Developing a national Phototherapy Electronic Patient Record and clinical audit system
My Topol fellowship problem / project:
Phototherapy using ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a widely used, effective and low-cost hospital-based treatment for a great variety of skin disorders including psoriasis, eczema and vitiligo. However, if Phototherapy is used incorrectly, it can cause burns, increase long-term skin cancer risk, or simply be ineffective.
My project is to design and implement a simple Phototherapy Electronic Patient Record tool for clinical use across English Dermatology Departments to replace the current paper-based system and ensure appropriate follow-up and patient-centred care. This system will double up as a national digital audit system against the set of minimum clinical standards for Phototherapy established by the British Association of Dermatologists (B.A.D.) which all Dermatology Departments in England have to meet.
The digital transformation of Phototherapy will facilitate the systematic review of care against the standards and identify where changes need to be implemented. It will also allow monitoring to confirm improvement, leading to safer and more effective care.
About me
I am a Clinical Research Fellow at the Photodermatology Unit of St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ dedicated to improving patient care through the application of digital technology in healthcare and research.
I have learned about the application of IT to genomics and medical research from my research experience at St John’s Institute of Dermatology. However, the advances in genomic medicine and drug development are worthless without a parallel improvement to create more effective and efficient organisation of health systems.
As a Topol Digital Fellow I will work on a creative and innovative digital health transformation project which will transform the delivery of phototherapy treatment in Dermatology across the UK.