What Are Electronic Care Plans in Social Care? 

What Are Electronic Care Plans?

An electronic care plan is an electronic version of conventional paper care plans. This is used to determine and structure how that individual receives their care. It contains information surrounding the person’s agreed care package, preferences and choices, and actions they expect from the care team.

Complex digital systems exist and have been designed to create, store and manage the plans themselves. If it wasn’t for digitisation, this important information would be kept in paper format, which lacks calculation, automation and other time-saving and data-gathering benefits associated with electronic care plans.

What is Electronic Care Planning?

Electronic care planning refers to the use of an electronic care planning system to plan a person’s care. It usually refers to the broader process of utilising a digital system to assess, plan, deliver, monitor and review individual care plans.

Features to Look Out for in Electronic Care Plans

There are many different electronic care planning systems out there, but there are some features you should be aware of and look out for when choosing your software. The best electronic care planning software will include the following 5 components:

• A mobile app for care workers and other staff
• Electronic forms, care plans, assessments and other files or documents
• A reporting/analytics module
• Activity recording (drinks, meals, mood, weight, etc.)
• Automation of common care processes and alerts for incidents/concerns

You may notice that some electronic care plan systems will also include or integrate with an eMAR system (electronic medication administration record). Especially in domiciliary care, they should integrate with a care rostering system and have an electronic call monitoring component. This is something you should look out for. Other qualities you should be aware of include:

• Cost – The most expensive software isn’t always the best, you should always do your research to find the best platform for your care service without spending too much or too little.
• Presentation – The best systems will take their time to ensure your electronic care plans look exactly the way you need them to.
• Traceability – Make sure that all of the document storage included is easy to access and can be understood by all.
• Version control – You must make sure that the provider doesn’t overwrite older care plans and that there’s an option to keep a version history.
• Configurability – Are you able to easily customise and make changes to the care plans, forms and so on either to replicate your existing care plan structure, adapt to changing regulations/best practice? Also consider whether you can make these changes yourself, or if you need to pay extra for changes.

Advantages of Electronic Care Plans

Here, we will be taking a closer look into some of the benefits of using electronic care plans and how they can support great results for those who use services.

• No more handwritten documents – Whether it’s poor handwriting or a spelling error, it’s no secret that handwritten documents can lead to serious consequences if they’re misunderstood. Digital care plans eliminate these issues as they are much more consistent and legible, which mitigates mistakes in return.
• Reduces risks of damage – Paper-based records are at risk of being damaged or lost, whereas electronic care plans are stored safely and securely within a care planning system. This is usually a cloud-based platform that has many backup protocols in place to keep the data safe from accidental incidents.
• Easy to access and readily available – Care plans stored electronically can be accessed instantly by those who need to see them or when they are needed. This means that changes to care plans can be initiated immediately and care staff are quick to respond, which allows them to provide responsive and appropriate care.
• Update and amend easily – You should review and adapt your care plans regularly to ensure you’re meeting the needs of each of your service users. Electronic care plans can be updated and amended instantly and shared with the team simultaneously, whereas paper care plans would have to be rewritten and replaced.
• Formatting is consistent – Standardised templates can be created within a digital system which ensures that all care managers follow a logical and consistent process when creating new care plans. While there’s no right way to do so, features such as drop-down boxes, set doses and the ability to copy data from existing records will mitigate errors while saving time.
• Reduces costs and saves space – Printing and storing paper-based records doesn’t only waste time, but it also costs a lot of money and takes up space. When conventional paper care plans are eliminated, care providers can save money on printing costs and paper, while reducing their need for storage space.
• Everything is safe and secure – People’s care plans will contain important data, personal information and sensitive details that need to be protected. By using electronic care plans, you and your service users can rest assured that your data isn’t being left around for anyone to read as it will be stored securely within a digital system.
• Easy to find the information you need – If you need to find a record quickly, you won’t have to waste time flipping through a filing cabinet full of paper-based records. Instead, you can easily type in the details you are searching for such as name, address, region or carer to find exactly what you’re looking for.
• Improves the lives of service users – Digital care planning gives care providers instant access to personal information and preferences, so they can provide responsive, person-centred care. They free up time, so service users get to spend more time with their care team. Care providers can also share information with hospitals instantly, ensuring the best quality of care at all times.
• Improves safety – Because everyone shares the same version of the care record there is less chance for out of date information being used, especially in the case of medicines and their side effects. Also, the alerting and automation functionality ensures concerns, incidents and other events are flagged and acted upon properly and reliably.
• More time to care – Care workers using electronic care records consistently report they are able to spend more time with people during visits/residents in their care home, as all the information they need is in the palm of their hand, making changes, updates or flagging concerns is quicker and easier.

