New technology aims to streamline admission and discharge of patients in East Lancashire

Miya Flow will provide electronic journey boards that show important relevant information at-a-glance, for the patients in their care.

This will mean that ward staff, medical staff, dieticians, therapists, pharmacists and a whole range of specialist clinical teams will have easier visibility of what they need to do to ensure patients move forward in their care journey without delays.

Deployment of the system will accompany the go-live of an electronic patient record later this year, as East Lancashire Hospitals Trust advances its digital transformation journey.

Miya Flow is not the first patient flow system to be used by the trust, which serves four hospitals and 700,000 patients. ExtraMed, which is also provided by Alcidion, has been in place for nearly a decade, and has delivered significant benefits in moving flow related information from paper forms to more accessible digital information.

It has also supported digital handover, referrals to specialist teams and provided intelligence around length of stay. The Trust will be the first to upgrade from ExtraMed to Miya Flow. It will also have the potential to use the new system to support virtual wards in the community.

Lynette Ousby, UK managing director for Alcidion, said: “As someone who has been born and bred in Lancashire, it is particularly rewarding to see clinical teams at East Lancashire Hospitals being provided with helpful digital tools.

“Giving staff easier visibility of information is an important part of this objective, and we are proud to be part of the healthcare digital transformation mission in Lancashire, which is very much focussed on enhancing patient care.”

Kate Quirke, CEO for Alcidion, said: “Patient flow has become a central part of immediate focus for digital technology in healthcare as hospitals aim to improve efficiency at a time of huge demand, and as integrated care systems look to flow systems to help support command and control across their footprint. I’m particularly excited to expand our work with East Lancashire NHS Trust and to have the opportunity to help to add additional value to the trust’s systems and digital plans. I look forward to seeing benefits emerge for patients and the people delivering care.”