#DreamcoreEU
Gaining efficiencies with an interactive symptom
checker
Roger Donald, NHS DirectMichael Edwards, Eduserv
9th June, 2011
Twitter : #DreamcoreEU
Gaining efficiencies with interactive symptom checkers
Roger Donald (@rogerdonald)Associate Director – Multi-ChannelNHS Direct
What does NHS Direct do?
* 2
“We need to think about patients who
choose to access us by looking on the web
first, and then seek phone contact if that is
what they need”
Nick Chapman – NHS Direct CEO
A web first organisation
17,500 NHS Direct members surveyed
New multi channel services
Gathering information
The goals
40 online assessments / symptom checkers
Covering over 200 clinical algorithms
Produced by our Clinical Development Team
Clinically safe
Closely mirrors call centre processes
Dispositions & explanations (Call 999, Go to A&E, Call-back from a nurse)
Distributed via multiple channels
Web, Digital television, Mobile devices,
Patients demand digital services
Symptoms
Call back
Other NHS
ServicesSelf Care
Further triage required
Guiding principles
Principles & Guidelines
Innovate and provide usable services
Maximising benefits to the many rather than minimising risk to the few
Lead in the use of best practice in usability and user centred design.
Interoperable content and services, available for syndication
Become the centre of excellence in digital health information services
Empower patients to manage their own health and the health of their
family supported by our clinicians.
Key requirements to fulfil
Patient self service, where safe to do so
Lower cost per transaction
An engaging trusted user experience for patients
Simple, reliable content management facilities
Digital analytics to show patient demand and use
Syndicated clinical content
12 month stretch delivery plan
Procure
Partner-up with leading experts
Build, migrate and change
Test
Launch
Syndicate the HaSCs
Digital is a major channel - now
Analytics
NHS Direct’s online health and symptom checkers receive
around 20,000 visits a day
Busiest day of the week – Monday
Peak usage – public holidays, health scares
Our awards
2011 onwards - Apps and mobile web services
The major challenges
From phone algorithms to digitally delivered transactions
Ensuring teams understand a patient centered design approach
The H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemics
Measuring what we do digitally
Project management – the size of the task
SiteCore was chosen because...
It integrates with other Microsoft platforms
Specifically Arezzo a clinical decision support tool from InferMed (Prime
Contractor to NHS Direct)
Easy to implement workflow
It versions our content
Inline editing out the box
An easily accessed web interface
An API to syndicate our services to other organisations
Delivery of content across multiple channels
A proven service used by major organisations
Building the solutionObject mapping and Spark rendering Michael Edwards (@mikeedwards83)
Who is Eduserv?
• 11 years experience providing information services to public sector
• Not-for-profit registered charity with commercial approach
• 1st UK Sitecore Partner • 8 years delivering Sitecore solutions
NEEDS TO BE RESIZED
CDE
CDE
Why?
• Focus on the business problem• Development is much quicker• Removes boiler plate/mapping code• Unit testing
Adding a Rendering Engine
XSLT
http://sparkviewengine.com/
• Html dominates flow• Less clutter• Works directly with the
object model• Compiled rather than parsed • No view state• Quicker than Web Forms
Template...
Code...
Config…
Why?
• Spark works how we want to work• Spark has less friction than XSLT or
Web Forms• Speed, less time spent solving
syntax problems• Use an engine makes the solution
easier
Demonstration..