12th September 2016

Betsi Cadwaladr Challenges Local Businesses to Revolutionise Clinical Coding

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is challenging businesses to pitch their innovative ideas for improving the way patient treatment data is recorded and updated.

Businesses are invited to develop solutions which will speed up the process of coding patient clinical episodes by reducing the manual burden on staff.  The project will help overcome an anticipated increase in demand for critical coding nationally, due to a growing number of treatments that need recording.

The project is run as part of the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and invites businesses to bid for contracts worth up to £10,000 to develop their ideas, with the potential to later apply for up to £100,000 worth of funding to develop their concepts into fully functioning solutions over an 18 month period.

When collected efficiently, clinical coding helps health organisations monitor trends in treatment and improve patient outcomes.

Head of Clinical Coding, Dafydd Ap Gwyn said: “Over the last five years we’ve seen an increase in approximately 20,000 episodes, with the trend expected to continue in the coming years.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be an IT solution, but we’re looking for businesses to come forward with proposals that could improve data collection and composition of the collected data at any level.”

Businesses are invited to a Briefing Day at the Medical Institute, Wrexham Maelor Hospital on Friday 23rd September from 9am until 3pm. The event will provide an opportunity to find out more about the project and speak to health board staff, with registration available on the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board website.

In addition to the Clinical Coding challenge, the Health Board is currently working on a further three SBRI initiatives.

Further projects include finding a way of enabling nurses to spent ten per cent more time with patients at their bedside, promoting independence in cooking tasks for those patients with an acquired brain injury, and a way of reducing acute anxiety in people living with dementia whilst traveling to and attending hospital.

View Betsi Cadwaladr’s profile here.