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
Welcome to the NHS Scotland Spinal Orthotics Clinical Decision Support Tool. This resource has been created to direct Orthotists to make evidence based decisions when selecting Spinal Orthoses for their patients.
The tool is based on a systematic literature review carried out in 2018, which was refreshed in 2023. However, the evidence base is updated at regular intervals and any treatment changes required as a result of new evidence, newly available product, or changes to best practice are updated on the pathway as required.
It is designed to assist Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered Orthotists in selecting the brace that has shown to give the greatest benefit for patients with spinal trauma or a number of other pathologies in terms of restriction of motion within the spine to allow healing, reduction in spinal pain, improved spinal posture when upright, or improvement in function and is based on the available evidence and the knowledge and skills gained via a Qualification in Prosthetics and Orthotics leading to registration with HCPC.
This tool should not be used to guide an orthotic prescription unless used by a health care professional with relevant competencies.
Although specific spinal braces have been identified in the pathways, the products recommended in this tool are examples of types of Orthoses which are either quoted in the literature or are in current common use and should be fit for purpose for the level of spinal injury sustained.
These examples are not exhaustive and are by no means the only appropriate brace. Other spinal braces with similar properties can be used by the prescribing Orthotist based on clinical presentation.
Use of specific braces will change periodically as new and suitable products become available. Product choice is dependent on the preference of each Health Board. The final decision lies with the Orthotist to choose which product is best for the individual patient based on the features of the orthosis, how it will fit the patient, availability, cost, familiarity and individual clinical decision making.
The tool was created by an editorial group within NHSGGC and NHS Grampian and was sponsored by the Scottish Clinical Orthotic Leads Group.
Content development and moderation is carried out by a working group within NHSGGC led by the Orthotics Neuro Team Lead.
Changes are approved by the NHSGGC Orthotics Clinical Lead and taken to the Scottish Clinical Orthotic Leads group for external validation.
Technical maintenance and updating of the app is carried out by Tactuum Ltd and funded through the National Decision Support Programme led by the Digital Health and Care Institute.
The Orthotics Spinal clinical decision support tool is reviewed annually. Content will be updated as and when required by changes in the evidence which is updated on a regular basis as new papers are available. This process is managed jointly by Orthotics and Knowledge Services.
The app is compliant with Android and Apple accessibility standards for native mobile apps. The website is compliant with WC3A 2.0 Standards.
The app is supported by Android 4.4 or later and iOS 8.0 or later devices. The website is optimised for use on both desktop and mobile devices in the following browsers - IE9+, Chrome, Edge, Safari.
Orthotics Spinal Pathways