Digital Documentation. Maturity model in long-term care using the example of selected Swiss care facilities. Potentials of administrative relief, quality assurance and cost reduction.
Background: Digital nursing documentation, as an essential part of the
electronic patient dossier, especially the planning and documentation of
Measures for the care of persons in need of care as well as their accounting, but also the organization of work processes and rostering of caregivers. The occupational exit rate is 21.9% (Merçay et al., 2021). Often the
administrative effort and time pressure were cited as reasons for leaving. Target: Carers
should be sustainably relieved by further digitization steps. A
Maturity determination enables further development steps. Method: The study was conducted in a cross-sectional design and targeted medium and large long-term care institutions in German-speaking Switzerland. Data were collected via online questionnaire at the end of 2021 with a pre-determined sample size, for validity and reliability. It was possible to evaluate 53 responses. Results: In addition to the quality assurance aspects of maturity assessment, impacts on the core care process were evident. After digitization, the administrative effort of nursing documentation could be quantified as 65 minutes less per eight-hour shift. Conclusion: By expanding the relief opportunities that present themselves, the workload for the workforce can be significantly reduced. In the context of corporate and cultural change, the results led to promising recommendations for action in everyday care.