who use Meddbase, get in touch with our sales team at [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7482 6290.

Employee Health Record Solution Secures £2.25m Investment to Expand Online Platform
October 8, 2021

London, October 8th 2021

Employee health record solution secures £2.25m investment to expand online platform

Medical Management Systems (MMS) will use the funding from the independent asset manager BOOST&Co to develop its online platform and secure new contracts with international organisations. Medical Management Systems Ltd (MMS), the software company behind the UK’s leading online employee health record solution, Meddbase, has secured a £2.25m investment from the alternative lender, BOOST&Co. Beginning its journey with a single office in north London more than 20 years ago, Meddbase now operates globally, allowing healthcare professionals to securely carry out patient-led services using any web-enabled device. To date, the software has processed more than 16 million patient records and in 2021, holds over 900 million patient appointments, processing more than £1 billion in revenue for its customers. The investment from BOOST&Co will enable MMS to continue to develop its practice management and patient record system, as well as expand the online platform’s capability to secure contracts within new geographical markets and verticals. Alongside this investment, the product has also been named as a finalist for Healthcare Technology Provider of the Year in the 2021 Health Investor Awards. BOOST&Co has chosen to invest in MMS due to its superior product and extensive track-record with reputable customers such as UnitedHealthcare, Bupa, and the NHS. It is also anticipated that several development roles will be generated within the business, as part of this investment in growth. Oliver Reece, principal at BOOST&Co says: “We’re delighted to be able to provide this support for MMS and are excited to work with the team through this next chapter of their journey. MMS represents a great example of how investment can accelerate growth and we are pleased to support the business as it expands internationally and pursues a strategy that is clear and well thought through.” Will Temple, Managing Director at MMS says: “Since 2004 we have been pioneering the development of cloud-native systems capable of managing every aspect of medical businesses securely online. Our mission to join up healthcare processes, using our market-leading platform Meddbase, has been built on continuous innovation. There is always more work to be done to remain at the forefront of technological advances in healthcare, and this investment from BOOST&Co will enable us to continue to expand the product offering and further grow the business.” About Meddbase and Medical Management Systems Medical Management Systems Ltd is a British software house which began work on Meddbase, its pioneering cloud-native patient record management system, in 2004. The company is fuelled by the simple vision of revolutionising healthcare technology using a SaaS delivery model, and over the last 16 years has created an industry-changing product. Meddbase is the first new entrant to the UK's NHS GPIT Futures Framework in over 12 years, and the only online supplier on the catalogue. For more information on Meddbase, visit Meddbase.com. About BOOST&Co BOOST&Co is a leading provider of growth capital for innovative, fast-growing UK SMEs. The independent asset manager, which offers loans of £2m to £10m, covers all sectors, with a strong track record in TMT (technology, media and telecommunications). The lender has offices in London, Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge and Cape Town, with additional dealmakers in Birmingham, Reading and Leeds. It manages funds on behalf of large institutional investors, including insurance companies and pension funds. For more information about BOOST&Co, visit boostandco.com  

Meddbase on TechRound: Top Tips for Startups on How to Approach PR
August 10, 2021

Meddbase Head of Communications Jaillan Yehia has been quoted in a feature on Tech startup website TechRound, covering on the best way for new startups in the technology industries to approach their PR.  Read the full article on TechRound.  

Choosing A Webcam For Telemedicine: Our Top Tech Buying Tips
June 21, 2021

Given the additional reliance we have all placed on tech devices since the start of the pandemic, your thoughts may well have turned to tech upgrades for your practice or home-working setup. The huge spike in remote working means that webcams have become a highly sought-after tech accessory across in all industries, selling out and being subject to surge pricing in the early days of Covid-19. Within healthcare the importance of a reliable high-quality webcam that enables your patients to feel comfortable and connected to you, as if you were in the consultation room with them face to face, has become even more pronounced. Our customers often ask us for recommendations for a specific webcam that will work well with our Vidyo Telemedicine integration, so we thought today we would offer some general tips on choosing a webcam that is suitable for telemedicine and to help demystify some of the surrounding jargon. After all, we know you have plenty more important tasks than researching frames per second, or screen resolution during your working day. When it comes to selecting a new webcam, there are two key numbers that are going to be thrown around in the specs, whether you're shopping on online or in store, and those are FPS (Frames Per Second) where you'll see numbers like 24, 30 or 60 listed, and Resolution which is slightly more confusing, as the format of this number changes and options include 480 and 720 to 1080 through to Full HD (1920 x 1080p). These days you can get 4k too - that's not much use for consultations, and designed more for professional content creators, but if you're running webinars, a YouTube Channel or sharing your expertise online it could be an option. 

Choosing A Webcam for Telemedicine: Consider FPS

This is how many individual pictures your webcam processes and displays every second. Put simply, the higher number is going to be better, and will result in a smoother video stream; the last thing you want is looking like a slideshow or freeze during your patient consultation. 

Frame rate/fps	Notes
24	Supposedly the highest that the human eye can distinguish, in our experience it’s a good minimum to set, anything less is not good enough
30	Many webcams fall into this realm, and it will work for most use cases
60	Pretty high end for a webcam, if you’re looking for a professional experience and are willing to spend the extra, this is what to look for
60+	You won’t get much benefit from anything over 60fps, unless you’re planning to use your webcam for creating high quality video content as well as consultations

 

Choosing A Webcam for Telemedicine: Research The Resolution

Resolution	Notes
480p	This is the resolution in which DVDs were originally released. Today this would result in you feeling in need of a consultation - with an Optician
720p	Was once called ‘HD’ – now it’s a barely decent minimum resolution for webcam and most built-in laptop cameras are at this resolution
1080p	Also known as Full HD this is a ‘premium’ choice but fast becoming the accepted standard
4k	You won’t get very much benefit from spending the extra to get this feature when it comes to consultations

'This doesn't apply to me, I recently upgraded my laptop / desktop computer, so I don't need a separate webcam' you may think. Well, the surprising thing about webcams is that even the most up to date PC, Mac, laptop or Macbook isn't guaranteed to have the webcam quality you would expect - many carry specs that haven't been updated for a decade.

