The use of iPads by NHS Forth Valley staff is reaping benefits in spades.
The latest news is that the Reliable Rescue Team are going to be trialling their use to support patient handovers. Using an iPad in Blocks A and B at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, doctors and advanced nurse practitioners will be able to log into an electronic version of the traditional handover form which will be sent to a generic email account before staff go off duty. The hospital at night team can then access this to obtain information on which patients are most seriously ill and may require additional review or monitoring.
Adult Mental Health Service use iPads on the move which allows them to take assessment and care planning to the patients allowing a more relaxed and informal approach.
Another staff member, Dietitian Nicola Henderson, is testing the use of iPads for AHPs working in the community. Nicola said “Although MiDIS, the electronic patient record, isn’t available yet in a mobile version, I am finding the iPad is a great help in enabling me to combine my clinical caseload with my team lead role efficiently, particularly as I am now able to respond to priority emails between home visits. Use of iPads has great potential for other AHPs in the community.”
The use of an iPad is also being considered by Senior Charge Nurse Sharon Hamilton to support infection control work at Stirling Community Hospital. Sharon’s already been using it for email and management meetings.
The priority for mobile working going forward will be to provide an easy and quick way to get data in and out, using a variety of devices including iPads, tablets, and Microsoft Surface Pros. These should be easy for clinical staff to use and not get in the way of them doing their jobs.
