The future of care? How a mobile app is changing care delivery
When clinical staff and carers deliver care, they usually have to update care notes and records for each individual. It means that all carers, family, and providers that are involved are on the same page, and that people’s needs can be met. Often, these care notes and records are paper based, which means that carers have to rely on remembering accurate information and spend hours at the end of their shifts writing up notes by hand.
But a new way of recording care has broken into the industry – in the form of care management software and accompanying care apps. This new technology means that care notes can be turned into computerised care plans, which are different to paper because they store all information digitally. The integrated care app can be downloaded onto any smart device and carried in the pockets of carers. It means that important information can be accessed securely from anywhere and searched in an easy to understand, standardised format.
How is this changing care delivery?
With care management software the main change is that care notes can be updated easily in real time, on the go. In fact, companies such as Log my Care[1] have developed an innovative app that carers can use to update notes at the point of care delivery. The app asks users to respond to questions that can be answered by tapping through a few buttons – drastically reducing time constraints of writing up these answers. The software is set up with dashboards for individual residents so the app can be configured to only ask relevant questions. This means that carers spend less time writing up notes, and more time delivering 1-2-1 care.
But computerised care plans also improve care delivery from the top down. The data that carers input on the app can be accessed from a central database by a care manager, who can then see a better overview of care throughout the place of care. They can do things like quickly generate reports to monitor key health trends over time, and to do lists can be allocated to staff and ticked off making sure nothing gets missed. All this can be done in seconds but would take a lot longer if all data was paper based.
So is digital really the future of care?
Log my Care has years of experience working in the care industry and has conducted extensive research with carers to understand their day to day difficulties. They have produced an app totally geared towards helping solve some of the problems carers face by streamlining care delivery and making it more efficient for all involved, all by removing the paper.
It can save time, make storing notes more secure by using cloud technology, and ensure back-up copies are always available. They’ve even adapted to the current pandemic crisis with a new coronavirus monitoring software[2] that helps monitor symptoms of Covid-19. Information from respiratory rate charts, temperature tools, and symptom trackers , can be fed into a central dashboard to help give care providers the confidence to adapt care plans and help reduce and slow the spread of the disease.
But of course, technology can be difficult to integrate into older systems and although Log my Care has a core free system as standard, there can be some costs involved – especially if Wifi boosters are needed or smart phones need to be provided to staff. Some care providers also find paper-based care notes much simpler and more reliable, but it really does depend on the service and the individuals involved.
It’s safe to say care management software and electronic care notes are here to stay – Log my Care is now used in care, nursing, mental health, and learning disability providers, proving how adaptable and flexible the software can be. It’s saving time for carers and improving care delivery throughout the UK, so it’s likely to continue to disrupt the care industry.
If you want to find out more about Log my Care, the app is available for free on both the App Store and Google Play. It’s doesn’t cost anytihng to trial the system, and although upgrades can be added to access more features, you won’t have to pay anything for the standard core system. Visit www.logmycare.co.uk for more details.