For example even if you invested in the latest Macbook Air  - one of Apple's best-selling devices - you will still be stuck with a less than ideal 720p built-in camera. To put that in context, this flagship laptop has a sub-par built-in camera when compared to an iPhone 11, iPad Pro, or even Samsung's previous generation Galaxy S20 phone. In 2021 you could easily be using the same camera technology in your brand new laptop that you would have been using if you were innovative enough to run virtual consultations on your old laptop back in 2011. Windows users are in the same boat, with most PC's and Microsoft laptops sporting mediocre camera technology from the era before Zoom and Teams calls were a common feature of the modern world. This is easy to rectify by upgrading, and selecting a webcam by one of the respected webcam manufacturers, such as Logitech or Microsoft - though many other manufacturers are competing in this growing market. And while you're comparing refresh rates, and resolution, remember to also consider these other factors: Sound: You can have the best picture in the world but if the sound on your consultation is echoey, tinny, or difficult to decipher, you are going to run into problems, and unhappy patients. Depending on your exact working set-up, you maybe want to consider a webcam with a built-in microphone, ideally with ANC  - active noise cancellation - so you can achieve a natural and distraction-free sound quality. Working Hours: Many webcams struggle in low light, meaning if you specialise in after hours appointments you may have a very grainy picture. Outdated webcams can also suffer, offering blurry images. Screen Placement: When using a built-in webcam, the angle of your computer screen dictates the angle of your camera - this may not necessarily be the ideal angle for both note-taking and seeing your patient properly. A separate webcam, perhaps with a tripod, could give you far more flexibility. Wide Angle: In some circumstances, especially where multiple participants are involved in a consultation, you will have more options if you choose a wide-angled webcam. Plastic vs Glass: Look out for a glass lens as this will always be better quality, produce crisper images and be more durable than a plastic lens which is a telltale sign of a budget product. Patient Privacy: Accidentally leaving your web cam on could be potentially embarrassing for most of us, but in a medical setting the importance of a secure and foolproof method of ensuring your webcam is off when you think it is, cannot be underestimated. An LED indicator that lets you know when the webcam is active is optimum, and some devices offer a built-in cover meaning it would not be physically possible to record, which is ideal for those running a combination of Telehealth consultations and in-person patient appointments from the same physical office. Internet Speeds: Even the best resolution and FPS on the latest webcam will become irrelevant if your internet connection - or that of the patient you are video calling - is poor.

Do You Actually Need A Webcam For Telemedicine?

And finally - just because you need a webcam, doesn't mean you actually need to buy a device labelled 'webcam'. That's because modern mobile phones, GoPro's and various other camera-ready devices are already equipped with the high-end camera tech needed to run virtual consultations, you often just need the software, or cables to connect them to your existing setup.

About Meddbase Telemedicine and Vidyo

   

Why We Value User Feedback: Implementing UserVoice In Meddbase
June 17, 2021

In this blog post Meddbase Product Owner Sam Wood Explains why we value user feedback - and the story behind Meddbase's decision to implement UserVoice to gather more direct feedback from our customers. User feedback is important for any software company and for healthcare software such as Meddbase, that feedback is especially important. Hearing directly from our users is one of our most crucial sources of information, helping us to shape and drive the direction of our product. We value user feedback because it helps us to ground the decisions we make about which features and functions to prioritise in the development process in real world experience felt by our end users. There are lots of ways that we use the feedback we get from customers, and user feedback helps us to add context and detail to evergreen questions that remain front of mind as we work on adding features and finesse to our platform. Those questions are:

The Value of User Feedback: Who Uses Meddbase?

It’s very easy for a software company to make assumptions about who their users are, and it's also very dangerous. User feedback is an important part of making sure we don’t fall into the trap of taking our own assumptions at face value. Identifying exactly who your users are is critically important when developing software; the more accurate and detailed a picture we can build up of who our users are, the better informed we become about which features to develop, in which order, and how those features should look and feel to make that specific audience feel comfortable. By actively soliciting user feedback directly from customers we can get a far more accurate and three-dimensional sense of who they are and what roles they are performing within our client's organisations.

The Value of User Feedback: What Problems Are Our Users Facing?

Perhaps just as obvious a question on the surface but getting pinpointed user feedback lets us know which areas of the product and precisely which processes, our users are having issues with. We can take this further with more feedback as this enables us to pick out patterns and underlying issues that are much easier to spot from a high-level vantage point than when you are at the coal face of developing a product, and focused on the finer details. Often, we can uncover small inefficiencies that no individual person or user would ask us to make changes to correct, but by crowd-sourcing the wisdom of your wider user base some necessary changes become glaringly obvious. This result is only really possible if feedback is democratised to the point that anyone can give feedback if they are motivated to do so, and the barriers to doing so remain very low. Getting feedback directly from users gives us visibility on problems that customers are facing which we might not otherwise be aware of. As the world of digital healthcare changes, we of course try to keep abreast of all the changes that we should react to within the product, but there is simply no substitute for hearing directly from the mouths of those who are living with those changes day to day.

The Value of User Feedback: Why Are Users Choosing Meddbase?

Healthcare is a sector which is still relatively uncomfortable with technology when compared to other industries. This is definitely changing and currently that change is happening apace - and it is documented that a sea-change in attitudes to technology has been accelerated by Covid-19. With this fast-moving aspect to the health-tech industry it can be surprising which workflows and processes our users expect our software to automate, streamline, solve or facilitate, so we need to keep a close eye on which features are resulting in customers coming to us. To give a very straightforward example, the users choosing Meddbase due to our Telemedicine offering spiked in March 2020, but not all reasons for users choosing your product will be as easy to document as a global pandemic resulting in the need for remote consultations.

