Electronic Holistic Needs Assessment Pilot
Launch of the Electronic Holistic Needs Assessment Pilot
Background
The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative is seeking to radically transform the patient’s experience of care and support following their cancer treatment. Key to this is a comprehensive assessment of how a patient feels and functions. A Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) is a process of gathering information from the patient and/or carer in order to inform discussion and develop a deeper understanding of what the person living with and beyond cancer knows, understands and needs. The HNA supports the whole person and analyses physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, social and environmental factors. This helps to develop an individual care plan.
Up until now, most assessment and care planning has been completed on paper. These paper records are filed in the patient’s or nursing notes and are therefore not always accessible to all members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT). The inability to share the outcome of assessments with members of the MDT was seen as a great disadvantage. It was also a challenge to map a person’s continuous concerns and progress over time as it would mean a time-consuming individual data analysis of paper files. What was needed was an electronic version that could be easily filed, reviewed and shared.
The Project
The e-HNA will allow electronic assessments to be completed easily by patients on a WIFI touch screen tablet PC. The completed e-HNA assessment and care plans can be stored electronically in the patient’s notes making it easier for review by the wider clinical team. For the first time Trusts will be able to gather aggregated data providing a unique picture of the assessment and care planning process and to identify service needs.
Macmillan has now commissioned HealthUnlocked, a web based software design company, to build and design the e-HNA software. HealthUnlocked have previously developed web applications to help patients track their progress after surgery.
Test Sites:
Earlier this year an expression of interest was sought from NHS trusts who would be interested in piloting the electronic assessments. After a vigorous selection process the following sites were chosen:
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust (EKUHFT)
- St Helens and Knowsley in conjunction with Liverpool Women’s NHS Trust
- North Bristol NHS Trust
All sites have WIFI access in clinics which will allow the e-HNA assessments to be carried out easily using the tablet PC. Live testing will begin in February 2012 and continue for six months.
On Friday 25th November the first e-HNA stakeholder event was held at Macmillan UKO. This event brought together all the teams from HealthUnlocked, the test sites, Macmillan and the Department of Health. A prototype of the e-HNA tool was on show providing everyone with a tantalizing glimpse of what is to come.
Independent evaluation will be sought (currently being tendered) and a final report and recommendations will be completed at the end of 2012.
For further information please contact Amanda Watson, Project Manager Electronic Solutions to Assessment and Care Planning, 0207 840 4771
Last updated on January 19, 2012