Every morning extremely early I get up to my digital alarm, start my car with my electronic key, pay for parking with a card, swipe my Oyster card, check the Blackberry for emails, check smart phone for messages...etc!
At no point do I have to use paper and pen, repeat processes or wait for information. So this got me reflecting on the things nurses and midwives were telling me about frustrations of no or out-dated technology and to think.... 'Imagine if' nurses, midwives and care givers had the kind of technology that many people take for granted in their daily life and work to support care...what might it look like?
So via Twitter I asked people to ‘#imagine if’ they could use the kind of technology they have become familiar with in everyday life, applying it to giving patient care.
Here are a just a few of the great ideas…
Imagine if:
- you could identify training gaps by listening to what help tweeting nurses ask each other for
- patients could receive a text message alerting them to an imminent home visit, like taxi firms do
- there were video booths in hospitals where patients and their carers along with other members of the public could leave immediate feedback on experience (+/-)
- school nurses had local Facebook pages with up to date information and interaction with young people and parents
- all wards had a quick response code that patients and visitors could scan to give them the senior staff’s details, contacts, visiting, etc.
So thank you to Nick @NRCUK, Mandy @ConlanMandy , Mandy @MandyHollis3, Anne Cooper @anniecoops, & David @DGFoord, and everyone else who replied and please keep them coming - share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.
4 comments
Comment by Emma Pownall posted on
Electronic online preoperative screening. A possible reduction of 25% in out-patients attendances?!? Would give time to concentrate on higher risk patients, ultimately enhancing patient experience and quality of care.
Comment by Viv Bennett posted on
Thank you Emma and to all those who tweeted ideas. We will collate them and post in future blog. Viv
Comment by Julie Smith posted on
I just want nurses to be able to record the care prescribed and provided in one place and do so at the point of need. I dont want them to have to walk 50 steps to queue at the notes trolley. I dont want them to be disciplined for forgetting. I want the technology to improve patient safety and nurse satisfaction and I dont want finance directors to divert the funds elsewhere. But before we spend any of it. lets get the project management right!
Comment by Peter West posted on
Noteworthy that the suggestions all involve aspects of information around care but that the care itself of nurses is not easily automated or made more technological. Also worth mentioning is the system produced by The Learning Clinic to monitor patients, assist with drug dosing etc.