A mobile solution introduced at Turku University Hospital (Tyks) in the Southwest Finland wellbeing services county has made clinical photos part of the patient’s up-to-date clinical record. Nurses who use the solution say that photos are available more quickly, treatment assessment is easier, and collaboration between specialties is streamlined.
Photos are immediately saved as part of the patient record
Before the current solution, clinical photos could be taken with a phone or camera, but in both cases transferring them to the electronic health record required a separate step.
The photos had to be first delivered to the secretary, who manually transferred them to the EHR, which resulted in delays. “Photos taken over the weekend only became available on weekdays,” says nurse Ida-Lotta Kiviluoma.
Today, photos taken with the Medanets app are saved directly to the correct patient’s record, making them immediately available to the professionals involved in the patient’s treatment.
“The most significant change is that photos can be saved directly under the correct patient and in real time. This also makes them readily available for consultation with a plastic surgeon, for example, or a dermatologist,” Kiviluoma says.
At the same time, the manual transfer of data previously carried out by secretaries is eliminated, freeing up their time for other tasks.
Photos help detect changes earlier
According to the nurses, one of the greatest benefits is the ability to monitor the patient’s condition.
“Evaluating treatment is easier. The photos show how the skin or wound has developed, and changes can be quickly responded to,” says Kiviluoma.
Photos are particularly important in shift work, where the same nurse may not see the patient every day.
“When working shifts, you do not always treat the same wound from one day to the next. There may be days or weeks when you do not see that particular patient. Before starting wound care, the photos show how the situation has progressed in the meantime. They also make it easier to plan the work.”
Collaboration and consultations between different specialties are also streamlined.
A photo can be decisive in a patient’s treatment
In some situations, the clinical photo can have a significant impact on the course of treatment.
Kiviluoma describes a case where a patient’s leg was photographed when the patient arrived on the ward. Erysipelas was suspected.
“Two hours later, the leg looked completely different compared to the photo taken on arrival. It turned out to be a flesh-eating bacterial infection. The situation was quickly responded to, and the patient was rapidly taken to the operating room and further treatment.”
Feedback highlights smooth workflows
Planner Ville Jalo says that user feedback on the photo solution is currently being collected as part of a broader Medanets survey.
“So far, the average rating for the mobile photo feature is 7.3 on a scale of 0 to 10. In open-ended responses, taking photos is considered easy. Based on the open-ended responses, the rating may be slightly lower because we have introduced a new photo storage location that users are not yet familiar with,” says Jalo.
The feedback also shows strong interest in functionality. According to Jalo, more than a quarter of respondents hoped that the clinical photo solution would also be deployed in units where it is not yet available.