Are you ready to join the revolution?

AGED CARE PROVIDERS NEED TO BE TECH-READY IN 2022

The 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

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and confidence with more time released from their usual schedule.

For doctors, it frees them of paperwork, they can make changes remotely and be assured that the facility and pharmacist receive all new medication changes in real time. No more confusion and lots of red tape removed.

One of the doctors trailing our system said, “I can’t imagine having to go back to working the old way. MedsComm Prescribe has made my rounds physically easier—no more lugging around bulky folders, so much safer and more logical to administer our rounds. I literally have hours more time I now spend with my residents.”

We remain patient and positive that the revolution will come, and aged care providers will be able to choose from a range of technologies, like our RxMedChart and MedsComm Prescribe, to help them provide an outstanding level of care.

Are you ready to join the revolution?

Gerard Stevens is founder and Managing Director of leading medication management systems supplier, Webstercare.

For more information visit www.webstercare.com.au

SUPPORTING AGED CARE PROVIDERS

Aged Care in Australia is a fast evolving and dynamic industry, where Approved Providers have learned to “expect the unexpected”. With stretched internal resources, and increasing demand for accountability and governance, there may be times when you need support. Aged Care Advisory Services has a range of skills and expertise, and exists to support Approved Providers when you need it most.