Derby City gets VitalData
Derby City Hospital will be the first renal unit in the UK to replace its aging Proton system with VitalData. The conversion involves extracting the entire Proton configuration, data dictionary, screen layouts, menus and all patient data and importing them into an all-new, multi-tiered SQL database with an efficient and intuitive graphical user interface.

Vitalpulse founder, Andy Webb says: “We are absolutely delighted that Derby has decided to invest in VitalData. Their data is now secured for the future in an industry-standard environment and is more accessible than ever due to the proliferation of reporting tools available.”

He continues: “Derby already uses Crystal Reports throughout the Trust and they intend to use it for all future data reporting from VitalData.”

For those interested in upgrading, Vitalpulse offers the option to convert to nationally accepted standards, including the UK Renal Registry timeline.

RPV Award for Excellence
Congratulations to the Renal Patient View team. In May 2006 this project was awarded the “NHS Leadership in Health Informatics Accolade” which “Really Pleases Vitalpulse” - clearly what RPV really stands for!

We are proud to be associated with the project. Responsible for designing the XML schema, file construction and encryption mechanism, and the continuing deployment of data collection and transmission procedures at every Proton site, we are currently completing the 20th installation and hope to have all sites up and running over the next few months. In parallel with this we are implementing an upgrade to RPV phase 3, which includes new data items, re-send options with user defined date ranges, and improved security measures.

<add copy> Although Proton is an aging product, we have successfully maintained its productive life through enhancements which exploit current IT capabilities, including performance indicators, XML messaging, real-time interfaces and data review via browser technology.

Celebrating our 10th year and expanding
Latest to join our team at Vitalpulse is our old friend Richard Read. Many of you will know Rich from his work with CCL and in particular on Clinical Vision. Amongst other existing projects, Rich takes responsibility for mySQL installations, transmission security and firewalls. Meanwhile Giles Frazer has been busy completing our latest and finest brand leading product, VitalData. So 2006 promises to be our busiest year yet!

National Renal Dataset
In 2004 Vitalpulse was commissioned by the NHSiA to assist in the compilation of the National Renal Dataset for NPfIT, now Connecting for Health. We completed this in consultation with UK Registries and UK Transplant. A discussion document <link here> has now been published and distributed by the Dept of Health and the Renal Association. We will be maintaining an active and watching brief on this project, and consideration of the proposed data items will form part of our database planning strategies.

From Here to Maternity
Derby City Maternity Unit has ordered “Project A”, a PC application that replicates Proton screens in a laptop PC environment, and which allows midwives to review data whilst visiting patients in their own homes, updating it as necessary for subsequent patient data download from Proton to a stand-alone Access database on the PC.

A 12-user trial system is on its way for use by 80 midwives this Autumn. Once re-connected to the master Proton database “Project A” exports all new data re-submitting it to Proton.

Vitalpulse Excels again
The latest company to exploit the analytical capabilities of our Excel Interface is Wyeth who will be using it to monitor and compare the long term efficacy of immuno-suppressive regimes. Trials have been conducted at The University Hospital of Wales and a roll out to other units is expected later this year.

The Word is Out
Cross House Hospital and St James’s University Hospital are the latest sites to install our Proton Word Interface, bringing to an amazing 150 copies rolled out to date.

The interface generates letters through Microsoft Word, automatically incorporating patient data extracted from Proton. Any additional information added to the letters by a secretary or clinician is extracted by the process and sent back to Proton for inclusion in the patient’s clinical record. Rob Kings says: “We estimate that over the last ten years over 500,000 letters have been created using our software.” A bulk merge option is also available enabling the generation of letters from Proton entirely without human intervention via a virtual instance of Word running on an unattended PC.

Installed with Finesse
Vitalpulse dialysis machine network interfaces continues to prove popular with our clients. X Finesse interfaces are already in operation in the UK, with another Y scheduled for installation over the next few months. We are also pleased to report a Braun Nexadia interface to Proton is installed at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and a Gambro Exalis version should be available later this year.

Our Carbon Footprint
Part of our new environmental policy (produced in response to recent NHS contractual requirements) restricts site visits to essential on-site development work only. This may cut down on carbon emissions but could mean that we don’t meet our clients face to face nearly as much as we’d like. However, we anticipate that it won’t impact too much on our procedures as we have always undertaken work by remote access as far as possible. In fact most of our contracts are already negotiated, designed, prototyped, deployed and commissioned without setting foot outside the office, reducing project costs by as much as 30% - passed on directly to our clients.