Södersjukhuset uses SwipeCare for Fluid Measurement continuously throughout the day

What do we want to know by trying this method of working with tablets? asked Mats M Karlsson, project manager rhetorically at the department introduction.
He himself wants answers to the questions:

• Can we together improve the reliability of recorded measurement values ​​(regarding Fluid and if possible also Energy) so we have accurate information during rounds. 
• Does Mobile Care support with SwipeCare make the staff's work easier?
• Are there other areas of use for the tablets?

The underlying need is to facilitate the flow of patients in the hospital until discharge. And of course, to prevent the patient from deteriorating as a result of a lack of access to ongoing, accurate information.

Scope of function

• The pilot focuses on fluid measurement continuously during the day to make the values ​​in TakeCare available to all relevant professional groups around the patient. In this way, one can get a picture of intake/losses in the medical record system throughout the day, not just once a day during the daily registration that generates the fluid balance.
• Fluid measurement continuously during the day is supported by the regional concept for fluid measurement/balance that has existed for a long time in TakeCare.
• Since energy measurement is done in connection with meals when drinks are also registered, there is a need to be able to register energy intake continuously in the same way as fluid measurement.
• Unfortunately, the Stockholm Region's configuration of TakeCare does not support Energy Terms in the same way as they already do for Fluid.
• The blue work team includes SwipeCare as Mobile Care Support for ongoing bedside registration. The other teams on the ward only work in TakeCare for comparison.

Eva Saras, som jobbar med TakeCare på IT på Södersjukhuset har skickat in ansökan om nya termer till det Regionala termrådet. De nya termerna stöder möjligheten att registrera energiintag löpande under dagen enligt det existerande regiongemensamma koncept för löpande vätskemätning. Hon betonar:

• "Detta är viktigt alldeles oavsett om man registrerar via mätvärdesmall direkt i TakeCare eller via ett externt tilläggssystem som SwipeCare är. Vårdpersonalen registrerar ofta vätska och energiintag samtidigt och på samma papper. Det finns behov av att även energiintag stöds på samma sätt som det regiongemensamma konceptet för löpande registrering av vätska, för att möjliggöra registrering av energiintag i TakeCare mer än en gång per dygn."

User feedback

After the first day's work, Katrin commented that "SwipeCare is a quick and easy way to register measurement values. The fact that measurements are available continuously in the medical record also helps/facilitates the rounds for doctors and nurses to see/know measurements immediately. I look forward to using the fluid measurement tool continuously during my work shift. And using more functions than just fluid measurement, for example registering height & weight, temperature, saturation, blood pressure etc.

I think the project is positive 🌸"

Sara Bern, Strikersoft's product owner for SwipeCare for Mobile Care Support, was able to accompany the staff on the first day to understand the staff's needs and to be able to initially support them in understanding the tool.

• "It is when you see the care process on the floor that you really understand how mobility can really make it easier for the staff. And we can better help them with their requirements for care documentation directly integrated with the journal system. They know their processes and we know integration with the medical record system."

Future

It would be the dream say the doctors, if you could scan, or take a picture of the plate when you took it out from the patient and get support with automatic calculation of calories and protein on it. Sara adds: Add to that if we could have more automatic registration of the food given out from, for example, Kylskåpsappen (the Fridge app), which Södersjukhuset has developed as an innovation project. In it, patients can choose which food they want to receive. Then we will start to get closer to more automation of both food displayed and eaten. But then we have to think about what information we want: On paper, in the mobile care support and/or in TakeCare, Eva adds. Especially when some of the staff only work in TakeCare and others "hybrid jobs" on a mobile care support that can calculate/store data more flexibly. As usual, it is in the details and in the way of working that the challenges lie, Sara concludes.