Northern Sydney Local Health District is piloting an electronic package for managing advance care planning (ACP).
In 2019 NSLHD and Central Coast LHD were selected as a combined health area by the Ministry of Health and eHealth to pilot the electronic solution for ACP. The scope of the ACP pilot project is for both LHDs to test, implement and support the ACP solution across inpatient areas.
The ACP solution is designed to support clinicians to document a patient’s advance care needs and to discuss those needs with the patient and their family or carer.
The solution consists of three components:
- Resuscitation Plan – an electronic version of the adult and paediatric paper state forms
- Advance Care Documentation – recording whether a patient has documentation including Advance Care Directives and Appointment of Enduring Guardian, and whether a copy has been presented or scanned
-AMBER care bundle – a systematic approach for multi-disciplinary teams to follow when it is uncertain whether a patient may recover
Together these components support planning, transfer, intervention and communication of advance care decisions and information.
More than 370 resuscitation forms across NSLHD have been transcribed into electronic versions since the project went live on 14 July.
ICT Business Analyst Angela Hermes said the ICT team members have worked closely with the eHealth Project Team, NSLHD Clinical Governance Unit and clinicians to deliver this project.
“So far the adoption has been very promising and staff have been enthusiastic about the introduction of the solution,” she said.
“Nursing staff are pleased about having a specific location in the eMR for Advance Care Planning documentation and medical staff are impressed that the system will provide prompts of previous Resuscitation plans when patients are readmitted to hospital.”
At the end of the 12-week pilot period, an evaluation of the product will be provided to the District Steering Committee and Ministry of Health outlining the pilot findings and recommended future enhancements prior to implementation in the other LHD’s across NSW.