Electronic Care Plans for Care Homes

The core concept of electronic care plans in social care is the same in all types of care service. However there are some specific considerations depending on the type of service you are operating. We’ve already mentioned that your care planning system needs to integrate with your rostering system in domiciliary care.

In care homes integration with rostering is less important. But in care homes or nursing homes it is essential for your care planning system to be integrated with your medicine management system. Even if you don’t have a medication management system yet, you probably will in the future so you should factor integrations with those types of system when selecting an electronic care planning system for you care home.

You can read more in our other articles about integrated care home software and the benefits of integration, problems with care home software and how to avoid them and how to implement care home software.

Electronic Care Plans and Regulators

In the UK, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have their own care regulator. Below is what we know about their thoughts and requirements surrounding electronic care plans.

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

In England, the CQC wants care providers to start using digital care planning software to plan, manage and monitor care. They also want to see person-centred care plans that are legible, accurate and accessible, which isn’t possible and falls into risks associated with paper care plans.

It can be difficult for care services to change their ways and get their employees on board with this new way of life. However, the benefits of shifting from paper-based methods are way too significant to the care industry to be ignored. See our tips on how to get your care staff enthusiastic about digitisation.

Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)

In Wales, the CIW inspection framework states that the use of ‘systems for assessment, care planning, monitoring and review’ falls into requirements in relation to the provision of the service. The advice they give implies that the use of these systems will help your care service achieve a ‘good’ rating (minimum).

The Care Inspectorate

In Scotland, the Care Inspectorate believes that using technology and digital devices can make a positive impact on health and wellbeing for those receiving care.

Whether it is the use of digital devices to support independence, remote health monitoring, digital care plans, and connecting with friends and family, or to provide access to education and learning, technology is now an integral part of good-quality care.

Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)

In Northern Ireland, the RQIA plans to support care homes to harness digital technology such as digital care planning. They regularly review care plans during inspections and value good practice, adequate assessment, planning, evaluation and the monitoring of people’s needs, which digital records enhance.

Electronic Care Plans Software

As you can see, there are many advantages to implementing electronic care plans into your care service. And in across the UK, it’s something that’s desired by the independent regulators.

Care services across the UK and the world, will benefit from using electronic core care plans instead of traditional paper care plans. Not only do they save the care service money, but they also improve the lives of employees who conserve energy when using this time-saving platform, service users who receive the best person-centred care in return, and next of kin who have greater visibility and peace of mind.

If you are planning to implement electronic care plans software in your care service, then you should consider integrated care planning software from The Access Group. Our all-in-one care planning and management solution enables you to deliver high-quality, safe and personalised care more efficiently. It also comes with the convenient option of a mobile app, so you can do this from wherever you want. Our system digitises all of your documents and processes, so your team can dedicate more time to care.

Whether you have a startup or a global organisation, we have over 30 years of experience digitising all kinds of small, national and international care services, so no task is too big or too small. We offer all of the guidance and support you need to succeed.

If you would like to book a care planning demo or contact us today, please complete this form to submit your enquiry. Alternatively, you can fill out your details to download our brochure here.