News

A nurse at Kettering General Hospital has won a national award for the way she has helped in the introduction of an electronic patient record including the use of on-the-spot hand-held patient observations recording.

 

KGH’s Chief Nursing Information Officer, Dione Rogers, has won the national Women in Tech Excellence 2020 Digital Leader of the Year Award – beating 10 other top industry professionals who were nominated for the award. 

 

In Autumn 2019 Dione was instrumental in driving the roll-out of 600 hand-held devices to record patient observations across all 42 of the hospitals wards.

 

The devices use specialist software called Vitals and enable staff to capture patients’ vital signs electronically – such as oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate.

 

In turn these automatically calculate the scores which flag up the hospital’s sickest patients.

 

Dione said: “I am delighted to have won the award and I want to thank all my colleagues for the enthusiastic way they have embraced this new technology across all of our wards and departments.

 

“It has been fantastic to see how the new system is helping us to deliver better, safer and more focussed care for our patients.

 

“Digital information is shared instantly, there are no handwriting issues, and it helps us to have a true picture – in real time - of where the sickest patients are in the hospital which helps us to ensure they are all looked after as well as possible.”

 

KGH’s Chief Digital Information Officer, Andy Callow, said: “As a direct result of Dione’s leadership as Chief Nursing Information Officer there has been a successful roll out of electronic patient record.

 

“Dione has particularly been pivotal in the successful implementation of electronic observations – 100% of our 42 wards now use the observation system across 600 devices.

 

“Dione’s credibility and success lies not only in her unique position as a respected Senior Nurse and Digital Ambassador but in exquisitely joining both digital and clinical teams into buying into one patient-centred vision – the power of creating a common language cannot be underestimated.

 

“Dione inspires even the most tech-resistant clinicians to embrace and champion the use of technology in patient care through her ability to motivate and engage.”

 

Other digital improvement work Dione has been involved in has included introducing a secure text and picture messaging system called CareFlow Connect, which enables staff to perform electronic patient handovers and better co-ordinate patient care.

 

Electronic handovers help staff provide seamless communication across departments and shift patterns ensuring the most up-to-date information is available.

 

This helps clinicians to make decisions on patients care, send referrals for specialist opinions and even helps to manage wounds.  Dione has coined the phrase #paperoutofpockets believing it’s time for the NHS to embrace technology to support clinical practice whilst reducing paper reliance.

 

The Women in Tech Excellence Awards were held on December 1 and followed the Women in Tech Festival, which saw a host of big public and private sector companies discuss diversity and the varied careers and issues in the industry.

 

Kettering General Hospitals Information and Communications Technology Manager, Kerry Rodger, was also a finalist in the Role Model of the Year category for the Public Sector and Universities for the inspirational way she, and her team, have supported staff in digital transformation.