Most innovative student-driven digital tool
This category recognises health and care students who have found digital solutions to improve experience and outcomes for people accessing services. This may be developing a new digital technology or it may be about using an existing technology (including social media) in new and innovative ways. The finalists in this section have all developed digital technologies to prototype stage.CLEWS – the Clever Early Warning System, is a web system that automates the collection of vital signs measurements (blood pressure, pulse etc.) by taking patient data straight from a vital signs machine.
This replaces current paper systems, saving time and preventing poor data entry. It also displays charts, creates ward task lists automatically, calculates the early warning score, and even functions as an early warning system by alerting appropriate staff. It integrates easily with current workflows, with barcode scanning features and PDF report generation to be stored in an electronic patient held record.
More about CLEWS
Neena Dugar has been developing CLEWS with her father for the past year and a half. She is an eighteen year old A-Level student with an interest in programming and problem solving, whilst her father in an NHS consultant. They aim to solve some large problems that currently exist in the NHS: poor data entry (and thus inaccurate inpatient data), inaccessibility of charts for clinicians and inefficiency of the vital signs taking. Through a digital, web based system, charts are made more meaningful, with ‘traffic light’ colouring based on national guidelines, and are readily available whenever hospital staff need it. Unlike other virtual vital signs solutions, CLEWS can take data directly from the machines, preventing mis-keying and improving accuracy of data. Additionally, all calculations and plotting of the data is handled digitally, preventing any accidental error when charting and freeing up hospital staff to interact with and speak to patients.
Response times to deteriorating patients can be improved, as email (and potentially text) alerts are sent to appropriate members of hospital staff. The vital signs record is kept up to date, with ward task lists generated according to National Early Warning Score guidelines.
Neena and her father took CLEWS to the NHS Hackday in Cardiff (January 2014), where they won ‘Best App For Clinicians’. Here are some links to read about the event: http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/ehi/9202/teenager-wins-hack-day-award http://www.boxuk.com/blog/nhs-hack-weekend-review/ http://maxehmookau.github.io/blog/2014/01/28/age-is-largely-irrelevant/ http://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/development/2014/01/26/nhs-hack-day/
They are currently seeking a hospital trial, in order to make some real impact with our software. With a prototype version of the software completed, all they need is a willing hospital trust to make this happen and to change healthcare for the better.