NHS Direct & Sitecore

Roger DonaldHead of Digital Delivery

08/04/2023 1

#SitecoreDT10

What is NHS Direct?

08/04/2023 2

What is NHS Direct?

A health information and advice line (0845 46 47)

14,000 calls a day. That’s over 5 million calls a year

 Web site alone receives 1 million visits each month 

3,400 staff

over 1,400 of whom are trained nurses (including dental nurses)

National infrastructure, but with regional/local engagement

Commissioned by the East of England Strategic Health Authority

on behalf of NHS

08/04/2023 3

The digital challenge

08/04/2023 4

“The internet has changed the way we shop, find information and

access services or all sorts, including health care. The revolutionary

effect of the web will continue to grow, and all organizations need to

understand how to harness this to achieve their goals.

Our patients currently think of NHS Direct as a telephone service. We

must, of course continue to be available to patients who just pick up the

phone as now. But to ensure we continue to give a service that is highly

valued, we need to think about patients who choose to access us

by looking on the web first, and then seek phone contact if that is

what they need. This needs our full attention.”

Nick Chapman - Chief Executive

5

Public access to health services?

Historically...

Face-to-face communication only

At a time that suits the health professional

Organised around geographic locations & communities

Some telephone based access (NHS Direct)

Our research demonstrated a public demand for digitally delivered

health services

08/04/2023 6

Delivering digital health services

The challenge...

40 health & symptom checkers (sometimes called SATs) that are

clinically safe

That are easily altered by our clinicians & content authors

From a single source of clinical algorithms

That meet Government accessibility standards

Delivered across multiple channels

That allow for patient / health professional interactive communication

Which capture and pass patient data securely to our systems08/04/2023 7

• Online self service• Web chat• Telephone support• Interactive television• Mobile web / app’s• Email• Proactive communications• Video chat• Secure transactions

NHS

Direct

Multi

Channel

8

An NHS with accessible health services

Digital Self Service

Booking & changing appointments

Repeat prescriptions

Tests

Results

Care records

Self assessments

All done via

• net books

• PCs

• Mobile devices

• iTV

• Gaming consoles9

The Sitecore solution

08/04/2023 10

Sitecore was chosen because...

It integrates with other Microsoft platforms

Specifically Arezzo a clinical decision support tool from InferMed (Prime

Contractor to NHS Direct)

Easy to implement workflow

It versions our content

Inline editing out the box

An easily accessed web interface

An API to syndicate our services to other organisations

Delivery of content across multiple channels

A proven service used by major organisations08/04/2023 11

Over to Michael...

08/04/2023 12

1308/04/2023

Developing the Online Service

Michael EdwardsWeb Consultant

1408/04/2023

Who is Eduserv?• 10 years experience providing information services to

public sector• Not-for-profit registered charity with commercial

approach• 1st UK Sitecore Partner • 7 years delivering Sitecore solutions• 14 Sitecore Certified Developers

1508/04/2023

Features• Find Your Nearest• Job Search• Health Enquiries• SATs• Syndication

1608/04/2023

1708/04/2023

1808/04/2023

1908/04/2023

2008/04/2023

2108/04/2023

2208/04/2023

What is a Health and Symptom Checker?• A series of questions that follow a NHS Direct clinically

developed pathway that lead to multiple dispositions.• Contains

– Questions– Information

2308/04/2023

What is a Health and Symptom Checker?

2408/04/2023

• A series of questions that follow a NHS Direct clinically developed pathway that lead to multiple dispositions.

• Contains– Questions– Information

What is a Health and Symptom Checker?

2508/04/2023

What is a Health and Symptom Checker?

HaSC

CDE

2608/04/2023

HaSC Process

2708/04/2023

CDE

Website

2808/04/2023

CDE

Website

2908/04/2023

CDE

Website

3008/04/2023

CDE

Website

3108/04/2023

CDE

Website

3208/04/2023

CDE

Website

3308/04/2023

The Challenges

3408/04/2023

3508/04/2023

The Challenge• Clinical Decision Engine uses a full object model• We use a full object model with Sitecore (in house

framework)• Sitecore XSLT Renderings can’t be used

3608/04/2023

The Solution

SPARK

3708/04/2023

What is Spark?• View engine for .NET• XHTML focused• Uses domain objects as content source• Open Source• Lives here: http://sparkviewengine.com/

3808/04/2023

Why Spark?• Less code • Quicker development• Compiled rather than parsed• Very fast rendering• XHTML compliant

3908/04/2023

Why Sitecore?• Fully extensible• Full integration• Flexibility • Simple• Uses Sitecore inbuilt caching• Accessible via the layout editor

4008/04/2023

Spark in Sitecore

4108/04/2023

The Challenge• A SAT is a hierarchy of many items• Versioning is typically per item• The whole SAT must be versioned• The ability to change SATs versions quickly

4208/04/2023

The Solution

Workflow

4308/04/2023

Why Sitecore?• Customisable• Full Control• Simple• Extensible

4408/04/2023

4508/04/2023

4608/04/2023

The Challenge• SAT must be shown complete• Maintain clinical integrity• Multiple users, possibly on multiple versions

4708/04/2023

Presentation split from Content

The Solution

4808/04/2023

Why Sitecore?• Content and rendering split• Content always accessible• Fast and powerful query language

TimeVersion 1

4908/04/2023

TimeVersion 1

Version 2

5008/04/2023

TimeVersion 1

Version 2

5108/04/2023

TimeVersion 1

Version 2

/liveguidelines/v001/c001/coldandflu

/liveguidelines/v001/c002/coldandflu

5208/04/2023

Summary• Produced Health and Symptom Checkers• Provided a method to rapidly update HaSC• Updates don’t interfere with users already on the site• HaSC can be distributed through multiple channels

08/04/2023 53

5408/04/2023

Any Questions

?Michael.Edwards@Eduserv.org.uk Roger.Donald@NHSDirect.nhs.uk

Follow Digital Trendspot on Twitter- #SitecoreDT10