When It Comes To User Feedback, You Don't Know What You Don't Know

There is a particular set of intangible information that it’s hard to specifically ask people to give us information on; the things we don't know are an issue. Often the things that come up in customer feedback surprise us, and things that seem so mundane as to be almost invisible to the people using the software can, when pressed, be the areas in which they most wish to see change. Direct user feedback is a great source of both qualitative information and quantitative data that we can mine, to make sure we understand what our users are asking us to help them with. We want to make clear and informed decisions about the direction of the product and we don't want to work blind and guess which business challenges to solve next with our software - and more importantly - in which order. Sometimes we’d be right, but often without user feedback we’d find ourselves releasing features which don’t solve the problems that really matter, or worse, which create new problems. Ultimately, a good product owner will take on board a combination of these user equations - the Who, What and Why. And to complete the narrative, we need to involve two more variables in the feedback loop: When and How.

When and How Does User Feedback Matter?

When is an easy one; all feedback has a shelf life, and some is incredibly time-sensitive (for example feedback around our Covid Screening programme) but taking a snapshot of feedback and then closing the doors is of very little use. We need to constantly be asking for the most up to date problems, wants and wishes of all our users to keep the compass pointed North and make sure we’re up to date with the industry in general and our customers specifically. How has historically been the hardest question to answer, and getting it right is a constant work in progress. Ultimately, any interaction with a user is an opportunity to gather feedback and it’s always useful to gather that ad-hoc feedback when the opportunity presents itself. We’ve tried lots of ways in the past of gathering feedback and storing it internally, keeping it up to date with diligent note taking and curation. These initiatives always had limited scope and usefulness though because they relied on so many things happening in order to make them work properly. Having more steps required ultimately leads to more potential ‘leakage’ of feedback from the system. In a bid to remove steps from the process, and therefore opportunities for the feedback to get lost in the system, we’ve moved to a direct, open and democratic method of gaining, sharing and prioritising user feedback: UserVoice. Since launching UserVoice to our customers in May 2021, we have already heard from users that we wouldn’t normally hear from, and gained insights into problems that they are facing that we might not have known about by gathering feedback via traditional routes. Going forward, we are making our UserVoice platform a core pillar of our Product Backlog Prioritisation process and will be working to build engagement with our users through this platform to give them insight into what direction we are taking the Product, and how we’re using their feedback to help shape that direction. If you're a customer who would like to leave any feedback, please sign up to Meddbase UserVoice. If you'd like to read more from our product team, check out Sam's blog post on Case Management.  

Leading UK Healthcare SaaS Provider Meddbase Expands Into Canada
May 24, 2021

London, May 24th 2021 - Meddbase, the UK's leading cloud-based EHR platform, has signed ELNA Medical’s Medicentres clinics as its first Canadian client, adding the largest group of primary and specialty care clinics in Canada to its growing healthcare customer portfolio. Meddbase has been offering a pioneering cloud-native software package to private healthcare businesses for over 16 years, and increased demand for its product in the UK and overseas is now leading to international expansion into new markets and territories, including Canada. ELNA Medical is a network of 56 primary, specialty and occupational health care clinics, leveraged by advanced technologies. More than 800 medical professionals provide high-quality care in person and through telemedicine to more than one million Canadians and 1,500 organisations each year. Its clinics outside of Quebec, including their occupational health clinics are under the Medicentres banner. The Meddbase system has been implemented in the latter’s occupational health clinics. Will Temple, Managing Director of Medical Management Systems, the company behind Meddbase, comments: 'We are delighted to begin our expansion into the Canadian market by working with ELNA Medical, who share many of our own core values, and embody our vision to deliver first rate joined-up healthcare services seamlessly through technology across multiple locations. We welcome the opportunity to build on the Meddbase product with additional data hosting locations such as our new Quebec data hub, as well as increased international functionality such as multiple time zones and language support. We look forward to continuing the positive working relationship we have built with the team at Medicentres.' Wayne Samuels, General Manager of ELNA Medical’s Medicentres clinics adds: 'Our objective as an organisation is to persist in providing convenient and quick access to high quality care to our patients and corporate clients across the health spectrum, including personalised and preventive medicine. When seeking the ideal software suite, we turned to Meddbase and have found the implementation of the system to be excellent. Their experienced team has been flexible, organised, and well-prepared and we are excited to continue the rapport we have built with Meddbase as we work on further functionality and roll-outs.' About Meddbase and Medical Management Systems Medical Management Systems Ltd is a British software house which began work on Meddbase, its pioneering cloud-native patient record management system, in 2004. The company is fuelled by the simple vision of revolutionising healthcare technology using a SaaS delivery model, and over the last 16 years has created an industry-changing product. Meddbase consists of 15 million lines of code, holds over 900 million patient appointments, and has sent over 20 million appointment reminder texts. Meddbase is the first new entrant to the UK's NHS GPIT Futures Framework in over 12 years, and the only online supplier on the catalogue. About ELNA Medical ELNA Medical is a Quebec-based company that brings together the largest network of medical clinics in Canada, with over 800 medical professionals in 56 primary and specialty health care and occupational health clinics. Active since 2016, it provides primary and specialty health care covered by public health care insurance plans. True to its mission and innovative spirit, ELNA is committed to making a meaningful contribution to the health and well-being of every patient by providing personalised, easily accessible and exceptional-quality medical services, all supported by leading-edge technologies. ELNA Medical is associated with CDL Laboratories, a leader in the private laboratory industry in Quebec.  

Meddbase Named A Finalist at the HealthInvestor Awards 2021
May 19, 2021

London, U.K., May 19th 2021 - Leading online practice management system Meddbase has been named a finalist at the HealthInvestor Awards, in the category of Technology Provider of the Year.

