November 11, 2024A new patient registration portal for the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is helping to fast track patient care.
Affectionately known as ‘Reggie’, the portal launched in August 2024 and was developed and built internally by the Digital Health team. The portal features a user-friendly interface that enhances the experience for patients and key stakeholders. It also includes a comprehensive dashboard for clerical staff to register patients into the iPM and FirstNet EMR systems.
‘Reggie’ has been created to match the workflows of VVED, and in turn, has saved staff time and enables a faster registration process. The software has also been built on the most recent cloud infrastructure, meaning upgrades and changes can happen with no down time an no effect on patient care. A stringent cybersecurity posture has been implemented, which helps to decrease the risk of third-party vendors.
The Development Team within the Digital Division was the primary team behind the build of the portal, with the ICT, VVED and Project Evaluation teams also assisting.
Anthony Gust, Executive Director, Digital Health, said having a primary development team within Northern Health positions the health service at the forefront of digital health.
“It’s an amazing innovation for Northern Health,” he said.
Nicholas Caruana, HIS Manager, Emergency Services, said the new portal has greatly enhanced data capture and validation, resulting in a more efficient registration process for both the patient and the clerical team.
“In its first 15 days, the portal assisted in the reduction of duplicate patient records by 10 per cent and increased Medicare number capture compliance from 73 per cent to 88 per cent,” he said.
In addition to providing increased efficiencies for staff and patients and improved cyber posture, the new portal has also helped to decrease costs.
“Having the in-house ability to develop other applications, we can also use the patient registration as a template for other services. The plan is to reuse the portal for Residential-In-Reach as well as Outpatients – build once and repurpose,” Anthony Gust said.
Since go-live, the new portal has demonstrated considerable effectiveness. The Digital Team has been proactive in addressing any issues or implementing changes that have arisen during the initial period. This adaptability has highlighted one of the primary benefits of transitioning the portal to in-house.
Although it is still early in the implementation phase, there have been notable improvements in the data captured and also the visibility of patients. Observations show a 10 percent reduction in the rate of UR duplication since the launch of ‘Reggie’. These metrics suggest that the new portal is not only improving operational efficiency but also enhancing data accuracy and compliance.
The new portal has also been well received by Ambulance Victoria Triage Practitioners.
“They are loving how efficient the referral form is. Likewise, the team in Triage Services are also pleased to see that there is continuous improvement occurring in VVED processes and systems,” they said.
Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Paramedics are also praising the new system, with crews reporting back to Northern Health that the new system is “much simpler and more efficient.”
HealthDirect is also applauding ‘Reggie’, saying “In our catch up with providers, we also got very positive feedback from nurses appreciating the simple view and steps of the new form.”
Featured image: VVED and Digital Health teams.
