Chris Rose, director at OLM talks to us about why we need to be focusing on collaborative working to improve people’s lives across the care sector.
+ What will be the main challenges involved in bringing the health and social care sectors together?
I see the challenges around three key areas:
Terminology
Health and social care are intrinsically linked but very different in terms of processes and terminology. There needs to be a standard terminology, but any standard needs to treat social care as an equal partner not the junior partner and take account of how social care and social workers work which is very different to most health care professionals.
Funding
Funding is a challenge and one that won’t be leaving these sectors anytime soon. By combing both sectors, the question of funding will be highlighted. Will funding be combined or still be kept separate? Will services be jointly funded or the sector that directly runs it fund it, even if benefits are cross sector? Politics will play a major part in this question.
Old software without appropriate APIs (Application Programming Interface)
For us, the main challenges will be not around the technology, as modern technology can help solve the issue of collaborative working. Technology is only a challenge as we believe there are a number of suppliers who have failed to invest and open up their systems.
Hopefully Matt Hancock’s policies will help impose standards that will open up the market and mean these suppliers will have to adapt to the new reality of collaborative care.
+ Will collaborating and working together help solve the funding issues?
It will not solve the complete problem, it will however create creating savings and synergies, and a better service to the public at a lower price.
By combining focus and looking at the long term, both sectors can really start to make savings.
+ How important should the citizen be in the decision making process moving forward?
The best organisations in the world create solutions to the problems that people face in life. They speak with them to realise their pain points. They do not assume what is needed. This is to say that the citizen should be essential when it comes to the decision making process. Person-centred care is not just a buzzword, it is a goal.
The citizen is ultimately the one that will be in receipt of the technology and therefore, the solution needs to be fit for purpose.
A great example of this, can be seen in our ECLIPSE bed management software, which acts like a hotels.com for care home vacancies search and booking and is used across Hertfordshire and Essex. We worked with commissioners, social workers, hospital staff and most importantly citizens in the development of the system.
By speaking with the citizens you are able to learn more about their needs, how best to support them, and share ideas; this delivers the best solutions.
+ How does ECLIPSE support joint working across the care sector?
ECLIPSE provides a software platform that covers; case management, citizen engagement, safeguarding, finance and commissioning. Alongside this powerful next generation software are services such as transformation, data management and security. By combining these elements, it creates a complete environment that enables joint working to become a reality.
ECLIPSE has been created from the ground up to take advantage of the latest technical advances. It is a cloud native technology platform, and has been built specifically to address the requirements for multi-agency working.
With sophisticated 3 tier security and open APIs, it is able to support different models of joint working across the care sector. ECLIPSE joins up the care sector with care providers, agencies and citizens all having an appropriate view of the case.
+ OLM took the investment decision to develop ECLIPSE from the ground up, rather than just iterate like many technology systems do, Why?
OLM is not like most businesses. The CEO and owner Peter O’Hara cares deeply about doing the right thing for the sector.
We took the decision to develop ECLIPSE from the ground up and not simply drop our technology in the Cloud because it was the right thing to do. Most others looked at the situation in terms of short term profits. They maximised revenue, whilst we concentrated on the future. OLM is free of shareholders so we can take these longer term strategic decisions.
With the wider world moving slowly towards the Cloud and joined up working, we took the decision to build a new generation of care technology for multi-agency use. We did this in order for health and care workers not to be left behind, to think of them and design a solution that would make their lives easier.
+ How important do you consider working with practitioners in the development of software for Health and Social Care?
It is as important as working with citizens. Creating technology that is bespoke to the user is essential. Since day one, we have decided to concentrate on doing what is right and creating solutions that make a difference.
We always engage with those that we are creating the solution for at the start of the project. We look at their pain points and suggest solutions that are appropriate for them. We then take their feedback and create project plans and timescales that they are able to feed into.
This continual feedback cycle ensures that we deliver our ECLIPSE software and services platform to clients fit for their purpose.
+ How do you look to engage with practitioners and citizens?
We always engage with practitioners at the start of each project and continue to do so for the duration, and long into the project aftermath.
By sitting down at the start of the project, we can meet with everyone and start to create rapport with the client. We can then arrange further face to face meetings or speak via the phone, email, Skype. Regardless of the medium, we ensure that we engage with practitioners in the manner best suited and on the timescale that is suitable for them.
+ How big of a role will technology play in regards to connecting health and social care together?
Technology is an enabler. It will enable agencies from across the country to connect with each other in a way that previously would not be considered possible. This in turn will increase efficiencies, which will directly affect patients and those in need of care.
By working together, agencies can share information, safeguard patients and ensure that mistakes are reduced.
+What will be the single biggest benefit of health and social care working together?
Improved outcomes for citizens/patients; after all that is why we all do what we do.
+ What do you think the biggest technical development be in Health and Social Care over the next 5 years will be?
I think technology is moving at an astounding pace. Automation is important as it will help transform health and social care and give valuable time back to the practitioners.
The most important technical development for me will be around the power of data and the impact of this on early intervention. Using technology we will be able to understand people’s lives like never before and intervene at critical moments.
