Clinical management systems reduce care home falls and pressure injuries by 50%, study shows

Clinical management system reduces resident falls and pressure injuries by 50%, research by a leading international university has found.

The study, undertaken by Flinders University in Adelaide, compared clinical outcomes across 16 Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC) sites to examine the differences between those using a traditional software system and those using a more contemporary system provided by Person Centred Software.

The findings revealed that mobile digital software provides many benefits to users and improves outcomes dramatically by increasing visibility of resident’s hydration levels, providing more direct resident care time and reducing the likelihood of adverse events such as falls and pressure injuries by 50%, which has significantly reduced the number of subsequent admissions to hospital.

Using software to document residents’ intakes of fluid in real-time, aged care facilities can immediately see which residents have not had sufficient fluids and can take appropriate action. The fluid offered to residents, and the amount of fluid drunk in millilitres, is simply evidenced at the point of delivery on mobile devices. Reminders to offer drinks can be set up as part of a planned care routine, with a traffic light system of flags alerting staff to when a care task is due or to a resident falling below the recommended fluid threshold for the rolling 24-hour period.

As well as helping to improve visibility of resident hydration levels, clinical documentation systems gives care providers the ability to analyse any incidents, to track and trace what actions led up to them and prevent future incidents occurring.

Speaking of the study’s findings, Tammy Sherwood, CEO of Person Centred Software said: “The findings from Flinders University are extraordinary as their study highlights the importance of a clinical system’s impact on the same workforce and same resources with remarkable results, including a notable 50% reduction in both falls and pressure injuries.

“It’s clear that technology and the collection of data can be of great assistance, empowering the care workforce to make responsive decisions that ultimately benefit everyone involved and can even go as far as improving quality of life for residents,” Tammy concluded.

Discussing their use of Person Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring, Jo Boylan, Executive Services of Southern Cross Care said: "We have implemented Mobile Care Monitoring as an opportunity to not only improve our documentation system but to improve our resident outcomes - and this has happened. When managed & monitored well, Mobile Care Monitoring is the answer to many of the 'failure to monitor' scenarios outlined in the Royal Commission. We are delighted with what has been achieved already so far – it's been an amazing journey."

In 2017, Southern Cross Care engaged in extensive market research to find the best resident centric clinical care systems. Person Centred Software was the clear leader as it allows all care and services -clinical and non-clinical - to be planned and delivered according to individualised care plans that are visible on hand-held devices.

The mobile care app is icon driven, making it quick and easy for staff to record care interactions and the Mobile Care Monitoring system has a number of visual notifications that facilitate monitoring and decision making. These alerts and live data indicators provide nurses with greater visibility across the entire care delivery process, allowing them to respond quickly to changing resident needs and preferences and instances of missed care.