The cloud-native software platform has been shortlisted on the basis of its ground-breaking work on an NHS-compliant integration designed to enable public and private sector healthcare organisations to share digital patient records for the first time. The award nomination highlights Meddbase’s unique vision for interoperability within healthcare technology, and commitment to capturing all aspects of the patient journey within one secure online platform. Meddbase’s Chief Information Officer and NHS Programme Lead Rebecca Trewinnard explains: ‘We have worked with NHS Digital to integrate some of Meddbase’s most exciting and pioneering private sector functionality with NHS public health, and create a breakthrough in integrated care records which is an absolute industry first. The development of this solution, offering independent GPs the ability to view their patients’ NHS records, will facilitate a more joined up approach to patient care.’ She continues: ‘Phase Two of our work allows independent GPs to access, read and act upon the NHS patient record and crucially to send information and documentation directly back to the NHS patient record itself. To see this achievement acknowledged with a HealthInvestor Award nomination provides welcome recognition of our team’s collective hard work, tenacity and determination to drive the industry forward via improved technology.’ Speaking about the full spectrum of Meddbase's project work with the NHS Meddbase Managing Director and Co-founder Will Temple comments: 'We believe that facilitating digital healthcare transformation is vital if we want to see advancements in technology translate from private healthcare to public healthcare.  As a healthcare technology provider we are committed to designing and building integrations to enable the joining up of healthcare data. Being named as a finalist for HealthInvestor's Technology Provider of the Year is an honour shared by the entire Meddbase team, as well as those working alongside us at the NHS.' The award winners will be announced at an event at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 13th September 2021. For more details about the awards and finalists visit the HealthInvestor Awards website.

About Meddbase and Medical Management Systems

Medical Management Systems Ltd is a British software house which began work on Meddbase, its pioneering cloud-based patient record management system, in 2004. The company is fuelled by the simple vision of revolutionising healthcare technology using a SaaS delivery model, and over the last 16 years has created an industry-changing product. Meddbase, consists of 15 million lines of code, holds 900 million patient appointments and has sent over 20 million appointment reminder texts. Meddbase is the first new entrant to the NHS GPIT Futures Framework in over 12 years, and the only online supplier on the catalogue

Meddbase and the NHS: Supplier Update Q1 2021
April 15, 2021

Meddbase and the NHS: Our NHS Programme Updates  As you may be aware, here at Meddbase we have been working with NHS Digital for a number of years on a variety of projects to integrate some of Meddbase's functionality with NHS public health records. These projects include the development of a fully compliant solution offering independent GPs the ability to view their patients' NHS records, facilitating a more joined up approach to patient care. We've also been working on a follow-up phase to this work which will allow independent GPs to send information and documentation to the NHS patient record, as well as advancing our Meddbase Lite offering, and continuing to test NHS adaptors, to facilitate interoperability. Here we will update you on the progress of each of these projects, and summarise their aims and benefits as well as their timelines. GP Connect Update The development of the Meddbase GP Connect service, connecting private GPs with NHS primary care providers, is set against the backdrop of the CQC report on Private Hospitals that highlights the need for independent GPs to be able to access their patient's NHS records. This is key to improving clinical safety  - especially in relation to prescribing and allergies. We are happy to announce that this project is on track and we will be ready to pilot phase 1 in Spring/Summer 2021.  Phase 1 functionality allows a private GP to view their patient's NHS record within Meddbase, once consent from the patient themselves has been gained. We are also working behind the scenes to build on this work with a Phase 2, which we call the ‘Send Document’ phase. This will allow the GP to send any documentation, in PDF form, to the patient's NHS GP. This information can then be stored within the patient's NHS record and accessed when needed by their NHS primary care practice. Meddbase Lite Update We are also finalising the compliance process with NHS Digital on our Meddbase Lite product, which should be available on the NHS Buying Catalogue in July 2021. This will make Meddbase the first new entrant onto the catalogue in over 12 years, and the only cloud-native supplier. Meddbase Lite offers NHS organisations access to any patient's medical record on the Spine, offering the flexibility to provide care to patients who are not registered with your practice or who have not previously received care from your organisation.  Access will be via soft token smartcards. NHS-compliant access to the 'SPINE' means you can review the patient's medical record, and notes can be taken during the consultation and saved directly into the patient record. Safeguards are in place, as all activity is fully audited. This enterprise appointment solution also offers a sophisticated telemedicine component which has been piloted successfully with our private sector client base. We are continuing to work through the NHS's rigorous capability compliance process and have so far gone through compliance for two of the capabilities, those centred around resource management and referral management, and have passed. As we look forward to the rest of 2021 we will continue to work alongside the NHS to fulfil the various capabilities. As part of Meddbase's ongoing NHS Programme we are continuing to work as one of the National Adaptor Integration Test Partners. This is a research and development programme which is aimed at addressing the issue of legacy technology and APIs used by the Spine, and the challenges faced by new market entrants who are looking to integrate with the Spine and offer services to the NHS. Meddbase is one of only two national test partners who are laying the groundwork by testing these adaptors, thereby unlocking the potential for new market entrants to access the NHS APIs and help diversify the market and facilitate digital healthcare transformation. This work is on track and due to end in April 2021. For more information on the work Meddbase is doing alongside the NHS visit the NHS page of the Meddbase website, read our news section and Meddbase blog, or book a demo.  

Meddbase on Netsuite.com: 5 Questions for Tech B2Bs Considering the Subscription Model
February 16, 2021

Meddbase's Managing Director Will Temple talks to Oracle Netsuite about the increased demand for and benefits of subscription-based software, and takes a look at what makes a product subscription-worthy. Read the full article on the Netsuite website.

Will Temple, Managing Director, Meddbase, talks about the Logistics of the Subscription Model

'Meddbase started in 2004 and found its subscription niche relatively simply. The opportunity was the custodial ownership of data for healthcare. In the UK, that’s a huge inherent risk — and health organizations consequently do not want to own the processing nor storage of data. Meddbase processes, manages and stores this health data and deals with retention, deletion backup and other tasks specific to data in the industry. “Health organizations want [external] companies to deal with [the processing part of the data], so we got into that quite early on,” said Temple. “... We take it off of the organization and do it for them, so it’s a very obvious service we’re providing. There’s no way you would look at it and think that you would buy it once, because it’s a continual service.” When asked to name just one best practice for companies beginning a subscription offering, Temple answered concisely: Invest in the customer and their loyalty throughout the lifecycle.'    

