University of Ulster researchers are working with clinicians at one of Northern Ireland’s leading hospitals on novel ways to harness information and communication technology to provide a better service to patients.

The collaboration between UU and the Ulster Community & Hospitals Trust is investigating how technology can be used to improve patient access to information and services.

An initial project aims to improve breastfeeding rates within the Trust, by providing mothers with localized web based information from the ‘baby friendly’ unit and to provide an electronic communication channel to the nurses. Additional developments provide information on chronic pain management and provide referral information between GPs and the doctors for assessing stroke patients.

The latest authoring tools have also been used to provide a range of multimedia training packages for healthcare professionals and information delivery for patients. This includes training nurses to recognise and manage alcohol abuse in patients and providing information to the citizen on self testing for testicular cancer, identifying symptoms of anorexia and the management of diabetes. This information can be delivered across the Internet or direct to the patient bedside in the ward.

The initiative is known as the Ulster Institute for eHealth which was officially launched today.

Co-ordinator, Dr Paul McCullagh from UU’s School of Computing and Mathematics, said: “These are the first steps towards providing patients with an improved, localised service where they will be able to access information to enable them to better manage their health requirements.”

The initiative will benefit from improved IT infrastructure in the form of electronic patient records; electronic appointment booking; electronic transfer of images and electronic prescribing.

Advances should lead to the development of virtual clinics where, for example, patients with diabetes could have their condition monitored remotely. Patients would input information on blood glucose levels to a web site and clinicians at the hospital could assess if a hospital appointment was needed or if they could continue to manage their condition at home.

The spread of broadband technology in Northern Ireland will also assist in the development of tele-consultation where patients at outlying clinics could be assessed by hospital specialists over electronic links and treatment suggested.

Dr McCullagh said that improved computer technology could bring huge benefits to both patients and the Trust:

·        By giving patients better, easily accessible information via websites the number of unnecessary visits to hospital could be cut.

·        Patient records could be transferred easily between health professionals. That is impossible at the moment because differing IT systems used in Northern Ireland are not compatible.

·        Healthcare costs could be cut if people are encouraged to manage their own health better and duplication of service is reduced.

“The health environment is set to change dramatically in the coming years and our collaboration with the Ulster Hospital is the shape of things to come”, he added.

For further information, please contact:

Martin Cowley
Telephone: 028 71675083
Email: Martin Cowley