Somerset NHS Foundation Trust rolls out digital assessment forms

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has gone live with a number of assessment forms which allow patient assessments to be recorded by the bedside in digital format.

The 10 digital nursing forms were developed by Better using low code tools. Since going live across all adult inpatient wards at Musgrove Park Hospital in May, the trust’s nursing staff have gained a clearer overview of patients.

The new technology eliminates the need for duplicating information; makes it clearer for staff to read the necessary information; improves the quality of the information captured; and, thanks to the automation of some elements, it is quicker and easier for nurses to capture key information such as BMI. Errors are also reduced.

Victoria Parsons, digital project manager at the trust, said: “We audited the forms and looked at the common answers – those are all buttons now. They’re mapped to SNOMED CT coding as well.”

The digital forms’ features include data capture, body map and risk score calculations. This information is then used to present an oversight of each patient via a dashboard with all the information in the one place. Scores are automatically added up within the assessments.

Built on open standards, the forms can be shared with other care providers that run their systems on openEHR. They are accessed via the Better portal from any computer or iPad and can be easily changed and reconfigured.

Forms already rolled out within the trust include:

• High Impact Risk Assessment
• About Me
• Body Map
• Waterlow Pressure Damage Risk Assessment
• Diabetes Foot Screening Assessment#
• Cora care plan – Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management
• MUST – Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool
• Multidisciplinary Moving & Handling Assessment and Care Plan
• Multidisciplinary Individualised Falls Care Plan
• Bed rail and low bed assessment

The trust is also working on digitising other forms. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has previously worked with Better for its e-prescribing and medications management solutions. This year it also worked with Infinity Healthy for a digital task management solution in a bid to further digitalise key elements of its service.