Southend-on-Sea, 05/05/2025 | Press release | Medical Systems Olympus Announces Findings from Study on the Impact of Digitisation on NHS Nurses’ Time and Morale

nCare™ is connected to a camera system and captures full high-definition clinical images and videos during nasal endoscopy procedures. At the end of each procedure, VaultStream™ automatically receives and securely stores these recordings, enabling healthcare professionals to access and review them on any device connected to the hospital’s network.¹

Previously, this process involved traditional methods such as printing, attaching, scanning, and digitising images offsite, or recording urgent content on an iPad before transferring it to EPRs.

This research comes at a time when the NHS is prioritising the digitisation, integration, and modernisation of healthcare technology to improve efficiency and long-term sustainability.²

Key Findings:

The study highlights how digitisation can help reduce non-patient-facing tasks and streamline clinical workflows.

• Time Efficiency: Digitisation using nCare and VaultStream saved nurses 43 seconds or 3 minutes 8 seconds per nasal endoscopy (depending on the Process)³, improving time efficiency by 10 to 33%, and reducing time spent on non-patient-facing tasks.⁴
• Cost Savings: Digitisation using nCare and VaultStream is projected to save nurses in the ENT outpatient department the equivalent of 26 working days per year on non-patient-facing tasks. Leading to a potential annual cost-saving in time efficiency of £6,780.⁴
• Morale & Accuracy:
  • 75% of respondents reported that the digitised process significantly improved their morale.⁴
  • 88% of respondents reported that the digitised process improved their confidence in the accuracy of patient details.⁴
  • 100% of respondents reported that the digitised process reduced the occurrence of issues, delays, or downtime they experienced.⁴
• Environmental Impact: Digitisation using nCare and VaultStream cut printer paper and ink use, saving £6,252 to £9,531 annually in the ENT outpatient department.⁴

Healthcare Professionals See Real-World Benefits

Clinical staff have observed tangible improvements in their daily workflows. Carys Harman, a Healthcare Support Worker, noted that “clinics run more smoothly and efficiently.” Jane Hart, also a Healthcare Support Worker, added, “The new Olympus system [nCare and VaultStream] is user-friendly and reliable. It is easier to record, playback and search for previous videos.” Clinical Nurse Manager Jo Morgan remarked, “The integration of nCare has improved clinic productivity and streamlined our processes, making patient images easily accessible on the electronic record to support better care planning.”

The full study, published in Digital Health, can be accessed here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39640967/.

¹ (nCare™), manufactured by Gyrus ACMI, Inc., Brooklyn, USA with Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG, Hamburg, Germany as the EU Authorised Representative and the Centralised Medical Content Management

(VaultStream™), also manufactured by Gyrus ACMI, Inc., Brooklyn, USA with Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG as the EU Authorised Representative

² The digital health and care plan: what must it address? NHS Confederation. www.nhsconfed.org. https://www.nhsconfed.org/publications/digital-health-and-care-plan (accessed 11 March 2024).

³ Digitisation using nCare and VaultStream saved nurses 43 seconds compared to Process 1 (printing, attaching, scanning, and digitising images offsite) and 3 minutes 8 seconds compared to Process 2 (recording urgent content on an iPad and transferring to EPRs) per nasal endoscopy, improving time efficiency by 10 to 33%, and reducing time spent on non-patient-facing tasks.

⁴ Hicks J, McAleer C, Mutowo M. Measuring the impact of digitisation on NHS nurses' time and morale: A time and motion study. Digit Health. 2024 Dec 5;10:20552076241293926. doi: 10.1177/20552076241293926. PMID: 39640967; PMCID: PMC11618907.