TriVice app
The Department of Plastic Surgery and Department of IT at the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital are proud to announce the launch of a novel app that is purpose-designed to triage and manage acute referrals to the Department.
TriVice is a mobile app that can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store and is also available as a web-based desktop version. All acute referrals to Plastic Surgery will be routed through the app. The app captures patient demographics, and details of the injury and facilitates upload of clinical photographs and images.
The app processes the information provided, based on in-built clinical pathways and provides advice, which is then validated by the plastic surgical team. It enables real-time notification and communication with referring clinicians as well as integration into existing BCH systems e.g. PEPR and WABA (photography).
It is envisaged that the app will enhance communication between the referring Emergency Department clinician and the plastic surgery on-call team by making the referral process easier, smoother, seamless and with better documentation.
In the future, the App will be rolled out to other interested specialities to improve referral and triaging processes and enhance patient care.
The initial pilot phase will see ED at BWC use the app to refer trauma patients to Plastic Surgery. In a second phase summer 2021 the app will be rolled out to all external referring ED departments.
What is TriVice?
TriVice is a purpose designed application developed by the Department of Plastic surgery in collaboration with Capri healthcare which will handle all acute referrals to the on-call plastic surgery team at BWC.
TriVice will capture patient demographics including contact details, essential details of the injury and will facilitate uploading of clinical photographs and images as appropriate.
Based on the embedded clinical algorithm the app will then suggest a course of action which in cases of patient transfer will be validated by the on call plastic surgery team at BWC.
What is the scope of TriVice?
Currently, TriVice can be used to refer all soft tissue injuries, hand and wrist fractures as well as upper limb birth related injuries to the Department of Plastic Surgery.
In future we hope to expand the use to other conditions such as burn injuries and in- house extravasation referrals.
Who can use TriVice?
TriVice has two separate interfaces, one for the Emergency Department clinicians who wish to refer patients to Plastic Surgery and the other for the on-call plastic surgical team who will receive these referrals. To use TriVice, the app must be downloaded from App Store or Google Play Store and register as a user. Only those with valid NHS email address will be authorised to use the app.
Please click this link to view the training video.
For those users who prefer to use a web-based program, please click the link (provided) to download the desktop version.
What are the advantages of using TriVice?
TriVice will streamline referral pathways and obviate the need to speak to the on-call plastic surgery team at BWC for every referral unless an injury is serious or threatens limb or life. In most instances, TriVice will offer an action plan.
The BWC clinician will endeavour to respond urgently if the injury suggests such a response is required. The app has a built-in feature that enables the ED clinician to contact the BWC on-call team directly, at the press of a button, where required.
The information captured on the app will be incorporated into BWC clinical systems and be part of patient records.
How can I make best use of TriVice?
Please ensure that all required fields are filled in accurately. We request that clinical photographs and images are included to enable us to get as accurate a picture of the injury as possible.
Please also use the free text box to provide any additional information that you think is pertinent and useful.
What happens if I disagree with the advice given by TriVice?
If you feel that the advice given by TriVice is inappropriate or compromises patient safety please contact the on call plastics as a team at BWC by telephone through switchboard.
What do I do if I do not receive a response from a BWC clinician?
If the action plan suggested by the app is to manage the patient in house please do so. Clinical guidance and information leaflets are available within the app that you may choose to use at your own discretion.
If the app suggests that the patient can be seen at BWC on a semi elective basis, the patient can be sent home with instructions as suggested by the app and the BWC team will contact the patient with necessary starving and attending instructions.
If the advice is to send the patient to BWC immediately, please speak to the on- call team and agree on details of the transfer. In case of immediate referrals, if the BWC plastics team are busy, they will attempt to contact you at the earliest.
In case of limb or life threatening emergencies, you may speak to the Emergency Department at BWC, if you are unable to contact the Plastic surgery team.
What do I do if there is a technical error?
Please contact Capri Healthcare by email: support@caprihealthcare.co.uk or phone for technical support on 0330 133 4047.
If you think there may be an error related to the clinical pathways, please contact the on call Plastic surgery through switchboard at BWC.
What if the patient of carer refuses permission for clinical photographs to be taken for the referral?
The on call Plastic surgery team require every piece of information including photographs to make an accurate assessment of the nature of injury.
If the patient or carer refuses photographs to be taken, the clinician making the referral will have to make a decision on how to proceed based on their judgement.