In any sector, technology is an enabler. It provides the means to create and make a difference, which ultimately brings lasting progress and positive transformation.
Across the NHS, digital is continuing to create new care pathways. It’s helping to improve efficiencies, reduce costs and crucially, deliver better patient outcomes. But tech itself will never be the solution to all of our healthcare problems, and should never be viewed with a one-size-fits-all mindset.
A two-way partnership
It is crucial that technology providers work in partnership with healthcare professionals in order to create, test, develop and roll-out the best digital tools – and by best we mean the most efficient, user friendly, cost effective and reliable systems for both healthcare teams and patients.
One of the motivations for our Flagships Programme is that we are able to work directly with general practices to develop our software in-line with their needs.
Our GP partners highly value the two-way direct communication the programme provides, as well as the opportunities it creates for continual feedback, often in real-time. Benjamin Haresign, Business Manager at four practices in the West Midlands (Arrow Surgery, Henley in Arden Medical Centre, Pool Medical Centre and Tanworth in Arden Medical Practice) shares his experience of the programme:
“Being a Flagship is enabling us to become more innovative in ways of working by trailing new ideas from Mjog, and it gives us the ability to feedback suggestions and ideas on how this would work best at practice level."
“Being able to share ideas with the Flagship team and being part of the development process has also allowed us to rethink our own processes in practice to adapt to becoming future proof.”
Risk-free piloting
Another benefit of schemes such as the Flagships is that practices have the freedom to trial and test technology still in the development phase. They can have a first-hand say in what works for them and why. As Mark Hatcher, IT Manager at Burlington Primary Care, said: “We joined the scheme because we are keen to pilot new things and be involved in the development of new technology. It’s important for us to play a key role in creating these digital tools because it needs to work just right for us.
“The team here are very responsive to new tech, and we are always eager to share what we’ve learned with other practices.”
Continuing collaboration
Our Flagship community leads the way in helping us develop even better patient solutions. It is the collaborative nature of programmes like this that are allowing healthcare providers to get the most out of the digital tools available to them, as they have the opportunity to help develop and evolve the technology to make it suitable for their requirements.
When we step away from the one-size-fits-all mindset, and work together to evolve technology in line with the changing landscape, we’ll continue to deliver tools that enable better patient outcomes.
