CCG tries US collaboration tool

A clinical commissioning group is trying out a US-run private collaboration tool to share information and hold group discussions.

Lincolnshire South West CCG has started to use software from US-based FMYI to hold discussions about the Quality and Outcomes Framework and plans to extend it to other CCG tasks if it is successful.

Dr Richard Gent, chair of the CCG and a GP in Caythorpe, Lincolnshire, told EHI Primary Care that the CCG had spent some time investigating how it could communicate better both with GP practices as well as with colleagues in other parts of the NHS and patients.

He added: “We’ve really been struggling with the issues and the practicalities of the engagement word. We didn’t want to just bombard people with emails.”

Dr Gent said the CCG began to look at social media approaches used in the commercial sector and started looking for a tool that would provide some structure as well as flexibility to cope with the tasks the CCG had lined up for it.

The group came across FYMI, a tool used by companies including Disney and Sony, and has started to use it for discussions around QoF such as peer review issues.

Dr Gent said the tool had been integrated into participants’ email as many people preferred to communicate through email and the aim was to expand it to get discussions and input on the CCG’s development plans if it proved successful.

Participants are added to the group by invitation and the group has so far covered GPs plus some practice managers and community nurses, consultants and NHS managers.

Dr Gent added: “It’s very early days but eventually the idea is to add anybody and everybody that’s involved in what people are talking about including patient groups and social care.”

He said FMYI had been keen to work with the CCG to adapt it to their needs and said price had also been a factor. “It’s about a tenth of the cost of Microsoft’s SharePoint for example," he added.

Dr Gent said the solution offered additional functionality to NHS Networks and said FMYI could eventually become the CCG’s reference library as well.