As we begin to see the COVID-19 restrictions lift in Ireland in the coming days, our public hospital system will come under huge strain as it works to tackle waiting lists which were already the longest in Europe pre-crisis. They will have to operate at just 80% of capacity due to the continued need to protect patients & staff from COVID-19 exposure. The backlog will be further exacerbated as many people who are experiencing symptoms of conditions such as heart disease or cancer have been postponing a trip to hospital allowing their conditions to deteriorate.

The release valve for this pressure will in theory come from the private hospitals, under the agreement signed with the Irish government in March. It is critical that this transfer of patients from public to private works efficiently & safely if we are to avoid what is described in the Irish Times as an ‘apocalyptic’ surge & this means that the relevant medical history of patients needs to be shared in a secure & reliable way. Without a patient’s medical history, consultants;

• will have to repeat diagnostic tests at a time when test resources are at a premium,
• are at risk of missing important information surfaced during previous encounters,
• or will be forced to postpone appointments until access to the history can be attained.

All of this will compound the backlog.

Shipping paper records around the country in the back of vans or taxis is agreed by all in both the public & private sectors to be a poor solution, running the risk of record loss, data breaches & the spreading of COVID-19 on the paper itself. As we are seeing in so many other areas of life today, technology can help.

Vitro Software is delighted to propose Vitro PIM as the solution to this problem, and one that can be implemented immediately. Vitro PIM enables any clinician in a private hospital who is treating a public patient, to easily access their relevant medical records on a PC or tablet anytime & ensures nobody has access who shouldn’t. With a focus on alleviating the pressures on clinicians, loading of the patient data into Vitro PIM at the public hospital side is simple & does not require specialised equipment or staff. Vitro is recognised as having a user-friendly interface & training requirements are minimal – current customers typically provide 15-30 minutes of training prior to use. Built on the Vitro platform with over 10,000 users, this is a tried & trusted solution which can be deployed & configured in days, immediately delivering both patient safety & cost benefits through the avoidance of repeat tests & paper related costs. We understand the importance of the continuum of care so when we finally exit this crisis and patients revert to the public service, the same solution can be used to share records captured in the private sector with the receiving public entity.

For more information on Vitro PIM please contact Ruth Barnes at rbarnes@vitrosoftware.com