DigiCare4CE Pilot Action in Slovakia (TUKE project partner)

The digital transformation of care management and delivery

Overview

The pilot activity addresses key challenges in the long-term care system in Slovakia related to the digitization of processes. It is undeniable that process digitization brings many benefits; however, many organizations in Slovakia still carry out numerous processes outside information systems and do not fully utilize the potential that today’s technologies offer. For this reason, within the pilot activity we focused on analyzing these processes and digitizing them comprehensively within a single solution.

The main goal of the pilot activity was to improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery in long-term care facilities. The primary tool for achieving this goal was the digitization of processes identified during the process analysis at the ARCUS Specialized Facility and Senior Care Home. The entire pilot project was initiated by the staff themselves, who were interested in improving the facility’s processes. Thanks to the support of the facility’s management, a large number of employees became involved in the pilot project.

Decision-Making Process & Co-Creation

In general, as many processes were digitalized, the regular and close cooperation was key to the success of pilot action.
As the tool we implemented was based on Microsoft solution, in this case as technology provider we understand technology implementer. As a project partner (TUKE) had in team Microsoft solutions expert, technology implementation and project management went hand in hand.
Project management team:
  1. ensured all the goals, deadlines were met
  2. facilitated coordination between the teams involved
Technology implementation team:
  1. ensured that technology fully reflected the end user’s requirements
  2. prepared and provided with all needed materials
LTC facility (ARCUS) team:
  1. ensured all key end users were involved in testing phase
  2. necessary support provided to reach common goals
  3. provided feedback on each pilot’s action activities and the technology itself

Components of the Digital Solution

We decided to extend the use of IS CYGNUS, which was already used in our LTC facility. However, after analysis of the processes and the options IS CYGNUS was offering, we decided to change the implemented solution. Instead of IS CYGNUS we decided on the solution based on Microsoft SharePoint platform.

As this solution is based on world known platform, it offers many options for configuration and data management. Hence, we were able to set up the workflows, tables, forms, access management etc. exactly according to the users' requirements in the following areas:
- information sharing (electronic notice board – announcements, medication ordering, record books and reports)
- planning (planning of medical appointments, planning client transportation to medical appointments, planning of staff vacancies)
- data management (library and document repository, approvals and access, analyses, charts, and statistics)

This resulted in high effectiveness of the implemented technology during the test phase. In case there were some inaccuracies in settings, we were able to fix it in very short time.

Implementation Process

Following the decision-making phase, the implementation took place in multiple phases:

  1. Preparation Phase
  2. Identify weaknesses and opportunities in the facility’s infrastructure
  3. Map existing digital tools currently used in practice
  4. Design a digital solution that meets the specific needs of the organization
  5. Information exchange and training of staff

  1. Pilot Phase
  2. Implement the chosen digital solution into daily processes
  3. Educate and motivate staff to actively use digital technologies
  4. Strengthening digital skills and support continuous professional development of employees
  5. Support management in the strategic development and adoption of new digital tools
  6. Collect feedback, continuously evaluate, and optimize the solution

Impact on Care Processes

The implementation of the new applications has the potential to improve documentation in daily nursing routines. Key changes include:
  1. Centralization of information and documents
  2. Standardization of internal processes
  3. Transparency and equal access to information
  4. Streamlining administration and planning
  5. A step towards digitalization and a modern work culture

Results & Outlook

The change was implemented according to plan – the “paper-based” processes are now fully digitized and have received very positive feedback from both the nursing staff and management. Thanks to the pilot activity, data management and access to data, information, and documentation are much simpler and more transparent, with numerous options for filtering and working with data. This makes processes significantly easier, more transparent, and more efficient. On the other hand, the facility struggled during the piloting phase with low employee adoption rate, insufficient digital skills of some staff, change in established communication habits and inconsistent use across departments. These challenges can be faced with providing easily accessible training and materials, ensuring visible and easily accessible support, gathering feedback from staff and integrating it and strengthening technology within the team culture.

The solution has already demonstrated its quality and benefits for the organization, and its impact is expected to be long-lasting. This impact will continue to grow as users gain confidence in working with the solution and as new functions and processes are introduced. The solution also has the potential to be implemented in other long-term care facilities, particularly in the Košice region, since the Košice Self-Governing Region is open to providing free access to the MS SharePoint platform to all long-term care facilities under its jurisdiction.

Project Timeline & Participants

  1. Pilot duration: September 2023 – December 2024
  2. Participants: Nursing staff, administrative assistants, technology providers (Microsoft solutions expert)

Video presentation of the TUKE Pilot action:


This video presents the pilot action of TUKE, funded within the DigiCare4CE project. It features the implementation of MS SharePoint to digitalize key administrative and operational processes in a long-term care facility. The solution improves internal communication, data transparency, and staff efficiency, supporting better care delivery.