The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) won the 'Cross Agency Award' for Ireland’s first online cancer referral system for general practitioners (GPs). The system ensures the rapid referral of patients with suspected cancer, directly to a cancer centre in a secure, time-efficient manner.
There are approximately 2 800 GPs in Ireland, working in 1 300 practices. Ninety per cent of GPs are computerised and use a practice management system (PMS). The NCCP, in collaboration with a range of stakeholders including the General Practice Information Technology Group (GPIT), the Irish College of General Practitioners, The National Healthlink Project and the ICT Directorate of the HSE, developed electronic cancer referral systems for breast, prostate and lung cancer.
Commenting on the project, Dr Susan O’Reilly, Director of the National Cancer Control Programme said: “The development of electronic cancer referrals will greatly improve the referral process for both patients and GPs. The cost-effective system will streamline the cancer referral process ensuring rapid access to assessment for patients who are being referred with a suspected cancer. The NCCP aims to increase the number of patients who are diagnosed with a cancer at an early stage, thereby maximising the potential for successful treatment and ultimately a cure. This system will greatly enhance the ability of the NCCP to achieve this aim.”
Moreover, the Health Promotion department of HSE won the 'Central Award' and the 'Education Award' for the Get Ireland Active website, a one stop information source on how to become more physically active in Ireland. It is helping to encourage those thinking about becoming more active by making it easy for them to find all the information they might need in one place.
The main goal of GetIrelandActive.ie is to provide all the information, advice and motivation one needs to become more active. The site’s event search feature is being widely used and more than 20 000 events were submitted by clubs, organisations and individuals during the first quarter of 2012. As well as pinpointing physical activity events in local areas the website also has a wealth of information on how to start getting more active (the benefits, safety tips, overcoming the excuses etc); how to keep active (tips for different age groups) and how to stay motivated (popular apps, challenges etc.).
GetIrelandActive.ie was developed by the Get Ireland Active Steering Group which includes the HSE, Irish Sports Council, the Irish Heart Foundation, Local Sports Partnerships, National Governing Bodies of Sport, Department of Education & Science, CARA Adapted Physical Activity Centre, the HSE Community Games and Go for Life, a non-profit organisation seeking to promote greater participation by older people.
Commenting on the eGovernment Central Award winning entry the judges said: “This is a fantastic site with excellent design and content. In particular, the judges loved the innovative use of maps and search engine to locate specific information on a wide variety of tips, guides and motivational content. (…)”
The judges also commented on the eGovernment Education Award winning entry saying: “This is frankly a great idea! It is impressive in terms of the extent of the resource it offers as well as the motivation behind the initiative. It literally provides information on what appears to be all the activities and sports that you could imagine. The navigation is easy to follow and attractively designed.”
Background information
The Ireland eGovernment Awards are jointly run by an Irish newspaper and a web usage and web strategy company, and they are now in their twelfth year. They are a recognised benchmark for excellence in Irish eGovernment services and standards. The Awards raise awareness and recognise the innovators, developers, forward thinkers and experts who are pioneering the changes happening in how the Irish Government delivers services to its citizens.
Further information:
- Original news article - Health Service Executive
- Ireland eGovernment Awards 2012
- Related ePractice news article - IE: National electronic general practitioner (GP) referral system launches
- Related ePractice news article - IE: Website launched to encourage physical activity and health improvement among the Irish
- Background information - ePractice eGovernment Factsheet for Ireland