We can convert that to a Wiki here in Discourse without too much trouble if you like; probably best as a new topic thread in #nz-ciln-forum:key-documents. That way the identity and contact details of people stays sweet, it will be easily discoverable (and potentially publishable if desired), and it could live on as an ongoing resource such as “The state of digital health form building in NZ” or the like.
It would need a slightly different structure as Discourse is rubbish at tables. So more like a standard document and less like a spreadsheet. Will have a Table of Contents though.
Down in the South Island we’ve created some standardized processes around CWS form delivery that have enabled us to avoid the pain you’ve been seeing. As part of the delivery of each new (or changed) CWS form we provide a user friendly DB view to the local Decision Support group which allows them to understand the data being captured and produce whatever data is required by the business without needing to understand the original data model. This takes us no more than a few hours even for long and involved forms.
I will note that it is possible to capture data in numeric form depending on how the form has been built, and the joins between various parts of the form can be a bit complex to get your head around but the SQL Query Generator within Orion Health Platform can assist in generating a start point for these.
We’ve also moved to a unified model for extended document metadata and Clinical Portal config (entry points and document repository) which have also helped in reducing the effort (read: hours) to deliver a new Care Pathways form by about 60% over what it took up in 2019.
This has helped us deliver a lot of new forms to specific areas (e.g. Maternity, Ophthalmology, Anaesthesia) as well as more generic forms in the last 18 months. As an example of successful adoption the MH Progress Note we delivered for NMDHB had over 10,000 created in February alone.
More than happy to share our processes (as well the forms themselves) here with others to aid elsewhere in the country. It’s great that there seems to some agreement that this kind of sharing would be beneficial for all so thanks for getting the conversation started @Mat .
Northeast Health Wangaratta in Victoria, Australia, went live in November 2024 with a major upgrade of its Orion Health solution, which was first implemented in 2003. They are using Care Pathways to replace Soprano Medical Templates, and they have carried across most forms, while consolidating some. Currently, around 30 forms are in use, around half of them being some flavour of discharge summary, but also including referrals, medical certificates, transfer forms, assessments etc. We have recently folded the process for requests (new and changed forms) into the current process for paper forms to ensure proper governance and prevent any duplication of effort. We’ve had many requests for additions and changes, and are working through these. There’s always a balance to be struck between utility and sustainability.
Once NHW settles down into proper BAU, we may consider sharing, but there may be some differences between Australian and NZ requirements.