Managing Director’s New Year Message 2021
January 8, 2021

Managing Director's New Year Message 2021

It has been 10 months since I wrote an open letter to you, as we all entered the unchartered territory of lockdowns for the first time and as leaders of large and small businesses up and down this country and around the world addressed their clients' new concerns.

I could not have imagined that I would be writing a similar statement at the start of 2021, to reassure you of our continued commitment to support your businesses and patients in these difficult times.

As a cloud technology company specialising in clinical solutions to serve healthcare organisations across the globe, in private, corporate and NHS medicine, the Meddbase team have been focused on assisting our clients and their patients in a number of ways since March 2020.

We have scaled up our telemedicine solution and increased our staffing levels to support change and additional demand. We have also integrated a unique Covid AG screening programme into Meddbase as a direct response to the pandemic.

These programmes and initiatives, we are proud to say, have made a real difference to the organisations and individuals with whom we work.

Given the continuing demands across the sector, especially for remote working solutions, we are confident that we are well placed to continue with all our workstreams uninterrupted in 2021 irrespective of lockdown status, and can offer 'business as usual' even in such unusual times.

My message for January 2021 is simply a renewed commitment, on behalf of every member of the Meddbase team, to always offer you practical, tangible and actionable solutions and advice, backed up by our specialist knowledge, and to be your trusted partner in overcoming the latest challenges.

Best wishes for a happy, and above all a healthy, New Year.

Will Temple
Managing Director
Medical Management Systems Ltd

Learn more about Meddbase

Meddbase Portfolio Delivery Manager Joins Faculty of Clinical Informatics 
December 10, 2020

Meddbase Portfolio Delivery Manager Rob Nobrega joins the Faculty of Clinical Informatics 

Ahead of the Faculty of Clinical Informatics' AGM on December 15th 2020, Meddbase announces its Portfolio Delivery Manager Rob Nobrega has been accepted as a member of the well-respected professional body for informaticians in health and social care.

The faculty shares the Meddbase vision to support safe, effective and efficient health and social care through excellence and innovation in clinical informatics, as well as advocating for the inclusion of clinical informatics in core clinical training. As the industry tackles the challenges of recovering from the pandemic, improved design, development and delivery of health and care information systems will become even more vital.

Rob Nobrega comments: “I am delighted to be accepted as a member of the Faculty of Clinical Informatics, especially at a time when informatics has been called upon to play a pivotal role in overcoming the biggest health challenge of our lifetime. I am certain the faculty will continue to make a positive impact and I welcome the opportunity to be involved with the work of the FCI encouraging further advances in the health informatics sphere.

Rob adds: "I look forward to attending the Annual General Meeting on December 15th 2020 and very much hope the insights gained here at Meddbase, alongside my pharmacy background, will allow me to contribute to the work of the faculty going forward.”

About Meddbase and Medical Management Systems

Medical Management Systems Ltd is a British software house which began work on Meddbase, its pioneering cloud-native patient record management system, in 2004. The company is fuelled by the simple vision of revolutionising healthcare technology using a SaaS delivery model, and over the last 16 years has created an industry-changing product. Meddbase consists of 15 million lines of code, holds over 900 million patient appointments and has sent over 20 million appointment reminder texts. Meddbase is the first new entrant to the NHS GPIT Futures Framework in over 12 years, and the only online supplier on the catalogue.  

Meddbase in Management Today: Is Business Trip Culture Gone For Good?
December 8, 2020

Meddbase's CEO Hossein Noshirvani speaks to Management Today, along with cross-industry business leaders, to reflect on the changes to business travel brought about by the pandemic. Read the full article on the Management Today website.

HOSSEIN NOSHIRVANI, CEO, MEDDBASE

'While I don’t miss every flight - and I’m happy to avoid the jet lag - I do miss the return flights home from business trips, because they provide the perfect thinking time and environment to reflect on and digest the developments resulting from the trip itself. 

Those flights offer a completely unique time out from day-to-day life; when else do you have hours on end to work on pitches, strategize or just edit your meeting notes in complete silence, with no phone calls or interruptions?

Plus, it’s clear to clients just how much we value their business when a meeting warrants taking a transatlantic flight - and now that those journeys are so rare, I'm finding I relish them all the more. So no, I won't be tearing up that frequent flyer card just yet.'

Meddbase on Jump.Work: 7 Interview Questions To Ask Employers During Covid-19
November 25, 2020

Meddbase Head of HR Sarah Cape has been quoted by Jump.work about the way candidate questions have changed during COVID-19.  

Meddbase in Think Digital Partners: Women In Digital – Christine Hart
October 12, 2020

Meddbase's CDO Christine Hart is profiled by Think Digital Partners as part of a series focusing on the career progression of leading women in technology.  

WOMEN IN DIGITAL: CHRISTINE HART

We speak with chief delivery officer at medical practice management software firm Meddbase, Christine Hart, about her life in the military, being the only woman in her work environment for many years, and why she moved into healthcare.

