The Christie selects Better platform to support EHR modernisation

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust has selected Better to provide a Digital Health Platform that supports low-code development and an openEHR data platform. The new platform will support the modernisation of the Christie’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) and transformation of clinical, patient and cancer research services. 

The Christie is the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe, serves a population of over 3.2m people, treats 60,000 patients each year and conducts over 650 clinical trials annually. The trust has a feature-rich in-house EHR that has been developed over the last decade. Currently, a bespoke forms engine with over 600 clinical forms, combined with other applications, support cancer services across Greater Manchester and nationally. 

In the last 18 months, a modernisation programme has accelerated the development of new architecture and functionality. The data capture elements of the EHR are coming to end of life and now the trust is seeking to re-platform the forms engine to modern technology. 

Following a robust market review, the trust selected Better’s Digital Health Platform, unlocking rich data to be structured in an open format, accessible in real-time and providing a low-code forms environment with a modern user interface suitable for mobile devices. 

The low-code environment will support the acceleration of their EHR programme which plans to streamline and migrate over 600 clinical forms onto the new platform using user-centred design principles, drawing on the skills of an in-house specialist e-forms team that works closely with clinical digital champions. 

Using openEHR to separate the data layer will provide a core foundation for unifying cancer data into one patient-centric longitudinal record. This will enable improved direct care and structured storage of clinical data for research, innovation and AI purposes. The combined use of open FHIR APIs will support integration with regional and national partners. 

Longer-term the aspiration is to integrate other applications into the vendor neutral data layer. The trust is developing a new data strategy in line with the national ’Data saves lives’ strategy, which sets out the mission to unleash the potential of data in health and care. 

Eileen Jessop, Chief Information Officer, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “Modernisation of our EHR platform and unlocking the power of data is a key part of the strategy to lead the development of cancer research. The ability to innovate at pace and easily integrate locally and regionally will ensure the trust stays at the forefront of specialist cancer treatment and research."

Matthew Cox, Managing Director of Better for the UK and Ireland said: “Unified and instantly available patient data is the lifeblood of any healthcare organisation; we are delighted a trust as innovative as The Christie has selected Better. We are seeing momentum towards healthcare organisations choosing open data and open standards, The Christie is leading the way for acute NHS providers in England.”

About The Christie:

The Christie is a leading expert in cancer care, research and education and is the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe. The Christie treats more than 60,000 patients a year and the first UK centre to be accredited as a comprehensive cancer centre. Based in Manchester, they serve a population of 3.2 million people across Greater Manchester and Cheshire while more than a quarter of patients are referred nationally from across the UK.

About Better:

Better transforms healthcare organisations with Better Platform, the market-leading open data platform, electronic prescribing and medication administration solution, and Better’s low code Studio to rapidly build applications at a fraction of the cost. The company’s solutions are putting organisations in control of their data, workflows, and transformation plans, all with the aim of simplifying the work of care teams to improve lives. In the last three decades, Better has provided solutions for more than 150 clients across 16 countries worldwide, and Better Platform securely supports over 22 million patients.