October 24, 2024
Piloting robotic automation in general practice
Robotic process automation (RPA) technology mimics human actions and interacts with digital systems to carry out basic manual and repetitive tasks. But does it work in a general practice setting? And will it really release time and save money?
Last year, our digital team assessed GP Automate’s RPA system to see if it was safe and useable for practices. It was a relatively new system, and a practice considering using it requested a full emerging technology review.
Following the review, the GPCB’s digital strategy group (DSG) agreed to examine the general suitability and usefulness of RPA for practices in BNSSG. This pilot aimed to be a ‘proof of concept’ of the application of RPA in general practice, to inform and promote understanding of the technology and how it may be applied.
Morgan Daly, One Care’s digital strategy transformation lead, said: “We invited expressions of interest from practices, and asked them to highlight the challenges they were hoping to overcome using RPA. The survey responses showed practices were hoping to free up administrative and clinical time, while maintaining high quality care for patients
“Based on these responses, it was agreed our pilot project would test the benefit of GP Automate’s filing of lab results. Thirteen practices have now signed up to take part.”
Practices could benefit from GP Automate’s system, as it removes the need for staff to process normal lab reports with enhanced features (see image below). Patients can be sent the results via AccuRx and their records are automatically updated. This all means reports are filed and actioned quickly and accurately in line with practice preferences, releasing time for clinical and admin staff.
Morgan added: “We have bi-monthly meetings with the practices involved in the pilot to share feedback and any issues or concerns, so any problems can be fixed quickly. To date, 29,588 lab reports have been filed using RPA, saving estimated total costs of £49,000 across the 13 practices.”
During a recent clinical review session, one practice agreed the pilot had been a positive experience. The team was fully supportive of the changes and was excited about the potential. Another practice appreciated having fewer results to action as a large portion are now automated. Other practices reported that the implementation phase was somewhat challenging, as it required the clear mapping and standardisation of practice processes. However, there was general agreement that once implemented, refinements to get the most out of the product should be more straightforward.
Dr. Arun Notaney, the CEO of GP Automate said: “Our company is dedicated to transforming primary care through automation, with a mission to give valuable time back to general practice teams. Our automation solutions are crafted by GPs, for GPs, ensuring the technology is tailored precisely to the needs of the healthcare professionals. By automating manual tasks, we streamline workflows, reduce administrative burdens, and ultimately enhance the quality of patient care.”
As the pilot progresses, work is starting on evaluating the suitability and advantages of RPA to general practice and potential other good ‘use case’ for the application of this technology. The results will be available in spring 2025.
One Care has negotiated a cost reduction for any BNSSG practice wishing to adopt GP Automate, from 28p to 23p per patient.
The following video is a demo of GP Automate, showing what its automated lab results process offers:
If you are interested in learning more about the project and how your practice could benefit from RPA, please contact our digital team: digital@onecare.org.uk
More information on GP Automate is also available here.
Piloting robotic automation in general practice