District Nurses and GP practices work together to support flu vaccination campaign
District Nurses and GP practices across Cwm Taf worked together to set up an electronic flu clinic.
Practices created a list of patients in need of a vaccination on their computer system which could be accessed by District Nurses in the community via their Chromebooks.
The initiative improves patient safety and communication as the practice can see if the patient has received the flu jab, reducing any risk of missed or double vaccination.
The system was installed ready for the winter flu campaign and follows the previous success of electronic clinic lists for blood testing patients treated with Warfarin.
Previously surgeries would have produced a paper list of patients in need of the flu jab.
District nurse Kimberley Williams said: “The electronic system is far more efficient than the previous paper records.
“It reduces the risk of a patient receiving a double vaccination and allows better communication with our GP surgeries.”
Now by connecting directly with the surgery records while out in the community, the district nurse team is able to see immediately which patients need to be vaccinated to protect them against flu and if they have already had the jab.
Rhys Roberts, IT development nurse for Cwm Taf University Health Board, said there were many benefits from the e-clinic system.
“It speeds up the process and saves the nurse having to travel back and forth to the practice to check paper records. Now the information is at their fingertips via a live link,” he said.
The new system was introduced in September and had worked well, he said.