Did you enjoy school? I grew up in a big family of five kids – our house was a pretty loud place – and my dad is a mad scientist type so we all grew up focused on learning and feeding curiosity at home as well as school. It wasn’t uncommon for science experiments and dinner to be cooking in the kitchen at the same time. This gave me the ability to connect academic learning with everyday life and I still do this now with my own son: we often add a science lesson to baking, gardening or taking care of the dog. What qualifications do you have? I don’t find my experience and qualifications are traditional, but I’ve definitely taken the steps to grow and develop to where I am now. I spent 15 years actively deploying technical solutions to hazardous environments, beginning my training in the US Navy followed by time in the Defence Intelligence Agency, growing my experience leading teams and driving larger projects. As a result, I spent many years overseas in very non-traditional environments and working with diverse groups of people. Has your career path been a smooth transition, a rocky road or combination of both? I think my version of smooth or rocky is often different than others’, but it’s definitely been a combination of both. I’ve had a very unorthodox career path for most in my life. Working for the US government I provided technical support that grew into more robust technical projects like building data and operational centres, so I’ve always been focused on delivering IT solutions and leading teams. The work placed me in some very dynamic environments, but also gave me a global view of politics, and a better understanding of world issues and the impact on humans from these strategic decisions. The advantage for my roles in healthcare has been the ability to keep in mind how decisions can impact clinicians and patients. I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge or hard work, I always look at my career and am thankful for the opportunities that have been provided. Of course, there are periods of time that were so exhausting that I look back on them and immediately want to take a nap, but I also know that those are the times where I overcame the most. I spent over half of my career the only female engineer, or the only female full stop, and often delivering to very male dominated groups. There were definitely hard days, but I found that if you are willing to fulfil your role, work hard and be part of the solution, not the problem, then respect will be earned, and respect is key. I never expected to fall into healthcare, but after working for the military, the connection to humanity is similar and the missions are very alike. I need that connection with helping the greater good with a direct, positive impact on people, especially the most vulnerable – our patients. That is who I believe those in the healthcare industry truly serve. I think that we all have hurdles and as a woman, we often have different challenges that don’t translate onto our CVs, but I also know that I wouldn’t be the leader and mother and person that I am without them. If it took a few rocky roads to get me to who I am today, then I’m good with that and embrace it, scars and all. What’s the best career advice you can give to others? I have a few things… Your dedication is a direct reflection of how much you care. It’s much easier to be dedicated and work hard for things that your integrity can get behind. You might not always love your job, but loving what and who you are serving will get you through the rough times. ‘Can’t’ is an excuse to not try harder. Ask yourself how bad you want it, if hard work discourages you, then you don’t want it bad enough. I stopped choosing jobs for money a long time ago, but instead I choose jobs that excite me and the money follows. If you had to pick one mentor who has had the biggest influence on you, who would it be? I don’t know if have had one mentor that stands out, but I’ve been really blessed that people have cared and respected me enough to give me advice. I feel that if they care enough to share their honest thoughts with me, then I need to listen. Advice doesn’t always come from people that you admire or consider to be someone to aspire to, sometimes it comes from subordinates, strangers and even your kids. I think to truly learn from others, you have to be willing to be humble and open minded. perspective. From where do you draw inspiration? I was taught a hard lesson to not overlook life’s little gifts; smell the flowers, enjoy those messy moments with your family, the friendliness of a stranger or time with a pet. By embracing humanity and nature, I’m better able to look past the complexities in our world and focus on the fundamental shared needs of all of us. This gives me focus I need and reminds me not to get distracted by things that aren’t truly valuable. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced to date? I spent 15 years in war zones, so every day that I get to go home, cook dinner and hang out with my son is, to me, the definition of a good day. I’ve had a lot of really bad days, so I try to keep my bad days in perspective and not let them effect my attitude or how I treat people. What qualities do you feel makes a good leader? Being honest and transparent with your teams, being someone with integrity that they can trust. Embrace your humanity, teach that failure is real and we use it to improve. Set high expectations, tell people that you have faith in them to meet those expectations and teach them how to do so. Don’t be a good leader on only good days. A good leader is a good follower, don’t let your role step on others’ voices or their authority to make decisions. My last thought is to laugh with your teams; you don’t have to be a comedian, but a bit of levity allows them to know that you’re approachable and not always in ‘boss’ mode. From a work viewpoint what has 2020 been like for you so far? Exhausting! Healthcare has made a dynamic shift in focus and delivery within a very short time. Throughout that time of transformation there hasn’t been a way to segregate our family lives from our work lives. As a single mom with a child at home all day, managing online schooling and intensely working through such a stressful time has been exhausting, but I also know that the outcome and improvement in clinical and patient care will change how the world views IT healthcare. Give us a fact about you that most other people wouldn’t know I don’t find that these are things that really come up in conversation but… I’ve been to Formula One and Nascar racing school, and I also went to hand to hand combat and defensive driving school for one of my jobs. I was the engineer manning the systems for the first ever Iraqi and US Cabinet meetings that George Bush attended in his surprise visit to Baghdad in 2005. I once bribed a tour bus driver to drive me (and my team) from Athens, Greece to Skopje, Macedonia, the day after the US announced it was at war with Kosovo. His key concern was that he didn’t have Macedonian currency for the tolls… but I did. I was one of the technical advisors to the current US Embassy in Baghdad while it was being built. I provided technical support to nine different locations in Afghanistan for a year; six of the sites had zero females allowed on compound and I didn’t work with another female for 11 years of my career. I bred, raised, and trained Border Collie dogs as a teenager for money. My first time on an airplane was to go to US Navy bootcamp in Great Lakes, Illinois at 18 years old.  

Caring About Case Management
October 8, 2020

Meddbase Named As A Finalist in the HTN Awards 2020
September 30, 2020

London, U.K., September 30th 2020 - Leading online practice management system Meddbase has been shortlisted for an HTN Award.    

The SaaS software product has been named a finalist in the 2020 Health Tech Newspaper Awards in the category of Most Promising Pilot, with a telemedicine project carried out for client HCA Healthcare UK.

The virtual consultations pilot phase saw Meddbase provide the capability for HCA doctors to continue to work remotely in the early months of the pandemic.

“We couldn't be more proud of our team for the hard work and focus that was put into delivering this crucial project under extremely challenging circumstances and to exceptionally tight deadlines,” said Managing Director and Meddbase co-founder Will Temple.

"Being named as a finalist gives much deserved recognition to the dedication of our team, as well as to those working alongside us at HCA Healthcare."

The award winners will be announced in a virtual awards evening on October 22nd 2020. For more details about the awards and finalists visit the HTN Awards category page.

