AOP insight: the new locum logbook

What led to the decision to take the AOP Locum logbook online?

The AOP Locum logbook is designed for locum members to keep track of items for which they are potentially responsible, and to have documented evidence that they took appropriate actions or have met the requirements of the GOC Standards of Practice.

The logbook was produced in hardcopy format in 2019 and 2020, and sent to members who had locum work marked on their CRM career record as an insert in OT.

Feedback at locum events on the hardcopy version was very positive, but a number of members commented that they would like to be able to access an online version. Johnson & Johnson Vision offered to sponsor the online logbook, which is a financially viable and environmentally friendly way of delivering this product to members in 2021 and future years.

What did the project involve?

A detailed brief was created based on the paper version of the logbook, translating it to an online tool. The brief was then sent to a user experience consultant the AOP uses for our larger website projects, who pulled together designs for us to review.

We presented the project to the AOP Membership Committee, who made further suggestions that we took back to design.

The designs were then passed to our in-house website developer who built the online logbook to the specification with its own dedicated and secure database, and following this there was a rigorous process of testing, not only to check its functionality, but to make sure it is as secure as it can possibly be.

What does the new Locum logbook include?

The first iteration of the online version is very similar to the hardcopy version, but it will evolve as members use it and share their feedback on what additional sections or fields would be useful. Any suggestions or comments about the online tool should be emailed to [email protected]

How do you think this might benefit locum members?

We already know that members find the hardcopy version useful. Developing an online product makes it that much more secure and accessible.

We will store data for 10 years since the last amend to a patient’s record, or if the patient was a child at the time of their sight test, for a year after they turn 25. If a member leaves, we will store the data for 10 years for all the non-patient data they inputted following their resignation date.

When members input the data into the online logbook, they can be assured that it is available to them for many years to come. You don’t get that assurance with a paper version.