EP.FRI.1023 Clinical Portal: a clinician-led IT solution to the 'surgical list'. (28th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bleakley, Cait; Wright, Chloe; Salem, Rola; Bowling, Kirk
• Is Part Of: British journal of surgery. Volume 108:Supplement 7(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10-28
• Subjects: Surgery -- Periodicals; 617.005
• DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znab312.147
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1323

Abstract

Abstract: Aim: Burnout amongst junior doctors is an emotive topic, with time pressures during busy on-call shifts negatively impacting efficiency and morale. Historically, within busy surgical firms the most junior team members commonly worked beyond scheduled hours. It has been highlighted within our trust that our IT systems significantly contributed to this. Thus leading to the creation of a clinician-led IT solution, enabling direct access to accurate information at a single point. This study aims to measure the impact of the systems introduction on efficiency and shift experience of our junior doctors. Methods: 'Clinical Portal' was introduced in August 2019. This IT system enables all patient information to be collated in one place, with the added benefit of simplifying the creation of patient lists. Number and duration of Exception Reports (ER) by on-call surgical juniors were measured for two months pre and post intervention. A qualitative survey was also distributed to this cohort to measure satisfaction and experience during on-call shifts within this period. Results: Following introduction of 'Clinical Portal', the total length of time included in ERs reduced. Surgical juniors expressed an improvement in their on-call experience, most notably dedicating less time to collating patient information and ward list formation. The overall experience improved despite time required to become proficient at using the new system. Conclusions: Streamlining of IT systems used during on-call shifts demonstrates improved efficiency amongst juniors reflected in a reduction of ERs. A direct consequence of these implemented changes is significant improvement in morale amongst our juniors.