About Meddbase and Medical Management Systems

Medical Management Systems Ltd is a British software house which began work on Meddbase, its pioneering cloud-based patient record management system, in 2004. The company is fuelled by the simple vision of revolutionising healthcare technology using a SaaS delivery model, and over the last 16 years has created an industry-changing product. Meddbase, consists of 15 million lines of code, holds 900 million patient appointments and has sent over 20 million appointment reminder texts. Meddbase is the first new entrant to the NHS GPIT Futures Framework in over 12 years, and the only online supplier on the catalogue.  

3 Things To Think About Before Changing Healthcare Software Provider
September 28, 2020

Meddbase in HTN Health Tech Newspaper: Health tech experts reflect and share learnings
September 23, 2020

Meddbase's Managing Director Will Temple speaks to HTN along with health and tech experts from across the industry to reflect on key learnings this year. Read the full article on the HTN website.

Will Temple, Managing Director, Meddbase

The last few months have taught us to balance ideals with reality, and we learned just what our teams can accomplish when faced with a historic challenge. At Meddbase we’ve been working on complex and highly nuanced healthcare development projects for over 15 years but Covid has highlighted the truth in the old adage ‘perfect is the enemy of good’. Tasked with scaling up our telemedicine solution virtually overnight we had to stop asking ourselves ‘what’s the perfect way to do this?’ and instead ask ‘what’s the fastest way to do this – without losing our passion for quality?’ Not being able to wait for the right moment or the ideal way to deliver a project forced us to focus on one goal: simple, secure, swift delivery of the service being asked of us.  

Meddbase in ValueWalk: 3 Popular Questions During A Virtual Interview
September 9, 2020

Meddbase Head of HR Sarah Cape has spoken to ValueWalk.com to share her views on preparing for virtual interviews during COVID-19. Read the full article at ValueWalk.com

What are your biggest weaknesses?

Sarah Cape, Head of HR for Meddbase, shares her tips; “If you’re worried that you’re not qualified enough for a role or have some technical gaps, then steer your response towards your passion for self-improvement and professional development. Prove your commitment to learning by drawing on an example from a previous role where you bridged a knowledge gap.  We all have weaknesses but if you can convey a willingness to succeed, then you can create a positive impression from a fairly negative question.

Patient Engagement And Online Medical Portals in 2020
August 27, 2020

Meddbase in Metro Newspaper: Bringing Staff Back Into The Office
June 23, 2020

Meddbase has spoken to Metro Newspaper giving an experts' view on the issue of bringing staff back into the office post-covid versus continuing with remote working. Read the full article at Metro.News

Progress: Bring staff back into the office or continue with remote working? The experts’ view

In the short term, some firms will have staff who cannot come back to an office space because they are vulnerable, shielding or caring for children, while others will be anxious about returning and would prefer to be at home.

Meddbase, a technology company that provides remote working software to doctors, is one company that says it wanted its own staff members to make up their minds about returning. ‘We’ve giving all our staff the choice of working from home until further notice, it’s entirely up to them. If their kids aren’t in school, we don’t expect our employees to come to the office, it’s that simple,’ says Christine Hart, Chief Service Delivery Officer.  

Meddbase in Forbes: Health-Tech’s Big Data Prognosis 
May 22, 2020

Meddbase has spoken to Forbes.com about the timely topic of wrangling Big Data within a healthcare context. Read the full article on Forbes.com

Health-Tech’s Big Data Prognosis

Data architect at Meddbase (Medical Management Systems Ltd) Matthew Braunschweig notes that conservative estimates place current global healthcare data at around 25,000 petabytes, with a compound annual growth rate of 36 percent through 2025.

“This makes the significant interest in big data for healthcare increasingly problematic. Unless everything is held in a single system, you’re left wrangling a wild herd of data which includes, but is not limited to, data construction, standardization, interoperability, ingestion and proper handling, across thousands of use cases and providers,” said Braunschweig. He contends that data of this size gives an entirely new meaning to the term big data (a term we typically use to express data that doesn’t fit into standard databases with any kind of ease). Further, Braunschweig reminds us that pharmaceutical data adds an extra layer of difficulty because it rarely ‘stands alone’ i.e. it’s essential to know and trust the precise details of a patient's new prescription, but what about their comorbidities, diet, economic status, or that recent visit to the ER? If we further track in and attempt to ingest data on patient location demographics (e.g. neighborhood grocery v. fast food, or concentration of liquor stores) then data ingestion fast becomes data indigestion. “So we can see that ingesting Health-Tech big data needs to accommodate for the fact that it is more than a single drop of quality data; there’s always a pool of data for describing a patient. Even if the big data is sourced in a perfect storm of creating, sharing and processing, the information available may not represent the whole truth. And if your database’s big data is not the whole picture, then what exactly do you have? The good news is that however jagged, giant and bitter the pill of health-tech big data may actually be, when administered properly it does have the power to change patients’ lives,” said Braunschweig.

A word from our Managing Director
March 23, 2020

I hope you are keeping well during this unprecedented time. I would like to update you on the steps that we have taken to ensure the continuation of an uninterrupted service to our clients during this time as well as ensuring the safety of our staff.

Following government guidance, all of our staff are setup to work from home and will continue to support our customers. As a cloud-based software company with an existing home working policy in place for all staff, we are exceptionally well placed to continue with the same level of high service our clients have come to expect. We have moved all in-person meetings and training to take place via Teams and WebEx until further notice. Our Support and Service Delivery teams remain available and fully contactable in the usual way.

During this time, we are working closely with NHS Digital to provide a number of new integrations and remote working solutions. We plan on releasing these over the coming weeks and expect them to benefit all clients in the private and NHS sector. These updates and features are aimed specifically at helping administration and clinical staff work more efficiently when working from home and when using a personal device.

We understand this is an extremely demanding time for many of our customers and supporting you is our top priority so please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if there is anything we can do to help.

