Transforming healthcare for Britain's armed forces
“Logica demonstrated a real
understanding of
the business and
technical
challenges of this
programme. Logica
is flexible, agile and
innovative; they
have delivered and
adapted the service
to reflect the rapid
pace of change. As
a result, DMICP has
delivered more for
less and sets the
standard in Military Primary Healthcare.”
Richard Chapman, Programme
Manager, DMICP
About Defence Medical Services (DMS)
DMS is one of the UK’s largest health providers delivering primary, intermediate and secondary
healthcare and dental services to the armed forces. This includes occupational health and public
health support for some 200,000 service personnel, 50,000 dependants and many veterans.
What DMS Needed
The UK armed forces are known for planning, training and operational skills. To support these, DMS
needed an electronic, medical and dental health records system accessible from any military
location, anywhere – including operational theatres abroad and at sea.
The system would enable a two-way flow of information with the British National Health Service
(NHS) and in the future, connect with our allies' systems in NATO and US.
The Challenge
The new centralised system – the critical part of the Defence Medical Information Capability
Programme (DMICP) – would replace legacy health records and other data held on disparate
computers and on paper at up to 500 medical and dental facilities around the world ashore and
afloat.
The programme would also involve a significant business change element: making DMS staff more
efficient by simplifying records, avoiding duplication, and facilitating easy and consistent data entry.
With DMICP, there would be a single and complete record for all eligible patients.
Patient treatment would improve in quality and pace. The overall level of health in the armed forces
would rise to achieve what the Surgeon General calls the ’Gold Standard’.
Our Answer
Logica hosts the integrated health records system at the secure data-centre in Bridgend, Wales.
EMIS PCS, an off-the-shelf product widely used within the NHS for medical records, is used and has
been adapted to meet the specific requirements of the military population.
Pilot trialling at UK based service medical facilities was followed by a rollout programme of up to
eight sites a week. Each rollout included the migration of legacy data, on-site configuration of PCs
and printers, and training of users – from doctors and nurses to pharmacists, administrators and
practice managers.
Accessed via a dedicated portal, the application was further enhanced. We developed a dental
module that would enable the creation of dental treatment plans and electronic tooth charting. This
facility also provides key information on relevant medical data on patients. This is a big step forward for military dentists whose records are now available in an integrated healthcare information system.
A Success Story
DMICP is transforming the medical and dental capabilities of the UK armed forces.
- Data is now securely accessible in real time around the world, from medical centres at home to
ships at sea and battlefields overseas
- Personnel and their dependents get faster, more accurate treatment
- Medical resources are being used more efficiently, with constant improvement in processes
enabled
- Senior staff have access to improved medical management information, showing, for example,
which personnel are fit for deployment
- Proper records will be passed on to the NHS for treatments or on discharge, benefiting both
serving personnel and veterans
- Latest best practices and treatments will be readily available for all patients
- The system is fully auditable, secure and updateable.
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