Technology
How digital innovations are improving patient safety
The latest digital solutions are empowering clinicians to deliver safer and more effective personalised care. Matt Jeffreys explores how these transformative innovations can significantly improve patient safety outcomes by streamlining processes, enhancing communication and enabling data-driven decision-making.
In healthcare, where errors and missed information can have severe consequences, a robust task management solution that integrates data from multiple sources and shares it securely can significantly reduce the risk of medical errors and improve patient outcomes. By streamlining workflows and eliminating
inefficiencies, a task management solution can optimise operations and enhance efficiency, ultimately leading to improved patient experiences. When all relevant information is consistently and accurately documented, updated and communicated, clinical teams can avoid the pitfalls of inaccurate data entry or misinterpreted instructions that often stem from manual processes or verbal communication alone.
An effective task management solution
ensures that tasks are assigned to the right individuals at the right time, reducing delays and improving efficiency. Let’s take the example of the task management solution provided through the platform of DNV Imatis, with whom Wandsworth Healthcare formed a collaboration in 2024. In hospitals where this solution is deployed, staff members start their shift by picking up role-specific smartphones, logging in with their unique credentials and designating themselves as the responsible nurse, doctor or other relevant personnel for patients in their assigned areas. Each member of staff knows exactly who
is responsible for each patient. This clear division of responsibilities enhances patient safety as it dramatically reduces the likelihood of communication breakdowns that could lead to missed, duplicated or misunderstood instructions. This role-based approach to task assignment is particularly beneficial during peak times when hospitals experience overcrowding, often requiring patients to be temporarily housed in surgical or other specialty units. In such cases, having a designated ‘responsible’ doctor
or nurse for each patient provides clarity and assurance for all staff, particularly those working outside their primary specialty.
Enhancing communication to improve patient outcomes Like task management solutions, the latest nurse call systems can significantly enhance patient safety by ensuring that critical nurse call alerts and requests for assistance are promptly communicated to the appropriate responsible staff members. Calls are clearly assigned and tracked, improving response times and preventing any lapses in communication. By streamlining the flow of information and
reducing response times, nurse call systems enable clinicians to address patient needs more efficiently, which is particularly crucial in emergency situations where timely intervention can save lives.
Data that is generated by the nurse call
system – such as how many times a call is generated at each bed space in a given time period and the type of calls – can help to identify those patients who have increased care needs. This may lead to the deployment of specific
devices, like pressure mats, which can be integrated with the nurse call system. By capturing call reset times, key performance indicators (KPIs) can be monitored and ward areas or shifts with slower response rates can be pinpointed which, in turn, may indicate that staffing levels need to be addressed.
Modern nurse call systems can also minimise
disruptive noise, integrate seamlessly with existing hospital infrastructure and improve communication between staff and patients, leading to a calmer and more efficient healthcare environment. This reduces staff stress levels and also ensures that patients receive timely and accurate care, ultimately improving overall patient outcomes and safety. A prime example of this is Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) which has implemented a Silent Hospital evaluation project to reduce noise and alarm fatigue on its 25 bedded postnatal ward. By silencing traditional call bells and replacing them with a digital alert system and routing patient calls quietly and directly to smartphones carried by midwives and nursing staff, RCHT has created a quieter
February 2025 I
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com 59
Alerts are routed to staff smartphones
t
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65
