Mobile working has proved a big success for patients in the Cardiff and Vale area.District Nurses and other health staff at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board have been kitted out with specially designed netbooks allowing them to access and update patient information on the go.
It has meant a huge increase in efficiency, drastically cutting time wasted returning to the office to collect and update records. It is estimated that the project will free up more than 8,300 hours of time for health staff – the equivalent of 13 more staff being made available each day.
Matt Smale, Community District Nurse, said: “I have been using the device for several months and have seen the benefits for myself. Most importantly the ability to view live patient data, 24 hours a day, no matter where you are, is invaluable for community staff like me when caring for our patients. Patients are also responding positively to staff using mobile working as they feel more involved in their care. For example we are able to order medical supplies for them in their homes using the mobile devices.”
The scheme was launched in 2010 with £343,000 from the Welsh Government’s Invest to Save programme.
It has been hailed a success, and as at December 2011 over 450 staff have been issued with netbooks. Kay Jeynes, Head of District Nursing, said the investment was making a real difference to patient care. She said: “The use of mobile working has freed up a huge amount of time for staff, that extra time is then being reinvested in patient care. Staff find it an incredibly useful resource and patients feel reassured that their care is being backed up by the latest technology.”
Andrew Lewis, Director of Innovation and Improvement for the health board, said: “The roll out of the mobile working programme shows investing in technology can have benefits for patients not just in a hospital setting but in the community too. This is an excellent use of the UHB's resources that has been able to increase efficiency and also improve the care we are providing for patients."
For further information , take a look at the Welsh Government Case Study on the implementation of the project.
