The pathology service at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) in Harlow has introduced the CliniSys Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) sample collection module to improve efficiency and experiences for their patients and staff.
Clinicians at PAHT and local GPs use the module, which has enabled them to remove paper order forms from wards and outpatient departments. Clinicians now use the module on iPads to check through patient details and print the labels for blood tubes that are then sent to the laboratory. For an extra measure of safety, the system has been set up so that phlebotomists can scan patient hospital wristbands before taking a sample, in a process known as positive patient identification. In outpatient departments, where patients do not have a hospital wristband, phlebotomists complete a thorough checklist to confirm that the patient’s details are correct.
Nicola Maguire, specialist biomedical scientist at PAHT, said: “We decided to introduce the ICE sample collection module during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, there were limited face-to-face GP appointments, which made it difficult to retrieve the paper order forms.
“GPs now order the tests using ICE and patients can book an appointment with the phlebotomist using our online appointment system called Swiftqueue. When the patient arrives at their appointment, the phlebotomists can look up and confirm the patient’s details and the required blood tests on their iPad. The system has improved the process of collecting blood samples, making it more simple and efficient for our teams to use. The system also helps to enhance patient safety and experiences.
