Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Research and Innovations (new projects / technology / innovations / service models)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service II (Projects aiming to enhance clinical safety and outcomes, clinical governance / risk management)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan WCD(1), Lau M(1), Yue SYA(1), Ip WMK(1), Leung YSJ(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Occupational Therapy Department, Shatin Hospital
Introduction :
Quality and Safety (Q&S) in Occupational Therapy Department (OTD) are vital for ensuring patient safety, minimizing risks and driving continuous quality improvement. Traditionally, Occupational Therapists (OT) fill paper audit forms in Q&S audit. Paper documentation has the problems of paper storage, accessibility of the records and efficiency in administration. To align with the strategic direction of Hospital Authority of Smart Hospital in electronic documentation, Shatin Hospital (SH) OTD had developed a cloud-based electronic inspection checklists (e-forms) to enhance Q&S audit efficiency and implemented paperless practice.
Objectives :
Develop a cloud-based e-forms to enhance Quality & Safety audit and monitoring. It is aimed at achieving the following objectives:
1. Environmental safety and cleansing
2. Equipment maintenance and safety
3. Fall prevention
4. Occupational safety & health
5. Infection control
6. Data privacy
7. Food safety
Methodology :
In OTD, monthly Q&S audit and inspection are conducted using e-forms to replace traditional paper forms. It is operated on mobile devices which can be accessed and filled anywhere and anytime. Inside the e-forms, each inspection item has pre-set answers to standardize responses. The details of the problem can be input by text for follow-up. The digital data in e-forms will be transformed into tables or chart for reporting. It can facilitate responsible staff to audit and follow-up the problems identified or highlighted.
Result & Outcome :
Starting from January 2023, OTD had used e-forms on monthly Q&S audit and the completion rate was 100%. Collected e-forms data will be transformed into readable format in tables for responsible auditors to audit. They will report the problems identified in monthly OTD meeting and take follow-up action. Data can be further analyzed to identify pattern, trends and correlations for continuous improvement.
Utilizing cloud-based e-forms on Quality and Safety inspection can streamline data collection, making it easier and faster to gather information from inspectors. Each inspection item in e-forms has pre-set answers to standardize responses, enhancing data accuracy and consistency. Cloud-based e-forms can be accessed and filled out from anywhere at any time, providing greater convenience for inspectors and improving auditor’s accessibility to audit reports. Auditors can save about 80% of time on audit.
Furthermore, reports are encrypted and protected by passwords, enhancing data security and privacy. Finally, e-forms are environmentally friendly and are more sustainable than paper forms.
Conclusion:
The use of e-forms has enhanced the monthly Q&S audit in OTD. It also enables efficient implementation of improvement measures and ensuring continuous strive for meeting our quality and safety goals.
