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Digital care planning is something the UK government has implemented within the health and social care sector. They require at least 80% of care services to use digital care planning systems by March 2024.
However, many care settings, especially those in care and nursing homes, are still using paper-based systems. Here, our experts look at the benefits of digital care planning, how it can help you save on costs as well as deliver enhanced care.
Digital transformation within the health and social care sector is a top priority for the UK government, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE). This is because the long-term sustainability of the UK’s health and social care depend on moving forward into a digital world, by 2025 and beyond.
The aim of this is to deliver four main goals of reform including:
Moving to digital care planning software comes with a whole host of benefits for your home, your care workers and your service users. From increased efficiencies, enhanced care and reduced costs, we explore how you can benefit.
Moving to a digital care planning system, such as CareDocs, can help care staff to record care notes at the point of care. This means more time to dedicate to providing person centred care as your care workers will have all the service user information, such as care plans, care notes, daily tasks and more right at their fingertips.
Traditional paper-based care planning leaves opportunities for files and important paperwork being lost or misplaced. With digital care planning software, all service user data can be recorded in one secure place, meaning no more lost documents and data will be more accurate and reliable.
Paper based care recording is notoriously costly. From purchasing paper, printers, ink, shredding waste confidentially and organisations systems such as the purchase of folders and filing cabinets, which must be bought on a regular basis, to the waste it produces. The amount of paper waste generated as well as the carbon impact could make your home become less desirable as the industry transforms, as well as keeping your costs inflated.
Ensuring service user data is secure is essential for any care setting and with a digital based system, preferably one which is cyber essentials plus certified, can ensure that data is stored in a secure and GDPR compliant way.
With digital care planning software you’ll be able to access care records you need quickly and efficiently. From creating care plans to conducting risk assessments and taking daily notes. All of which helps reduce time spent on administration, so you can focus on providing the best care possible care outcomes for service users.
Most care planning software can be accessed on any device, from anywhere at anytime with a good internet connection. This means you can access your service user records wherever you are, securely, which is not something paper based records can do.
Making the transition to a digital care industry requires some investment. Fortunately, the DHSC can provide adult social care settings with funding to support the digitisation of care records.
Wave 1 of the Adult Social Care Technology Fund is now closed however, wave 2 opened on the 12th June 2023 and is set to close on the 20th September 2023, with wave 3 to be announced in 2024. This funding will help CQC registered providers to ensure they have a digital social care record by the deadline in March 2024.
Digitising the way your home provides care isn’t the only way you can support your transition to a digital care future. Digital care planning software needs a fast and reliable internet connection to run smoothly. With some homes simply using a singular business internet hub that might not provide good coverage across the entirety of the home, they may find themselves running into issues getting a strong connection in some places.
The UK government is also providing up to £210m worth of voucher funding to help those in rural areas access lighting fast, reliable gigabit broadband. If your business is eligible, then you can access the scheme through registered suppliers.
Learn more about the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme here.
To learn more about our software and what it can do for your care home, get in touch with our friendly team on 0330 056 333 or email sales@caredocs.co.uk.
Why not book a free demo of our software? Try it out for yourself here.
Following a change in ownership in 2023, CareDocs has announced they are now working with the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB).
CareDocs, one of the UK’s leading care planning and management software providers, has joined CASPA as their latest member.
CareDocs has teamed up with Bristol Waste in an effort to help abolish digital poverty and reduce technology waste.
