GPIT Group Restructured
The Health Service Executive and the Irish College of General Practitioners have come together to restructure and reactivate the National General Practice Information Technology (GPIT) Group. The membership of the Group consists of Mr Pat O'Dowd, Assistant National Director Primary Community and Continuing Care (PCCC); Mr Dick McMahon, Director of Information Services; Mr Fionan O'Cuinneagain, ICGP CEO; Dr Michael Boland, Director Postgraduate Resource Centre ICGP; Dr Brian Meade and Dr Brian O'Mahony.
The restructured GPIT Group has the potential to make an important and long lasting contribution to ICT developments in our health services and particularly in General Practice at this crucial time in its future development.
There are two parts to the group, an educational section headed by Dr Brian Meade with 10 GPIT facilitators around the country and a projects section with Dr Brian O'Mahony as project manager.
Education
The GPIT computer network has been re-formed with Dr Brian Meade taking the reins as National Co-ordinator and six new facilitators joining to provide support, training and advice to GP's with ICT issues. The current list of GPIT facilitators is as follows:
- Dr Donal Buckley: HSE Dublin / Mid Leinster
- Dr Fergus McKeagney: HSE Dublin / Mid Leinster
- Dr John Cox: HSE Southern Area
- Dr Frank Hill: HSE Southern Area
- Dr Anne Lynott: HSE Dublin / North East
- Dr Kieran Murphy: HSE Southern Area
- Dr Jack MacCarthy: HSE Western Area
- Dr Barry O'Donovan: HSE Western Area
- Dr John Sweeney: HSE Western Area
- Dr Martin White: HSE Dublin / North East
Projects
The projects section is headed up by Dr Brian O'Mahony and his work includes the following activities:
- To maintain the practice management system accreditation process.
- To facilitate further development of the accreditation process to advance ICT within general practice.
- To provide guidance and support to general practice on ICT infrastructure requirements.
- To support the national GPIT coordinator and facilitators.
- To establish working links with all appropriate agencies involved in the provision of Primary, Community and Continuing Care.
- To ensure an integrated approach to ICT development in Primary Care.
- To ensure value for money from the investment in ICT with general practice.
Experience
Dr Meade and Dr O'Mahony are qualified in both medicine and health informatics. Dr Meade is a practicing GP in Dublin and Dr O'Mahony was a GP in Lismore, County Waterford and now works full time in health informatics. They bring many years of medical and computing experience to the GPIT group and are committed to ensuring a key role for ICT in Irish general practice and primary care. The GPIT Group was headed up by Peter Lennon of the Department of Health and Children from 1999 to 2005. The sponsor for the restructured GPIT Group is Pat O'Dowd, Assistant National Director PCCC.
The main priority for Dr Brian O'Mahony will be the certification of GP software systems. General Practice is at the heart of the health system and there is an imperative to ensure that ICT standards and practices in the sector are fully consistent with the development of ICT throughout the entire Irish health service. Therefore, the actual 'Requirements For Certification' specification should drive the development of quality clinical software to improve individual patient care and contribute to the better integration of ICT in Irish healthcare.
Commenting on the restructured GPIT Group, Dr O'Mahony said "It is very exciting to be working to ensure that ICT improves both care for patients and productivity for GPs. It is important that the certification work is supported at the coal face by GPs choosing to use up to date versions of products. The best way to achieve this is to ensure that the new versions of practice software provide enhanced services and connectivity".
Further information on the GPIT Group, including information leaflets and publications, is available on the ICGP website http://www.icgp.ie. Navigate to Courses Projects & Programmes and then GPIT Training.
Dr O'Mahony is keen to hear from individuals and groups who wish to input into the certification process. Please contact Ms Niamh Killeen of the ICGP with comments and queries, email Niamh.Killeen@icgp.ie or phone (01) 6763705.
Contact details:
Dr Brian O'Mahony: phone 058 54255, email bom@iol.ie.
Dr Brian Meade: phone 01 2881550, email brianmeade@iol.ie.