Digital care records


Firstly, efficiency; staff do not need to duplicate data entry into multiple systems. Secondly, safety; having different, contradictory, or incorrect information in either system can lead to errors. Some errors can just create admin headaches. Others could affect wellbeing. In some cases, especially when dealing with discrepancies in medicine records, errors can have even more serious impacts on the people you care for. Therefore, when it comes to selecting


your digital care record software, find out what medication management software is either available from the supplier, or that they are able to integrate fully with. Take some time to assess the quality of those medicine management systems, too. Some are little more than eMAR solutions, offering a way of electronically recording medicines administration. Other systems are more comprehensive and robust, incorporating ordering, stock control, pharmacy integration, and more, to manage and improve the entire medicines management process. I would, of course, recommend the latter.


Ease of use


It is easy to marvel at advanced functionality. But if your care workers struggle to use the system, these additional benefits will fail to bear fruit, and a significant amount of time will be spent supporting struggling staff. Where you want to apply the most scrutiny is the mobile app, as this is what your largest cohort - your care workers - will be using on a day-to-day basis. Look at the app from the perspective of the least tech savvy. You may think that a system is easy to use, but will someone who finds their smart phone tricky think so, too? With the right training, I have seen care workers go from adverse to advocate even with more difficult to use systems, but there can be a time cost to that.


Therefore, ease of use does not need


to be a red line, but it should be a very important part of your selection process. Adhering to the section above, involve a few representative care workers. Do they feel that they and their colleagues will be able to get a hang of this app with some training?


Configurability and flexibility Configurability might sound complicated, but it simply means how much and how easily a system can be customised to fit different or changing needs.


This is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, as a care provider, you may have spent


28


years perfecting your own assessments, care plans, forms, and ways of working. With systems that are not configurable, you will often have to abandon these, or parts of them, to fit within rigid templates. We all know the environment of social


care is ever-changing. New regulations, different approaches, updates on best practice; a flexible, configurable system can be easily tweaked to adapt to each new concern as it arises.


Lastly, too many digital care record systems have been designed only with England in mind. This may not be immediately obvious when reviewing a system, but many care providers - especially in Scotland - have realised only after implementing a system that it is not suitable and lacks the flexibility to be adapted.


Assessing configurability Now, it is rare that a software provider that will say ‘our system is not flexible’. However, as I am sure you will appreciate, being able to make minor modifications to the system yourself is very different from having to pay the supplier to do so.


Ask suppliers these questions when


reviewing their digital care record system: n What changes can be made? n How can changes be made? n Can we make those changes ourselves and how easy or difficult it is to do so?


The ingredients of a successful digitisation Every care service is different, but having worked with thousands of care homes and nursing homes to digitise, we have collated some common factors that determine how successful a digitisation project will be, with the help of our onboarding experts and experienced customers.


Buy in and enthusiasm When I have spoken with care providers about why they were successful or unsuccessful in their attempts to digitise, every care provider has cited the involvement and enthusiasm of their staff as a factor. Staff will naturally have concerns about change. Some may be concerned about their own capabilities with technology. Two way communication is vital – staff should understand why you are making this change and how everyone will benefit, but you should also be open and responsive to concerns and questions. Involve staff from the outset and regularly communicate updates to them. It


is vital that they feel part of the digitisation process, rather than digitisation being something that is done to them. The best way to do this, rather than employing any sophisticated management psychology, is to genuinely make them part of the digitisation project. Include, rather than impose. As I highlighted in the previous section,


involve staff in the selection of your system. Then, listen to and act on their input during the implementation and ‘bedding in’ of your system. Ensure they are kept up to date on important developments and timescales, as you would do with any stakeholder that is in the ‘need to know’ category. Richard Hawes from Elizabeth Finn


Homes: “The key is to engage with people, engage


with your staff, because they’re the people who are going to use it. If you get them on board from the outset it will make the process much easier and more successful.”


Personnel, time, and consistency A recurrent cause of care record digitisation projects stalling, being repeatedly delayed, or failing completely, is care providers not freeing up members of staff to be able to dedicate the necessary amount of time and focus to the project.


On the other hand, members of staff


may be given that necessary space, but then halfway through the implementation be replaced by another member of the team. This means all of the knowledge that has been transferred, the training and planning, and other progress made up to that point may need to be repeated. To prevent this:


n Allocate cover to those team members that are involved with the implementation, so regular duties do not pull them away.


n Be realistic about how much time can be dedicated by each person.


n Work with your supplier to develop a plan, and stick to it.


n Ideally, have at least two senior members of staff on your ‘implementation team’.


n Designate a single project owner with absolute responsibility to lead the implementation with the supplier.


Super users and ‘app champions’ Often overlooked, these two types of unofficial role can be the lynchpins of implementing and perfecting your digital care record system. Select members of your team to take on these roles as soon as possible.


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com May 2023


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