NSW Health WSLHD Safety & Quality Account 2020-21

Transforming WSLHD: Digital health solutions for safety and quality

Vaccination Administration Management System WSLHD was the first Local Health District in the NSW to implement the Vaccination Administration System, otherwise known as VAM. As the first adopter of VAM, DHS worked closely with eHealth and DHS to define system requirement, test the solution, and support implementation and access to digital devices across WSLHD Vaccination services. This solution: • Improved the consumer experience in booking appointments • Reduced administrative workload by 8 minutes • Reduced time in vaccination chair by 3 minutes • Improved quality of data and upload to patients Medicare vaccination record As a result, WSLHD vaccination services were able to increase the number of patients vaccinated per day, improved the patient experience and improved access to clinical information to keep patients safe. eMR solutions Advanced Care Plans: Advanced care plans are documents that outline a consumers healthcare preferences should they be unable to communicate or make decisions if seriously ill or injured. These documents are often paper based, which are easily lost or forgotten. Improving clinicians access to patients Advanced Care Plans ensures clinical decision making and care planning is aligned to a consumers healthcare preferences. DHS have delivered an eMR solution that improves access and planning for consumers and clinicians by making Advanced Care Plans more accessible across a variety of clinical settings. Blood and Blood Product Management: Blood products are often lifesaving treatment for people with cancer, premature babies and those who have been in life threatening accidents. Preventing wastage of these products and ensuring timely and safe delivery and administration is critical. DHS worked with clinical services to deliver the eMR Connect pilot. Before this program, ordering of blood products was paper based. eMR connect has meant that blood products can be ordered electronically and reduces risk of errors and waste.

Virtual Care also supported COVID-positive patients communicate with loved ones isolating at home. DHS also develop a helpful website and intranet site containing Virtual Care information and resources. Link to website here. This program will continue to be expanded to leverage virtual care opportunities identified during COVID.

BMDH Occupational Therapy assistant Liana Cuento assists David Lloyd to call his wife Vivienne.

Keeping patients connected with loved ones during COVID-19 Despite the physical separation caused by COVID-19 restrictions, patients were able to connect with and receive support from family and friends during COVID-19 through video calls enabled through the purchasing of IPads. Throughout the peak of COVID-19 there were 270 video calls made between inpatients and families at Blacktown Mount Druitt Hospital and 495 video calls made between inpatients and families at Westmead Hospital. These video calls were enabled by diversional therapists and allied health assistant’s redeployed from Aged Day Services to Blacktown Mount Druitt Hospital and Westmead Hospital social work staff. This effort by Allied Health staff to keep patients and families connected improved patient wellbeing during a difficult period.

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