The first step in setting up a digital social care record (DSCR) is to identify why the change is needed.
You may need to put together a case to share the reasons for the change with other members of your organisation.
When making the case for change, consider:
- which aspects of how you currently document care plans are time consuming
- what you want the new solution to achieve
- how DSCRs could help you meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements and organisational objectives
- your timescales for the project
- the risks involved
- who needs to be involved
- your budget for the project
Digitising your care records may involve a big culture change in your organisation. Bring people along with you on the journey by identifying the benefits DSCRs will have for them.
For example, implementing digital care records could allow you to:
- free up time so that staff can spend more time providing care
- save on long-term costs of printing and storing paper records or maintaining multiple systems
- share information with people who use your services and (where relevant) their families more easily
- share more comprehensive information about a person receiving care with clinicians
- better protect sensitive data
- avoid duplication and wasted effort caused by having multiple systems
- provide information to commissioners and regulators more easily
- access and record notes from anywhere so staff can use them on the move
- review and analyse trends - both for the organisation and people receiving care
- integrate and share data with other health systems, such as GP connect.