'Navigator' - An innovative approach to mobilise our FiY1 doctors during this emergency crisis.
Lead Participant:
MEDPLAY LTD
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the NHS workforce to be stretched beyond reasonable demands. One method of relieving this workload was for the UK Medical School Council to fast-track final year graduated medical students to qualified doctors. These newly qualified Foundation Interim Year 1 (FiY1) doctors are a valuable resource and will be completing low-risk procedures and clerking.
The potential problem is effectively utilising this unprecedented FiY1 role in a way that truly alleviates the extra workload for current NHS staff. Maximising time and resources of experienced clinical staff is key to fighting this pandemic. The novelty of the FiY1 role invites inevitable uncertainty, worry and communication issues between current medical staff and FiY1 doctors. We predict this will potentially lead to an inherent inefficiency within the healthcare system that the NHS cannot afford during a pandemic (e.g. work flow, burden on supervision roles and coordination between staff). Our proposed mechanism addresses the current workload during this pandemic.
Our service (Navigator) will replace the need of face-to-face coordination of new FiY1s by supervisors; in real-time, FiY1 doctors can be requested to wards by other staff members for specific duties they are competent in. This not only frees-up time for experienced staff to focus on other work but also maximises the efficiency of the FiY1 doctor. For patients, this means faster diagnosis and treatment speeding up the patient pathway and less time in hospital; for staff this means a more productive workday. We envision FiY1 doctors flowing between wards across the hospital, meeting demand in clinical settings quicker than ever before - once one task is completed the FiY1 can simply open our application and move onto the next clinical duty. To enhance their performance with this technology, we will digitalise responsibility of work through weekly work reports that can be submitted to their clinical supervisors. There is no patient data transferred and staff details are anonymized, so there are no data protection or security issues. We are facilitating the paperless NHS agenda and reducing face-to-face communication which can be complicated during a pandemic.
The necessity to stream-line workflow is more vital than ever in the current healthcare climate. We have reinvented the way medical staff will liaise with FiY1 doctors during this difficult time, and we hope also doctors and students of the future. Patients will also be the beneficiaries of a more responsive NHS service.
--ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HERE--
We have completed Beta Phase Testing of Navigator and the product is currently being audited and stress-tested professionally with plans for further digital certification. The Extension for Impact will allow us to complete a full comprehensive research and development assessment, meeting national guidelines for digital implementation, we estimate to be completed by January 2021. Hence, the Extension for Impact will enable us to excel the product to be officially prepared for widespread implementation across NHS England. This includes user research, communication interoperability, data security and information governance.
Our business model currently stands on the framework that we are expecting through our implementation and trial license fees to gain us a revenue that we can sustain the development of the project through. Our business strategist has provided us with a blueprint of how to engage in discussions with hospital executives and shown us at length how to successfully complete the NHS tendering process. He has also provided us with access to his well-established networks, that include a range of high-profile healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs that we can engage in discussions to launch internationally, only once the product is officially licensed in a few hospitals and develops a stronghold in medical education in the UK. After this extension this will be our last phase of product development. After this will be executing national commercialisation through the business model developed within the first quarter of this project with our business strategist.
The potential problem is effectively utilising this unprecedented FiY1 role in a way that truly alleviates the extra workload for current NHS staff. Maximising time and resources of experienced clinical staff is key to fighting this pandemic. The novelty of the FiY1 role invites inevitable uncertainty, worry and communication issues between current medical staff and FiY1 doctors. We predict this will potentially lead to an inherent inefficiency within the healthcare system that the NHS cannot afford during a pandemic (e.g. work flow, burden on supervision roles and coordination between staff). Our proposed mechanism addresses the current workload during this pandemic.
Our service (Navigator) will replace the need of face-to-face coordination of new FiY1s by supervisors; in real-time, FiY1 doctors can be requested to wards by other staff members for specific duties they are competent in. This not only frees-up time for experienced staff to focus on other work but also maximises the efficiency of the FiY1 doctor. For patients, this means faster diagnosis and treatment speeding up the patient pathway and less time in hospital; for staff this means a more productive workday. We envision FiY1 doctors flowing between wards across the hospital, meeting demand in clinical settings quicker than ever before - once one task is completed the FiY1 can simply open our application and move onto the next clinical duty. To enhance their performance with this technology, we will digitalise responsibility of work through weekly work reports that can be submitted to their clinical supervisors. There is no patient data transferred and staff details are anonymized, so there are no data protection or security issues. We are facilitating the paperless NHS agenda and reducing face-to-face communication which can be complicated during a pandemic.
The necessity to stream-line workflow is more vital than ever in the current healthcare climate. We have reinvented the way medical staff will liaise with FiY1 doctors during this difficult time, and we hope also doctors and students of the future. Patients will also be the beneficiaries of a more responsive NHS service.
--ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HERE--
We have completed Beta Phase Testing of Navigator and the product is currently being audited and stress-tested professionally with plans for further digital certification. The Extension for Impact will allow us to complete a full comprehensive research and development assessment, meeting national guidelines for digital implementation, we estimate to be completed by January 2021. Hence, the Extension for Impact will enable us to excel the product to be officially prepared for widespread implementation across NHS England. This includes user research, communication interoperability, data security and information governance.
Our business model currently stands on the framework that we are expecting through our implementation and trial license fees to gain us a revenue that we can sustain the development of the project through. Our business strategist has provided us with a blueprint of how to engage in discussions with hospital executives and shown us at length how to successfully complete the NHS tendering process. He has also provided us with access to his well-established networks, that include a range of high-profile healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs that we can engage in discussions to launch internationally, only once the product is officially licensed in a few hospitals and develops a stronghold in medical education in the UK. After this extension this will be our last phase of product development. After this will be executing national commercialisation through the business model developed within the first quarter of this project with our business strategist.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| MEDPLAY LTD | £74,725 | £ 74,725 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Arie Hawazie (Project Manager) |