Welcome to the Right Decision Service (RDS) newsletter for April 2024.
Tactuum has been working hard to address the issues experienced during the last week. They have identified a series of three mitigation measures and put the first of these in place on Friday 3rd May. If this does not resolve the problems, the second mitigation will be actioned, and then the third if necessary.
Please keep a lookout for any slowing down of the system or getting locked out. Please email myself, mbuchner@tactuum.com and onivarova@tactuum.com if you experience any problems, and also please raise an urgent support ticket via the Support Portal.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we achieve a full resolution.
A rotating carousel presenting some of the key RDS tools and capabilities, and an editable slideset, are now available in the Resources for RDS providers section of the Learning and Support toolkit.
The redesign of RDS Search and Browse is still on-track for delivery by mid-June 2024. We then plan to have a 3-week user acceptance testing phase before release to live. All editors and toolkit owners on this mailing list will be invited to participate in the UAT.
The archiving and version control functionality is also progressing well and we will advise on timescales for user acceptance testing shortly.
Tactuum is also progressing with the deep linking to individual toolkits within the mobile RDS app. There are several unknowns around the time and effort required for this work, which will only become clear as the work progresses. So we need to be careful to protect budget for this purpose.
These have all been compiled and effort estimated. Once the redesign work is complete, these will be prioritised in line with the remaining budget. We expect this to take place around late June.
Many thanks to those of you completed the value and impact survey we distributed in February. Here are some key findings from the 65 responses we received.
Figure 1: Impact of RDS on direct delivery of care
Key figures
Figure 2 shows RDS impact to date on delivery of health and care services
Key figures
These data show how RDS is already contributing to NHS reform priorities and supporting delivery of more sustainable care.
Saving time and money
Quality assurance and governance
Service innovation and workforce development
A few examples of toolkits published to live in the last month:
Some of the toolkits the RDS team is currently working on:
Please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot if you would like to learn more about a toolkit. The RDS team will put you in touch with the relevant toolkit lead.
Thanks to all of you who have responded to the retrospective quality audit survey and to the follow up questions. We still have some following up to do, and to work with owners of a further 23 toolkits to complete responses. An interim report is being presented to the HIS Quality and Performance Committee.
Eight clinical services and two public library services are undertaking tests of change to implement the Being a partner in my care app. This app aims to support patients and the public to become active participants in Realistic Medicine. It has a strong focus on personalised, person-centred care and a library of shared decision aids, as well as simple explanations and videoclips to help the public to understand the aims of Realistic Medicine. The tests of change will inform guidance and an implementation model around wider adoption and spread of the app.
With kind regards
Right Decision Service team
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
All new patients for whom lithium treatment is being considered will be given appropriate information to allow them to make an informed choice. Where patients lack capacity or are to receive compulsory treatment via a T2 or T3, information will be provided commensurate to their needs and capability.
At regular intervals (minimum annually) throughout lithium treatment, patients information needs will be assessed and appropriate information provided.
The information needs of patients will vary over time and often need to be tailored to their capacity and mental state at different stages of their illness. The principle of the recent Montgomery ruling, is that patients are provided with information regarding material risks of treatment sufficient to allow a ‘reasonable’ person to make an informed choice. Alternative treatments should also be discussed. In the context of lithium such information will cover
With these topics in mind the following resources are recommended to clinical staff to use to provide information to potential patients or existing patients prescribed lithium.
Recommended sources of Information
This includes a variety of patient information leaflets (in a variety of formats and languages), handy fact sheets and handy charts. These will be used to provide detailed information and reinforce verbal counselling to all prospective lithium patients and on specific issues for existing patients.
Provides a range of support materials and information for people with Bipolar disorder
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Provides a range of support materials and information for people with Bipolar disorder
Provides a range of leaflets specifically for people with reading or learning difficulties.
NHS GG&C lithium information leaflets
These leaflets were developed jointly by mental health services and Bipolar Scotland as part of the development work for the Bipolar Hub project. The following topics are covered
These leaflets will be issued to all prospective patients and be given to each patient prescribed lithium with their discharge prescriptions. Ward clinical pharmacists will use them to support one to one patient education. The leaflets are available from Leverndale Pharmacy.
Information produced by lithium manufacturers
The UK manufacturers provide a variety of patient information resources on lithium tailored to their product. These can be used to compliment the resources above if necessary. Contact Leverndale Pharmacy for advice.
For all patients for whom lithium treatment is being considered it is the duty of the ward or CMHT multi-disciplinary team to ensure each patient’s information needs are assessed and met.
Ideally all prospective patients will have the opportunity to discuss treatment with a clinical pharmacist prior to treatment starting. However this may not always be possible in which case appropriate members of the MDT will provide the information as outlined in the information resources section above.
Consideration with regards to the level of initial information provided may depend on the patient’s mental state at the time.
Appropriate members of the MDT whether that be in hospital wards or community mental health teams will regularly assess and meet the information needs of patients prescribed lithium under their care. They will use the resources outlined above to meet those needs.
MyPsych App