Article Text
Abstract
Aims and Objectives Safety net advice and provision of written resources are core to delivering safe care in paediatric emergency medicine.
In 2020 a new QI project commenced at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (65,000 PEM attendances/year) aiming to digitalise all paper information leaflets into an electronic format.
Aims:
Enhanced access to reliable information
Paper saving
Ease of updating information
Method and Design
Review of all paper leaflets
Upload of new digital resources into an electronic library
Creation of shareable eye–catching boards in common areas
Change of departmental processes to remove paper leaflets as the first offer to families
Method and DesignReview of resources offered staff opportunities for involvement in QI and learning how to write optimal patient information. Peer review was undertaken by the 2 authors.
The project formed part of a cross-Trust project.
Communications colleagues were a key resource, supporting overall branding, IT support and project management.
Results and Conclusion
Since go–live (August 2022) electronic resources have become the standard first offer for families
44 core electronic ED resources cover safety net advice for common conditions, health promotion and signposting links to support health inequalities
Sharing options: scanned via QR code (see figure 1), sent via text/SMS or printed to avoid impacts related to digital poverty
All resources can be translated via a Google translate function (132 languages)
The entire trust library of 1358 resources are accessible to any clinician and any patient user
Results and ConclusionOn average, ED resources are accessed 4675 times/month.
Top 5 being:
Head injury
Family support/wellbeing
Fever
Bronchiolitis
Cast care
Benefits:
Improved, wide–ranging, standardised and translatable accessible information
Enthusiastically supported by ED colleagues
Inbuilt 2–way feedback facility between families and team, generating overwhelmingly positive qualitative feedback
Financial and ecological savings related to reduced printing and paper
An auditable tool to support clinical guidelines and governance which can be regularly and easily reviewed and updated