Care workers are constantly under pressure with high expectations of the quality of the care that they provide. Since the pandemic, those pressures have increased, with staff shortages across the healthcare sector.
Under challenging circumstances, care staff who are provided with the right equipment, software, and support, will find recording patient notes to be a straightforward process. Providing care workers with the option to record clinical notes digitally is a safe and efficient solution.
Let’s read through the points below to explore how this can be a massive help for care staff:
1. Clinical Safety – Staff can be confident of data privacy with role-based access to notes maintaining patient confidentiality. Clinical safety can be assured with functionality for authorised clinical staff to sign-off patient notes, ensuring CQC compliance.
2. Accessibility - Notes will be instantly available to view by other authorised staff members. Handover notes can be easily created to discuss at the end of the shift, being entered directly onto a tablet at the point of contact.
3. Time Efficiencies - Easy-to-locate and accessible notes save staff time and effort, ensuring that critical pieces of information can be tracked easily and actioned accordingly. Easy-to-use search filters can allow staff to find notes using single or multiple criteria.
4. Remote Access - Healthcare professionals working remotely can access and input patients’ notes and documentation. They will not need to make an extra trip to come on-site to view a folder of notes. Remote working became critical during the Covid-19 pandemic as social distancing, and physical meetings meant that physical appointments were not always possible. This period highlighted how those with the software for electronic notes were able to adapt their working practises more quickly and efficiently than those relying on paper.
5. Accountability – An electronic audit trail for clinical notes helps maintain accountability to target patient safety. Digital notetaking reduces the chance of data leaks due to human error. Notes will be retained in a secure environment and only viewed by the person who wrote them or nominated colleagues.
In a nutshell, taking patient notes electronically can lead to safer and more effective care management - giving staff more time for patient care.
If you are considering changing your care management software, book a demo with The Care Database!