Issue
HPFT stands for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust ("the Trust"). It is a mental health and learning disability trust in England offering services in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Essex. Founded in 2007, HPFT is one of the largest mental health trusts in England. It has more than 4,000 staff and provides services to more than 400,000 people.
In line with its digital strategy, the trust needed a system to digitize various clinical assessments and outcome measures to improve the experience of service users and reduce the administrative burden on healthcare professionals. QuestManager was selected after a formal procurement process as the solution to provide this functionality.
The Trust has developed a series of assessments and outcome measures on the platform that are automatically sent via SMS to service users (patients) at regular intervals or based on appointment dates. Service users can complete them online and a link to the results is immediately added to the electronic health record (EPR). Before or during appointments, staff can click from the EPR and view responses including graphs to show changes over time, which helps with discussions about care.
Digitizing PROMs
One of the ways QuestManager supports HPFT is by digitizing PROMs. This helps improve service user engagement and adherence to treatment plans.How? By sending regular invitations to complete outcome measures and other questionnaires, we can make patients feel more engaged in their care. This is especially effective when these assessments are scheduled at key points in the treatment pathway and discussed in detail with healthcare professionals.
One of the main advantages of using digital PROMs over traditional paper-based assessments is the increased efficiency and accuracy they provide. Paper PROMs must be printed and then scanned and attached to the EPR record upon completion. This creates additional costs and extra work for staff. The paper approach relies heavily on staff remembering to ask the service user to complete a PROM, whereas digital PROMs can be sent automatically based on set intervals or appointment dates.
From paper to progression: a more efficient process
The automatic submission of digital PROMs has significantly improved data completeness. Unlike paper forms, staff no longer need to send reminders to service users to complete them. Service users can complete the questionnaires at their own pace and in a familiar environment, leading to more thoughtful responses.
Automatic data entry minimizes the risk of human error, such as forgetting PROM attachments or input errors. In addition, we can now easily track which service users have completed the questionnaires, giving us a better overview of progress.
Streamlined care and better decision making
For service users who enjoy digital engagement, the transition from paper to digital has provided a streamlined and user-friendly way to conduct regular outcome monitoring. This has led to an increase in the number of people with completed outcome measures and relieved clinicians of the time-consuming work of preparing and transcribing paper forms. This allows them to spend more time delivering care.
Answers to questions about satisfaction with care, including medication and psychological therapies, can enable open discussions with healthcare professionals, which can lead to better shared decision-making.
Trust's Commitment to Service User-Centered Care
Before we switched to QuestManager, service users had to fill out paper assessments or PROMs during their appointments. Administrative staff then had to scan these and add them to the electronic record. QuestManager saved significant time during appointments and reduced the administrative burden on staff.
Outcome measures are an essential part of service user-centered care. With QuestManager, we can collect these measurements regularly, allowing our healthcare professionals to discuss progress and make necessary adjustments to care plans with service users.
Among its other benefits, QuestManager has also helped us reduce printing costs for paper assessments and PROMs, which is both financially and environmentally friendly.
