Wider RDS developments

PROMs/PREMs platform 

We are continuing to work closely with teams who are preparing to pilot the platform in sites across Scotland. We have also had interest from additional pilot teams, including the Excellence in Care PREM tool, and NHS Borders primary care. 

We’ve also recently completed testing the PAVES (Psychology Adding Value – Electronic Screening) tool on the platform. This is an intervention tool developed by NHS Lothian to screen children and young people who may be struggling with their mental health alongside other health conditions. The team at NHS Lothian are keen to use the PROMs platform as an innovative tool to support the implementation of PAVES in practice. 

Word to Web conversion 

We have completed final user testing of this functionality, which will be available after the RDS Umbraco 17 update. We’ve also added a new feature to support the integration of SMC advice into SIGN guidelines without the need for manual formatting. 

If you are working with national guidelines and would like to learn more about how this Word to Web conversion tool works, please get in touch with Maria at maria.cordero2@nhs.scot 

Improving searching, browsing and notifications for medicines information 

Tactuum is continuing the development of the search, browse and alerting functionality and the RDS team has begun work on indexing RDS content to underpin this. This work will introduce better linking of RDS content which relates to medicines and will make finding this information more efficient for users. 

Please get in touch with maria.cordero2@nhs.scot if you have any questions or thoughts on this work. 

Following an extensive option appraisal, we have now selected the Knowledge Hub as the digital platform for the IMPROVE programme community of practice. This is the platform that provides the most equitable support for patients, healthcare professionals and academic researchers across the eleven institutions and three countries involved in this programme. Information governance and security information has been shared, and demo and discussion sessions are being organised to engage the core community group in using the platform and agreeing the programme of activity for the community. 

The University of Dundee has now provided its evaluation report on impact of RDS decision support for polypharmacy prescribing embedded in primary care electronic health record systems.  Initial review of the results indicates a positive impact.  Scottish Government and the RDS team are reviewing the findings in detail prior to publishing a summary of key messages to inform the next stages of roll-out.

The Right Decision Service team is scoping plans for a collaborative project with NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire and the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI) to embed evidence, implementation support and decision support within the UK-wide NIHR-funded Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme (OPIP). OPIP is an £85 million UK Government industry programme designed to transform community-based obesity care through improved access, digital innovation, reduction of health inequalities, generation of real-world evidence and evaluation of integrated obesity pathways.  

This programme is not solely an obesity initiative. It aims more broadly to establish a scalable national model for converting HIS evidence, guidance and assessment outputs into practical decision support that improves outcomes not only in obesity management but more widely across prevention, proactive care and long-term condition management. 

Key outcomes for the programme to end of March 2029 will be; 

• Embedding decision support for supported self-management, shared decision-making and clinical decisions within new end to end weight management pathways in NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire. These will support assessment, triage, referral and access to digital, clinical, psychological and specialist interventions.  

• Integrating evidence and decision support within national platforms for patients and professionals including MyCare.scot, NHS inform, the DHI Population Health System and other digital services.  

• A reusable, generic digital infrastructure, evidence assets and decision support tools that enables implementation of a wider array of evidence and decision support products to support prevention, lifestyle improvement, long-term condition management and prescribing.