Before adopting InPhase, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust utilized Datix, starting in 1999 primarily within the legal department. Over time, Datix expanded its use to incident reporting within the risk team by 2003. Although Datix initially met the Trust's needs, it gradually became outdated and fragmented, leading to inefficiencies and a lack of information sharing across departments. Incident reporting was viewed negatively, and feedback loops were ineffective due to time constraints. Also, the incident reporting process in Datix was lengthy and tedious, discouraging staff from using the system.
“In terms of Datix, what we didn't have is the joined up thinking, so every area was a bit like a silo. They all knew their own information but weren’t sharing it with other areas. So that was one of the reasons to go with InPhase because of that oversight.” – Sarah Branigan, Quality and Patient Safety Lead
The Trust sought a solution that could promote integrated and transparent reporting across departments and enhance user experience and encourage engagement. Bradford also required their new system to provide timely feedback and improve patient safety, ensure comprehensive data migration and usability and offer robust support and customization options.
Early engagement with the procurement team was crucial. The Trust defined clear requirements and explored market options via the North of England (NOE) Framework. InPhase stood out due to its ability to integrate existing data and provide a comprehensive, modern solution without starting from scratch. Initially, the Board was risk-averse, fearing data loss and reporting disruptions. Persistent communication and assurance led to Board approval.
Frequent updates and presentations were provided to maintain Board confidence and support. The project kick-off occurred in August, with a go-live target in January, giving a limited window for implementation. Key activities included stakeholder engagement, communication planning, and training.
A multi-faceted communication strategy was employed, including showcase webinar sessions, online training and drop-in sessions. Online training through the InPhase help center was emphasized due to limited internal training capacity. Certificates and recognition were used to encourage engagement and positive reinforcement of the new system.
“So our staff, we’ve got 6000 staff, potentially, that use that system. We might have had 10 queries about reporting an incident. So they're just using it and they like in it.” - Sarah Branigan, Quality and Patient Safety Lead
The Trust successfully migrated 158,000 records from Datix to InPhase, ensuring no data loss and maintaining historical integrity. Staff can access incident, risk, and feedback data across departments, promoting transparency and collaboration. The modern interface and streamlined process increased user adoption and reduced reporting queries.
Dashboards are tailored to provide real-time insights and facilitate easy data extraction for reports. Community staff can quickly report incidents using QR codes on their devices, increasing reporting efficiency. Incidents, complaints (feedback app), risks (legal app), and CQC modules were implemented. The actions and CQC apps were still in deployment stages at the time.
“This is one of the dashboards that is already built into the system. And you can filter it, you can add extra filters. So if it's overall, if you want to show a particular specialty, they can select specialty so they can see exactly what they want to see for their area and likewise, they can see absolutely everything” . – Sarah Branigan, Quality and Patient Safety Lead
The system's ease of use and transparency fostered a more positive reporting environment, with staff actively engaging in incident reporting. The Trust experienced improved patient safety and quality improvement focus, with matrons and other staff engaging in discussions and sharing insights.
Real-time access to data facilitated quicker response to incidents and more effective quality and safety governance. The streamlined reporting process and customizable dashboards reduced the time and effort required to generate reports. The system’s ability to integrate and display data from multiple sources in real-time greatly enhanced operational efficiency.
“In the daily incident report, our quality and patient safety facilities in the first instance every morning, click on that and that can see instantly what was reported since midnight.” – Sarah Branigan, Quality and Patient Safety Lead
The comprehensive training and support plan ensured staff were well-prepared, resulting in minimal queries and smooth transition. Post-go-live support, including drop-in sessions and centralized email support, ensured ongoing assistance and user confidence.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s migration to InPhase represents a significant improvement over the previous Datix system. The Trust successfully navigated initial resistance and tight timelines through clear communication, strategic planning, and robust training programs. InPhase’s modern, integrated solution has not only enhanced data visibility and reporting efficiency but also fostered a positive cultural shift towards proactive patient safety and quality improvement.
