Digital transformation of the kidney transplant referral pathway
My Topol fellowship problem / project:
My project aims to digitally transform the kidney transplant referral pathway. Transplantation is a complex, regional, multi-speciality service. Patients naturally cross organisational boundaries as they progress from chronic kidney disease, to kidney failure and ultimately transplantation. Unfortunately, in the current pathway, patients’ data does not travel with them, which can delay access to transplantation meaning patients spend a longer time on dialysis, limiting their independence and quality of life.
Our proposed solution is to develop a web-based electronic shared care record, which provides a view of relevant transplant-related clinical data and meets the specific requirements of the multi-disciplinary team. The solution would surface data from an integrated clinical data repository hosted by a regional interoperability provider, which will help overcome the current limitations to data sharing due to organisational boundaries. The main outcome of this project is to demonstrate the value of interoperability in a real-world use case, with measurable outcomes. Patients are expected to benefit from this project as it aims to reduce waiting times, release clinical time to deliver direct care and improve experience of the service.
About me
Hi! My name is Videha and I am a specialist registrar in transplant surgery. I am currently undertaking a PhD in Health Informatics at the University of Manchester, where I am investigating how we manage clinical data and share information along complex clinical pathways, such as during kidney transplantation. I live in Manchester with my wife Zerin and our new baby daughter Anaya. In my spare time you can find me kicking a ball around, climbing up the many hills around us or cooking up some questionable recipe.
After completing my medical studies at the University of Nottingham, I worked in a range a clinical areas including acute medicine, emergency care and general surgery. I am now specialising in transplant surgery and alongside my clinical passion I am motivated by exploring how technology can make services more attentive, receptive and ultimately more caring. The foundation of digital transformation in health includes a deep understanding of real-world clinical workflows, combined with engagement of the people expected to be subject to the change; this will inform meaningful solutions that achieve the intended benefits for patients and those who care for them. I hope to contribute to this by providing a link between front-line clinical expertise and health informatics.
I am delighted to join the fellowship and look forward to specific training around project management, service evaluation and agile working, which I hope will build on my current foundation. I am also excited to meet like-minded NHS health professionals and am keen to forge new friendships and collaborations. We are in a transition phase where the potential of digital medicine is increasingly being recognised and collaboration across disciplines is key to realising it.