Use case for dentist reviews the GP record when they treat a patient

Brief description

During an appointment the dentist can review relevant parts of a patient’s record to ensure their actions are clinically appropriate.

Use case justification

Clinical and administration:

  • Access to accurate information at the point of care reducing the opportunity for errors to occur.
  • Data can be formatted and filtered by the local system, so the clinician is presented the information they need in a suitable format.

Patient -focused:

  • Security of patient information is maintained and improved through the reduction of paper-based ‘patient identifiable documents’ in use within departments.
  • Increased patient/clinician time due to reduction in clinician time spent collecting and transcribing information away from the patient.
  • Better patient experience as they are not being asked for information which should already be available to the clinician.

Primary actors

  • Dentist
  • Dental system
  • GP Connect
  • GP clinical system

Secondary actors

  • Patient

Triggers

  • The patient attending a dental appointment.

Preconditions

  • The dentist has the correct/appropriate system access rights.
  • The patient’s GP has agreed to share patient information via GP Connect.
  • The patient allows this shared information to be viewed/used by the dentist.
  • Electronic interactions between dental system/GP Connect/GP clinical system have been correctly configured.

Postconditions

  • On success
    • The dentist can view the GP patient’s record and use it to assist in making clinical decision.

Basic flow with alternative and exception flows

Step Description
Step 1 Patient attends a dental appointment.
Step 2 Clinician identifies need to review relevant parts of the patient’s medication history.
Step 3 Clinician accesses the dental system to retrieve GP patient record history. The dental system requests the relevant parts of the GP patient record from GP Connect.
Step 4 GP Connect requests the relevant parts of the GP patient record from the GP clinical system.
Step 5

GP clinical system provides the relevant parts of the GP patient record to GP Connect.

The GP patient record will include:

  • Medications

  • Allergies

  • Relevant conditions (for example, heart conditions) (outside scope of current release)

Step 6 GP Connect presents the relevant parts of the GP patient record to the dental system.
Step 7 The dental system formats and filters the patient record so that the relevant information is clearly presented to the dentist.
Step 8 The dentist uses the information to support their treatment of the patient.