Patient Record Migration
Background
Patient Record Migration aims to define standards around "seamlessly and securely performing catalogue solution migrations without compromising Patient care".
As such it will define when a Patient Record needs to be migrated (as opposed to shared), the process to be followed and the data standards to adhere to during that process.
It is likely that this will be based around the FHIR messaging standards. This is SRO Priority.
The Data Migration Standard is a mandatory Overarching Standard which covers the requirements when a health and care organisation is moving from one Catalogue solution to another.
Recent research and evidence highlight the need for additional definition to this standard to support a shared data format in collaboration with Suppliers.
Problem statement | Hypothesis statement |
|---|---|
What is meant to happen? During a practice migration a full and accurate data extract should securely migrate from the old solution to the new solution. What is actually happening? Large amounts of data are difficult to understand as different solutions refer to data in different ways, some items of data do not transfer at all. What is the result of this? Patient safety could be compromised as some of the health record is jumbled up or missing. GP practices are not fully compensated for work carried out as records may not be accurate post migration. It is very difficult for new Suppliers to enter the market as a lot of knowledge of existing Suppliers is necessary to participate in the market any meaningful way. | We believe that by improving data quality in migrated electronic health records, We will see a reduction in the amount of information compromised for individual Patients, increased efficiency of migration data, increased General Practice staff satisfaction during migrations and an ease of investigative burden on new Suppliers to the market. We know this to be true when we can measure reduction in the amount of manual re-entry of data, reduction in cutover time (offline period where target solution is not yet live with data transferred from source solution), reduction in migration duration, improved General Practice satisfaction during migration surveys and less pre-entry investigative work necessary for new entrants to join the Supplier market. |
Outline Plan
We are seeking to work collaboratively with several Suppliers to identify and define the necessary shared migration format standard to improve General Practice clinical system migrations.
This will be a second iteration of the Data Migration Standard. Ideally, we will be able to build in assurance checks into the process to prove compliance.
Summary of Change
We recognise a second iteration of the Data Migration Standard can only be achieved with expert Supplier knowledge and experience. NHS Digital will facilitate the collaboration of multiple Suppliers to achieve a diverse cross section of experience.
We believe the definition of this Standard will be a building block to improving many capabilities, driving Interoperability.
The iteration will
- improve Patient safety as predefined clinical terminology will be mandated in the standard
- will improve the continuity of Quality of Framework (QoF) reporting
- facilitate and encourage new Supplier entry to the market
Several Suppliers will come together with NHS Digital colleagues to identify where the current standard falls short and define what is needed of the standard uplift. It is preliminarily assumed this will take the form of time from Supplier data modellers, with clinical input, to collaboratively assess numerous data extracts from multiple Suppliers to standardise the Patient record and operational elements.
Full Specification
To be worked on collaboratively with Suppliers during the opportunity item work.
Assurance Approach
The platinum goal would be to build some automated assurance into the standard. To achieve the team will need to agree on what the assurance should be and what it needs to achieve.
It is thought the Suppliers will migrate test data between themselves to test the standard, though the full testing and assurance plan can only be made available once it is defined by the opportunity item team, once in place.