Best Wishes

Will Temple
Managing Director
Medical Management Systems Ltd

Learn more about Meddbase

Why video appointments aren’t a silver bullet for increasing capacity in your practice
December 2, 2019

Video appointments, also known as telemedicine, are being touted by some as a silver bullet for solving capacity issues in the health system. Increasing capacity is critical to ensuring the ongoing viability of the system as greater demands are placed on stagnating numbers of GPs. 

Adoption for this method of appointment is growing quickly, signalling its importance and popularity with both patients and clinicians. The number of appointments delivered by video has increased by 400% in the past five years and will no doubt keep on growing. 

It’s easy to see why video appointments have become a popular option, especially for patients. Speaking to a clinician face-to-face via an app or web browser is far more convenient than travelling to an inconvenient location (the surgery) at an inconvenient time (whatever slot is available). Rather than being at the beck and call of random appointment schedules, patients can take more control of their health. Instead of having to fit appointments around varying employment schedules and/or childcare, patients can access healthcare professionals far more easily. Plus, clinicians get an increased amount of flexibility – less commuting, while still delivering high quality care to their patients. 

What’s more, by moving patient appointments to other service channels, there are numerous ancillary benefits, such as:  

• The spread of infections is reduced 

• Physical infrastructure and resources are reserved for those needing it most 
• Reduction in the number of patients that would have reverted to urgent care centres. The cost of one or two patients visiting A&E currently amounts to a whole year of GP care, meaning video appointments help stop significant value leaking out of the system. 

It’s clear that video consultations are clearly a fantastic innovation...but what if we were to look at another angle? 

A small shift in perspective leads to a whole different story. 

The truth is, an unnecessary GP appointment is unnecessary whether it's delivered in person or via video. 

And depending on which practice you speak to, somewhere between 25% and 50% of GP appointments should have been dealt with through other means. Like visiting a practice nurse or going to a pharmacy. 

In reality, video consultation are only part of the equation to unlocking the value of digital technology. The real opportunity lies in using technology to increase capacity in your practice by directing people towards different care channels, when appropriate, before the appointment is booked. 

But how does that happen? And is it really that much more effective? 

Well, yes. Because there are other variables you can include to deliver a higher level of efficiency. In addition to video, patient portals are an effective way for surgeries to evolve how they deliver care in the future. By giving patients secure access to their medical record and prescriptions, patients can feel more in control of their care. Coupled with personalised content based on their known health profile, patients become more active in care and can make smarter decisions armed with the right information. 

Companies in sectors like Financial Services are seeing in excess of 50% of their customers choosing digital-only options to manage their accounts. Although healthcare has its own unique needs, physical interaction remains a critical component of care, but we recognise that needs are changing. Just like in other sectors, we fully expect this trend towards digital self-service to impact the healthcare industry just as much as it has others. 

Having a smart triage system on your website is another way to reduce requests for appointments – sometimes by up to 40%. By asking a clearly defined set of questions and directing patients towards the most appropriate place based on their responses, resources can be diverted efficiently. To begin with, think about the common reasons a patient books an unnecessary appointment. Then consider how resources could be used more efficiently to address these issues before patients book an appointment. This is not about cutting costs and reducing the standard of care but examining how digital tools can help improve the standard of care, without driving up budgets. 

Another thing to note is the demographics you are trying to serve and how best to fit care into their needs. Which patients are more likely to adopt newer tech and which ones show more reticence? And if there are low adoption rates, it means the benefits of these new care options are not being communicated clearly or regularly enough for it to be a compelling option. 

Ultimately, it is important to recognise that telemedicine is only one part of the puzzle. Offering a wide range of tools that address patient needs before the actual appointment is booked can help alleviate resources while ensuring patients get a high standard of care. Patient portals and digital triage tools are key assets in ensuring that patients are engaged, active, and in control of their health. This ensures that patients across demographics are given accessible and personalised information while balancing practice resources and budgets. 

Medical Management Systems receives investment
March 21, 2019

Miami, Florida and London, U.K., March 20, 2019—Today, Compiler VC (CVC), an investment fund based in Miami, Florida, announced it has invested $4M in London, UK based, Medical Management Systems (MMS) an international leading provider of electronic health records (EHR), patient scheduling and revenue cycle management (RCM).

MMS and CVC have a shared vision to create health IT solutions that support clinicians and improve patient experience and outcomes. CVC’s investment will ensure continued growth and development of new products and services and the hiring of top talent.

“As the fastest growing EMR provider in the UK, we were approached by several investors”, said Managing Director and co-founder Will Temple. “In CVC, we found both an investor and a partner who invested money and time. As we expand into the public sector in the UK and move on to the NHS IT Future Framework while simultaneously growing our US presence, having an accretive investor was a priority.”

“We are trying to make London a hub of healthcare innovation and Meddbase is currently leading the way in delivering SaaS EHR to some of the largest private providers and insurers in the world,” says Adam Wolman, managing partner of CVC. “CVC invests in innovative companies that are at the top of their field, helping them to achieve their potential. MMS is a natural fit for us, and we are thrilled to support them as they continue to advance and develop world-class EHR that impact patients throughout the world by helping physicians to offer the highest level of care.”

CVC is known as “the entrepreneurs behind the entrepreneur,” and has had a successful track record of investing and building organizations. Its founders, Adam Wolman and Hossein Noshirvani, have helped private companies attain their growth objectives by tapping into a set of resources, knowledge base and network of relationships designed to help companies scale. 

“The synergies between MMS and CVC will allow us to continue investing in our people, our product and our sales to solve important healthcare challenges,” said Paul Louth, CTO and co-founder of MMS. “Our focus for the past 14 years has been on developing new, innovative ways to support the needs of our customers. Partnering with CVC will allow us to continue focusing on both current and new customers and developing more effective and efficient solutions to meet their needs.”     

Founded in 2004, MMS employs approximately 40 individuals in London and Washington D.C. .