INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRY
ARE YOU READY TO JOIN THE REVOLUTION? AGED CARE PROVIDERS NEED TO BE TECH-READY IN 2022
T
he revolution is coming! But just as the tip of an iceberg is stabilised by what lies beneath the water’s surface, a looming revolution in how medication is managed within residential aged care facilities (RACFs) has been built upon an evolution of complex technical development over many years. This digital revolution in electronic healthcare will reap benefits for all involved in the medication cycle. For residents it will reduce the burden of medication prescribing and administration error and, thus, improve clinical outcomes. For everyone else it substantially improves work flexibility and time efficiency.
Evolving the Cloud
Evolving technologies such as The Cloud help to power the cornerstones of this looming revolution in medication management: digital care management systems, My Health Record and electronic prescribing practices such as the Electronic National Residential Medication Chart (eNRMC). The Cloud can power enterprise-strength data warehousing for each service provider and enables reporting by individual facility, by group and even organisation or region. Surely a win-win, but these innovations must first complete a complex bureaucratic journey involving many stakeholders operating in harmony and with unity of purpose before government will approve widespread adoption. For instance, one of the biggest hurdles to widespread adoption of eNRMC is solving the question of interoperability with the electronic prescription portals. Overcoming technical hurdles such as these have already seen original schedules extended.
Digital care technologies to be mandated
According to the timeline recommended by the Aged Care Royal Commission, the Australian Government should require by 1 July 2022 that:
a) every approved provider of aged care delivering personal care or clinical care: i. uses a digital care management system (including an electronic medication management system) approved by the Australian Digital Health Agency and interoperable with My Health Record; ii. invites residents to consent to their care records being made accessible on My Health Record; and iii. places consenting records on My Health Record and keeps them up to date. b) the Australian Digital Health Agency immediately prioritises support for aged care providers to adopt My Health Record.
A history of ‘aha’
Revolutions rarely occur without an evolutionary process in the background. As the leading developers of medication management systems, Webstercare has been working with government agencies on this evolution for many years. We were involved in the development of the National Residential Medication Chart (NRMC) and even before then, Webstercare had already developed its first electronic charting system. We already had key systems in place and just needed to ‘join the dots’. Our history of success in innovation has meant a relatively smooth path towards helping aged care and health care providers to meet government goals. By combining the functionality of our version of the NRMC, the RxMedChart, with our communications platform MedsComm, we have created the Medscomm Prescribe platform for electronic prescribing and dispensing.
Everyone wins
While the RxMedChart is still in trial phase, it is already proving itself. There are fewer worrying resident medication incidents, and facility nurses and care staff feel greater control Continued on page 84
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