From notes on paper to mobile app: experiences one year later
The Medanets solutions were introduced to Nordland Hospital in 2020 and are now used in 25 wards. This has reduced their use of paper by 98 %. According to a recent survey made by the hospital, the end users are very happy with the app.
„For a long time, we had been looking for a solution that could improve the process of documenting vital parameters. We had a cumbersome process where nurses wrote down parameters on post-it notes, which were then saved to a paper curve. ProAct and NEWS scores were calculated manually, after which the scores were transferred to an electronic patient board. Only after the patient was discharged, the patient data was sent to the EHR by scanning the paperwork „, says Nina Nedregård Jensen, Department Manager in the Unit for Clinical IT at Norland Hospital.
The challenges surrounding this cumbersome process were:
- The process took huge amounts of time
- Data was neither easily available nor browsable
- The risk of error was high
The Medanets solutions were introduced to Nordland Hospital in 2020 and are now used in 25 wards. One year after the implementation, Nordland Hospital conducted a survey for Medanets‘ end users. The purpose of the survey was to find out whether the mobile solutions have been the answer to their challenges. They received 151 responses in total.
“ Experience is positive! Less time on paperwork, more time with the patient“
63 % of the respondents agree or somewhat agree that they spend less time with recording vital parameters and observations now than before Medanets. 80 % of the respondents agree or somewhat agree that the patient data is now more available than before, and that they have a better overview of the patient’s condition.
We spend less time on data processing. Many observations can be documented at the patient’s bedside, and data is immediately available to others participating the patient’s treatment.
Medanets has influenced my job in a positive way. We don’t have to search for the slips of paper anymore.
84 % experience that Medanets is easy to use
When making a purchase decision, usability is a very important criterion for the Nordland Hospital. „We never want to introduce complex systems. The implemented solutions should be easy for the employee to use, and they should make the everyday work easier“, says Jensen. This seems to be true for the solutions in question, as 84 % state that Medanets is easy to use.
Medanets is quick and easy to use. Clear. It provides more time for other tasks, as you avoid multiple documentation.
The measurements and observations are always available in my pocket.. I can answer questions about a patient’s vitals anywhere.
„Patients seem to understand why I use a mobile phone“
„One of our biggest concerns was whether the patients would understand why nurses have a mobile phone in their hand instead of paper, and whether there would be any negative reactions to this“, Jensen tells.
Based on the survey, however, patients do understand the reason for using a mobile device and do not react negatively to it (74 % of the respondents agree or somewhat agree with this statement). After all, mobile solutions benefit not only the nurses but also patients. Patients receive safer and better care: 71 % of the survey respondents say that they can respond to changes in patient’s condition more quickly, and 74 % feel that the use of Medanets has increased patient safety.
What do the end users think of Medanets in general?
- It saves time
- It works well with other systems
- It’s simple
- It increases patient safety
- It provides decision support
Jensen says they saved the most important question to the end of the survey: „if I had to choose between paper and the Medanets app, which one I’d choose?“ The outcome was outstanding: 83 % of the respondents say that they would choose Medanets.
We think these answers speak for themselves. We have found a solution to the challenges we faced.
Nina Nedregård Jensen, Department Manager in the Unit for Clinical IT at Norland Hospital
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