Improve Your Patient Safety with a Centralised Digital Solution for Policies and Procedures

Are you using siloed or paper-based systems for document management? Do your staff have difficulties accessing policies and procedures? Or are you concerned that they may be using the incorrect versions of documents?

If these concerns resonate with you, then read on. In this article we discuss some of the challenges healthcare organisations face when using paper-based or siloed document management systems and show how HCI’s PPG Library^TM is the solution you need to solve this problem.

Introduction

Effective management of policies and procedures in healthcare is crucial for ensuring quality, patient safety and regulatory compliance. However, if your healthcare organisation still relies on paper-based, or even siloed document management systems for different departments this can pose significant risks. Manual, disjointed systems are inefficient, time-consuming, and prone to errors, leading to delays in policy implementation and potentially jeopardising patient safety.

Additionally, paper records are vulnerable to loss, damage, and unauthorised access, making it difficult to maintain the confidentiality and security of sensitive information. The transition to a centralised, digital solution for policies and procedures not only addresses these challenges but also enhances accessibility, efficiency, and compliance, ultimately transforming your healthcare service delivery.

Challenges of siloed, paper-based document management systems

Below are some of the challenges you may be facing with siloed or paper-based systems:

• Inefficiency and Time Consumption: Updating, distributing, and maintaining paper documents is labour-intensive and time-consuming, leading to delays in policy implementation and potentially affecting patient care.
• Storage Issues: Physical documents require substantial storage space and are difficult to organise and retrieve, which can slow down decision-making processes and hinder access to critical information.
• Limited Security and Confidentiality: Paper records are vulnerable to loss, damage, and unauthorised access, making it challenging to ensure the confidentiality and security of sensitive information.
• Unreliable access: Accessing the latest version of a policies and procedure can be a challenge. If staff were to use an outdated version of a PPG, then this could pose a significant risk to patient safety.
• Difficulty in Monitoring and Compliance: Version control and revision history can be difficult to track and demonstrate for compliance purposes. Additionally, tracking staff document acknowledgement can be cumbersome and prone to errors if using a paper-based system. Both are essential for regulatory compliance.
• Inconsistent Documentation Standards: Siloed or paper-based systems often lack standardisation, resulting in inconsistencies that hinder effective communication and quality control.

The Role of HCI’s PPG Library^TM – A Centralised Digital Solution for Policies and Procedures

Improved Accessibility and Efficiency

The PPG Library^TM is a centralised repository for important controlled documents such as Policies, Procedures and Guidelines (PPGs). It provides your staff with simplified, quick and reliable access to critical information, when and where they need it. This helps to streamline operations and enhance decision-making processes.

Simplified Search Functionality

The PPG Library^TM makes it really easy for your staff to find the documents they are searching for. Staff can view documents by departments or document categories. The groups are customised to your requirements to ensure they align with your organisation’s processes. Furthermore, staff can use the search bar to find the documents they require through a keyword search.  

Easy Document Acknowledgement

Capturing your staffs’ document acknowledgement data is important for regulatory compliance to demonstrate that staff have access to and viewed key PPGs. The PPG Library^TM simplifies this process by providing staff with a document acknowledgement workload list where they can view the documents that require acknowledgment. Additionally, when staff are searching for documents, any document that requires acknowledgment is flagged to the staff member.

Enhanced Regulatory Compliance

The PPG Library^TM facilitates regulatory compliance by ensuring that staff are accessing the most up-to-date documents, and that they have the ability to acknowledge them. In addition, a complete audit trail and record is captured for documents. This data is accessible to Senior Managers in QualSIP^TM, HCI’s real time Quality and Safety Intelligence Portal.

Within QualSIP^TM, you to view document activity data such as:

• No. of Documents Acknowledged
• No. of Documents with Outstanding Acknowledgements
• No. of Documents Overdue for Review
• No. of Documents Due for Review in the next 30 – 90 days
• No. of Documents in draft, active or activated

For each of these data points, you have the ability to drill down further to identify the department, document types, the document owners etc. This data not only supports regulatory compliance but also helps you to make informed decisions.

Better Document Management and Organisation

By utilising an electronic repository such as the PPG Library^TM, healthcare organisations, in particular Groups, can standardise their documentation across departments or sites. These documents have to go through a controlled document management process to ensure they are developed, reviewed and approved appropriately before they are distributed to staff. This ensures that staff are utilising the correct, most up to date version of a document. This helps to improve communication, reduces errors, and supports better overall management of policies and procedures​.

Cost Reduction

Transitioning to an electronic centralised repository such as the PPG Library^TM, reduces the need for physical storage space, paper, and printing, leading to significant cost savings. Additionally, the automation of document management processes decreases the administrative workload, allowing staff to focus more on patient care and critical tasks​.

Enhanced Patient Care

The PPG Library^TM ensures that comprehensive and up-to-date PPGs are readily available, facilitating better-informed decisions. This accessibility supports the application of evidence-based practices, enhancing patient outcomes and safety.

Conclusion

Implementing a centralised electronic repository for managing access to PPGs is a strategic move that can significantly enhance patient safety. HCI’s PPG Library™ offers an efficient, secure, and compliant solution that ensures your staff have immediate access to the latest documents, reducing errors and improving care quality. By adopting this technology, you can streamline operations, maintain high standards of regulatory compliance, and ultimately deliver better patient outcomes.

HCI has been working with health and social care organisations for almost two decades supporting them to develop and implement best practice Quality Management Information Systems. Our solutions are designed to fulfil your objectives whilst also implementing best practice. With the PPG Library™, you can transform your document management practices, ensure staff have reliable access to PPGs and allow them to focus on what truly matters – providing exceptional care to your patients.

For more information or a demo of the PPG Library^TM contact info@hci.care or call 01 629 2559.