As a doctor, how do you still gain insight into the entire health situation of your patient in an ever-growing folder system, with masses of letters and notes per patient, regardless of the countless work lists, emails and separate systems in which you collect the rest of the information? How can you guarantee that you will not overlook that one crucial value?
A lack of overview and the ability to quickly and easily share my clinical insights with colleagues is a daily medical mistake for me. Waiting for a solution to present itself is irresponsible to say the least. That is why I, together with healthcare ICT specialists Han Kohar and Peter Walgemoed, have taken up the challenge to get rid of this problem, literally and figuratively. Together we developed the concept for “fluKs Collaborative Space”, a virtual consultation space for healthcare professionals that can be scaled up worldwide.
Freedom of communication and application
Imagine a digital bulletin board on which all members of your treatment team can post their own insights about a joint patient / client. From the first contact to the implementation of the treatment plan. Insights that can easily be linked to the results of examinations and scans, which are imported from the existing IT solutions of your healthcare institution.
You can quickly consult with each other online and approve steps within the treatment. And you can use any application within the platform that you consider important to support your work. In other words, freedom of communication and application. That is the essence of fluKs.
Learning from every patient
I find learning from every patient just as crucial as good communication. The fluKs concept provides this by immediately recording valuable information for the patient in the process, both for direct knowledge sharing and (re) use in the long term.
Patient data is stored in a secure data vault, in the name of the healthcare provider and with the consent of the patient concerned. This guarantees authentication and the use of the data is GDPR or AVG proof. This means that we can work beyond the walls of institutions with this patient data. Naturally, we provide insight into when and for what the patient has given permission and what is done with which data in which place. In addition, a patient always has the option to give permission only for certain parts or to withdraw the permission.
Natural caregiver role restored
On this basis, we let the healthcare provider act as steward of patient data, restoring the natural role of the healthcare provider. Confidentiality is restored in the care relationship: the patient can trust that the doctor is aware of his entire health situation.
In addition, patient data is securely made available for scientific research and we can forward complete and well-defined information to the patient’s personal health environment.
Hippocrates 2.0
The first use case of fluKs has now been developed, involving a patient with breast cancer. We are also working on a direct link between use cases and scientific research to determine the effectiveness of the solution and to learn from what works and what doesn’t. Our first step towards the data driven doctor has been taken.
In line with this, I would also like to propose a contemporary version of our oath, Hippocrates 2.0 so to speak:
As a healthcare provider, I promise to entrust care and health to my patient. For this I will:
- Using the technology available
- Making healthcare information valuable
- Making the healthcare information available to the patient and the knowledge network of colleagues
- Treat healthcare information confidentially
Does this concept appeal to you? Do you have any suggestions we can take with us? Or do you want to contribute to the rollout of fluKs? Mail me at: gabriellespeijer@gmail.com
