- Duration: 8+ months
- Team size: 12
- Location: United Kingdom
About the Client
The Functional Gut Clinic specializes in diagnosing and treating gut health issues using advanced diagnostic technology and a team of experts. They offer a variety of tests aiming to provide quick, efficient, and accurate results without waiting times. Their services are accredited by the NHS, and they focus on delivering high-quality care to help patients understand and manage their gut health better.
Challenge
Automating Healthcare Data Collection, Report Generation and Crating a Digital Patient Journey for gastrointestinal (GI) Testing
The client faced challenges in optimizing their gastrointestinal (GI) testing services. The first challenge was to streamline the report generation process, which was time-consuming for clinical physiologists. The second challenge was to develop a comprehensive digital solution for at-home GI tests, involving a mobile and desktop patient portal with detailed instructions, consent forms, timed reminders, and symptom collection, while maintaining compliance with the NHS Digital Standards and The Data Protection Act. The objectives outlined by the client were as follows:
- Enhance operational efficiency with AI-driven report automation
- Improve patient experience with a seamless digital GI testing experience
- Increase clinic capacity without compromising care quality
- Ensure compliance with NHS Digital Standards and The Data Protection Act
Given these challenges, the task was to develop a secure and comprehensive solution that would automate report generation and create a seamless digital patient journey for GI testing, ensuring compliance with NHS Digital Standards and The Data Protection Act.
Solution
Secure Cloud-Based Application for Automated Report Generation and Digital Patient Journey
To address the client's needs, our IT Medical team developed two integrated platforms: a Mobile Patient Admission Platform and a Cloud-Based Patient Discharge Management System (PDMS).
Automated Report Generation
- Data Collection and Analysis: The application securely collects and analyzes patient symptoms and test data from various sources, integrating with external solutions for comprehensive data collection, providing a complete view of patient health.
- Machine Learning Algorithms: Utilizes advanced machine learning algorithms to generate detailed patient reports in .pdf and .word formats. These reports include data graphs, test results, and conclusions, providing clear and actionable insights for clinicians.
- Verification and Delivery: Each report undergoes a verification process by the Clinical Director to ensure accuracy and reliability. After verification, the reports are securely sent to both the patient and the referring doctor, facilitating efficient communication and follow-up.
- Compliance & Regulations: All data is securely stored on UK-based servers in compliance with NHS Digital Standards and GDPR requirements. This ensures that patient information is protected and handled according to the highest standards of data privacy and security.
Digital Testing Assistant
- Home Testing Guidance: The digital assistant guides patients through the GI testing procedure from the comfort of their home. This feature is designed to be user-friendly, providing clear instructions to ensure patients can perform tests accurately without professional assistance.
- QR Code and Instructions: Upon receiving the test kit by mail, patients scan a QR code on the box to access detailed step-by-step instructions. This process is designed to be intuitive, reducing the chances of errors and ensuring that patients follow the correct procedures.
- Secure Features: The digital assistant includes secure patient log-in, digital consent form signing, test preparations, and sample collection. These features ensure that all patient interactions are secure and compliant with data protection regulations and NHS Digital Standards.
- Reminders: The system sends timed text and email reminders to patients to ensure timely completion of tests. These reminders help to maintain adherence to testing schedules and improve the accuracy of test results, not to mention the reduction in spoiled tests due to wrong sample timings.
The developed solution streamlines clinical workflows and enhances patient experience through AI-driven report generation and a user-friendly digital GI testing journey. This innovative approach improves healthcare outcomes, increases clinic capacity, and maintains the highest standards of data security and privacy.
- 68%increase in capacity due to significantly reduced report generation time
- >85%of all reports are now auto-generated with minor clinical adjustments and reviews
- 17%reduction in invalid tests due to detailed instructions and timely reminders
Outcome
Transforming GI Testing at The Functional Gut Clinic
In eight months, our team completed the entire scope of work, conducted thorough testing, and successfully launched the product. This project aimed to streamline the report generation process and improve the patient journey for GI testing. The results were transformative:
- 75% Reduced Report Generation Time from 20 minutes to 5 minutes per report, significantly decreasing the workload and increasing the clinic's capacity to handle more patients.
- 85 % Coverage through Automated Reports with minor clinical adjustments and quality reviews, streamlining the reporting process and ensuring consistency and accuracy in patient data.
- 17% Improved Test Validity due to detailed instructions and timely reminders of the patient portal, with more than 25% of patients using the online portal to complete their tests.
The implementation of this solution has transformed the clinic’s operations, significantly improving efficiency and enhancing the patient experience for GI testing. By reducing report generation time and increasing the adoption of automated reports, the clinic can now serve more patients with higher accuracy and better data management, marking a significant improvement in the clinic’s service delivery.
Technologies and Tools
- PHP
- MySQL
- Laravel
- Vue.js
- TypeScript
- WebSocket
- TLS
- HTML5
- Google Cloud Med-PaLM 2
- Feature-Sliced Design
- Ant Design
- AWS
- Postman
- GitLab
- Docker
FAQ
- What are the key benefits of automating report generation?
Automating report generation reduces the time required for clinical staff to produce reports, decreases workload, increases the clinic’s capacity to handle more patients, and ensures consistency and accuracy in the reports.
- How does a digital patient journey improve the GI testing process?
A digital patient journey provides patients with step-by-step instructions, timely reminders, and easy access to consent forms and symptom collection tools. This reduces the number of invalid tests and makes the testing process more convenient and efficient for patients.
- What challenges do fragmented patient journeys pose for providers?
Manual report generation is time-consuming and increases the workload on clinical staff, while a fragmented patient journey can lead to confusion, increased invalid tests, and a poor patient experience. Both issues can hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery.
- How does a cloud-based application ensure compliance with regulations?
A cloud-based application stores data in accordance with industry standards such as NHS Digital and GDPR. It includes robust security measures like data encryption and secure access controls to protect sensitive patient information and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Can a custom solution for report generation be scaled?
Yes, a custom solution is designed to be scalable and flexible, allowing healthcare clinics to accommodate future growth and evolving needs. This ensures that the solution remains a valuable asset in the long term.
