DigiCare4CE Pilot Action in Austria – Styria (GGZ project partner)

Expansion of Digital Care Documentation

Overview

The pilot initiative addresses the challenges of Austria’s long-term care system, which is under pressure due to an aging population and a shortage of health professionals. Strategies for digital transformation highlight the potential of digital applications to bridge this gap. Studies show that healthcare professionals are more willing to adopt electronic documentation tools than technologies for social or emotional support, such as robots. The digitalization of care documentation is therefore a promising approach to reducing administrative workload in long-term care. Effective documentation is essential for quality assurance and compliance with legal regulations, yet it remains time-consuming and prone to errors. This makes innovation in this field a top priority.

As part of the pilot initiative by the Geriatric Health Centers of the City of Graz (GGZ), two new applications were introduced to expand mobile care documentation. The pilot project was conducted at the Peter Rosegger Nursing Home of the GGZ. The goal was to improve documentation efficiency, reduce errors, and relieve nursing staff of administrative tasks. The new applications enable direct documentation at the point of care and integrate into existing systems.

Decision-Making Process & Co-Creation

The selection of the digital solution was based on the needs of nursing staff and managers at the GGZ, technical implementation possibilities in the IT sector, as well as strategic considerations and current developments in healthcare. A delegation trip to Denmark and study visits provided additional insights into innovative health technologies.
To ensure successful implementation, workshops and meetings were conducted with relevant stakeholders. The decision-making process was based on a comprehensive literature review on the use of digital solutions in long-term care and involved the following interest groups:
  1. Nursing staff
  2. IT department
  3. Research and development department
  4. GGZ managers
  5. External stakeholders/experts

Components of the Digital Solution

The pilot initiative expanded the mobile care documentation solution ilvi by integrating two digital applications: a wound documentation app and a document scanning app. Ilvi is an open platform that allows the integration of mobile apps and seamless data exchange with hospital information systems. It connects mobile devices (similar to smartphones) with medical products (e.g., blood pressure monitors, apps) to automatically capture parameters and transfer data directly into residents' records.

The newly introduced apps include the following features:
  1. Wound Documentation App: This app enables nursing staff to document wounds on mobile devices. It offers a standardized user interface for recording wound type, location, duration, and healing progress. Using calibration markers and the device’s camera function, the app automatically measures the wound’s area, width, length, and depth. Additional fields capture wound status (e.g., infections, pain) and therapy measures (e.g., dressing changes). Tasks can be saved or delegated via a web platform, while a visual timeline illustrates the healing process. Automated reports facilitate communication with physicians for therapy decisions.
  2. Document Scanning App: This app allows nursing staff to scan documents directly using the mobile device’s camera and send them to hospital information systems. This eliminates the need for multifunctional devices and manual document management, optimizing workflows and ensuring immediate digital availability of documents.

Implementation Process

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

  1. Preparation Phase
  2. Identification of institutional needs
  3. Assessment of technical requirements
  4. Establishment of framework conditions and testing criteria (duration, participants, data protection, ethics, etc.)
  5. Selection and adaptation of the mobile documentation platform ilvi
  6. Information exchange and training of nursing staff
  7. Pilot Phase
  8. Test operation with nursing staff over four months
  9. On-site visits by the project team
  10. Continuous adjustments and updates to the applications
  11. Monitoring and evaluation
  12. Collection of user feedback
  13. Assessment of the benefits and challenges of the new solutions through online surveys and focus groups

Impact on Care Processes

The implementation of the new applications has the potential to improve documentation in daily nursing routines. Key changes include:
  1. Simplified wound documentation through standardized entry forms
  2. Direct integration of scanned documents into the hospital information system
  3. Reduction of administrative workload through digital scanning functions
  4. Training programs for the use of new technologies in long-term care

Results & Outlook

User feedback indicated that the wound app has the potential to improve the quality of wound documentation, particularly through standardized entry forms and more accurate wound measurement methods. However, training and rapid support in case of issues are crucial, as dissatisfaction arises when the system does not function properly. Due to additional requirements identified during the test phase, the wound documentation solution was not adopted in its original form for long-term use. However, the document scanner was successfully implemented and is planned for long-term use, as it reduces and simplifies the number of required steps. The pilot phase confirmed that intensive support and personal contact during the first weeks of implementation are critical to success.

Project Timeline & Participants

  1. Pilot duration: September 2023 – December 2024
  2. Participants: Nursing staff, administrative assistants, IT department, research and development department, technology providers (imitoWound AG, ilvi GmbH)