Successful adoption of GP2GP (General Practice to General Practice) in general practice teams in Northern Ireland requires careful and structured training to ensure the safe handling and management of incoming patient records. This training involves understanding several key areas:
Filing Incoming Records
General practice teams should start by becoming familiar with how to safely file incoming GP2GP records. This involves accessing the Workflow Manager and identifying whether the records are for new or returning patients. For both, the incoming records should be thoroughly reviewed to ensure they are correct and complete before filing.
Filing for New Patients: Access the GP2GP section in the Workflow Manager and navigate to 'Records Received: Unfiled'. Here, select the necessary task and compare the sending organisation’s record with your practice’s records. After confirming all data is accurate, select 'File as record' from the ribbon to complete the process. If additional tasks are needed, such as authorising medication, choose 'File as record with tasks'.
Handling Returning Patient Records: Choose to either fully replace the existing medical record or merge it with the new data. Ensure all new data is integrated properly and any potential errors are addressed.
"By diligently managing incoming records with GP2GP, practices ensure a complete and accurate patient history, significantly enhancing clinical decision-making from the moment of registration."
Handling Degraded Tasks and Attachments
Degraded information or missing attachments need careful management. If attachments cannot be sent, placeholders should be used, and any required documents forwarded via local procedures. Review and action any degraded tasks before finalising records.
Staff Training
All relevant practice staff, particularly those dealing with patient registrations and medical record management, should undergo comprehensive GP2GP training. Training ensures that staff understand how to correctly validate and authorise imported records, handle degraded information such as drug allergies or non-authorised medications, and incorporate records safely into the EMIS Web system.
It is through rigorous training practices that the benefits of GP2GP, such as comprehensive access to patient history and improved initial consultations, are realised. General practice teams are advised to make full use of available training modules provided by EMIS trainers.
