Virtual Fracture Clinic: Updating the Standard Operating Procedure for the EPIC Era
Background
Why this project was needed
Virtual Fracture Clinics (VFCs) allow review of fracture cases by senior orthopaedic clinicians without a face-to-face consultation, reducing unnecessary clinic attendances and improving patient experience. Following the Trust's migration to the EPIC electronic patient record system, the process for identifying and referring patients to VFC changed significantly. The existing Standard Operating Procedure had not been updated to reflect the new EPIC workflow, leading to missed referrals and variation in practice.
Aims
What the project set out to achieve
To audit compliance with the VFC Standard Operating Procedure following EPIC implementation and to propose updates to the SOP that reflect the new referral workflow.
Objectives
Specific measurable steps
- Prospectively identify all patients referred to Virtual Fracture Clinic between August and August 2024.
- Assess compliance with the existing SOP for referral documentation and case allocation.
- Identify cases where patients were not referred to VFC as expected or where the SOP was not followed.
- Draft an updated SOP reflecting EPIC-based referral processes and implement with the clinical team.
Discussion
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