How electronic care records can help evidence Oustanding care

All of us here at Log my Care think that it's fairly safe to say that the people who work in care are some of the kindest and most generous people around. They work hard to deliver outstanding care to residents, but there's a problem. Just working hard isn't enough for CQC they need you to evidence your hard work to score a Good or a coveted Outstanding rating. This week's blog covers how electronic care records can be used to evidence care delivery.

What is an electronic care record?

We'll start right at the beginning. An Electronic care record is basically a computerised way of storing care notes, service-user information and care plans. This does sound quite similar to paper care records. However, electronic care records come with a whole host of great features that help you and your care team to work smarter and more effectively. For example care records can be filled out with a few swipes or taps of a screen, and to do lists can be set and managed in real time instead of on paper. You can click here for more detailed information about the different features our care system has or keep reading for how electronic care records can be implemented in your care home.

How are they used in care?

We think it's important that caregivers can access care plans and medical notes as and when they need to. An electronic care record can be accessed securely from a smart device or a computer with an internet connection. Because most electronic care records are stored in the cloud and accessed from smart devices. A huge amount of useful information can be carried in your pocket, it makes it easy to record care at the point of delivery before your carers move onto another task. Care Managers can also assess care records from their 'Care Office' on a desktop and from here, tasks can be managed and distributed throughout the care service.

How do carers interact with electronic care records?

We have spent a long time talking to and really trying to understand what carers need to help alleviate the burdens of paper-based care notes. That's why our Carer app software is designed specifically for smart devices, which give carers the most intuitive and best experience possible. From the ground up everything is super simple, so intensive training courses aren't necessary! This means we've built the interface to be intuitive. It has got an iconised display with pre-listed answers for common tasks, making it really easy and quick to log care notes. Of course, if you are struggling a little, our support team are always on hand to help.

How do managers use them to assess that care delivery meets a service user's needs?

Managers can easily get an overview from viewing the electronic care records, they can see what tasks have been done, how often, and by who. This can be mapped against the care plans for each service-user helping managers to check that the best quality of care has been given. This also helps to ensure consistency and quality of care across the whole service. Electronic care records typically have an easy display and the benefits of the large screen that the 'Care Office' is accessed on means that tasks can easily be coordinated and managed.

How can they be used to evidence what care is being delivered?

We know that not everyone is a wizard with tech, but with Log my Care's ability to quickly compile visual reports of care logs, people will soon think you are. Staring at a screen for hours looking at confusing data is no fun (believe us, we've tried it), but because everything is stored electronically, the software does all the hard work in the background. Historical care records can be easily searched, care can be monitored over time, and care notes can be compared to check the quality of care.  Electronic care records essentially mean that you have easy to search for data that can be compiled quickly into reports and backed up safely for long periods of time. This means that when CQC ask you to demonstrate or evidence the care you deliver you can simply show them a list of everything that gets done and with our simple reporting tools you can show how you've improved over time too.

How can we help as a supplier of electronic care recording software?

This is a bit nifty, but we actually write to inspectors for you. We know how hard it can be sometimes to think clearly and articulate how well you're doing. That's why we step up and help support our community by writing recommendations for care services who use our system. Without our community helping us, we'd be nowhere so we give back wherever we can.

If you're a community member looking for help, then just chat to one of the team via live chat, or if you're still unsure as to whether electronic care records are for you, then head on over to our Get Started page. The core system is free, so you can assess whether they're for you and suit your care service. We're sure you'll agree that once you've tried digital, you won't want to go back.