Innovation and change
Docobo Remote Monitoring
We are always looking to improve care and understand ways we can effectively utilise digital technology to support people in less invasive, more efficient ways across health and social care in the City. To do so, Coventry have supported the Integrated Care Board and the NHS England transformation directorate to roll out the Docobo remote patient monitoring in care homes across the City.
Docobo works by equipping homes with a tablet to monitor and record a residents’ basic observations, such as temperature and blood pressure. This data is sent to a secure clinical database where it is viewed by clinical professionals with any issues being responded two hours. The professional will then make an informed decision around the choice of care needed, for example closer monitoring or changes in medication.
Through DOCOBO remote monitoring, residents benefit from:
- Remaining in the care home, reducing the associated risks or stress of travelling to appointments.
- Quicker identification of issues and treatment. This also removes challenges in arranging medical appointments and a reduction in unnecessary GP callouts, 999 calls and A&E admissions.
- Ensuring that residents receive the appropriate support and intervention quickly.
The implementation of Docobo across Coventry has been completed with 68 care homes actively using the system. Data on remote monitoring is now being produced and analysed to understand the impact on other health services. The Docobo team continue to offer support to providers on the use of the system and training of staff to ensure they use it effectively.
Looking forward and what’s next?
Future innovations and digital transformation
The Council, in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and the NHS are currently engaged in transforming and developing the care sector. To do this, we are promoting the use and uptake of Digital Social Care Records. A Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) allows the digital recording of information about care received by an individual replacing traditional paper records.
These records will play an important role in joining up care across social care and the NHS, freeing up time spent by care workers and managers on administrative tasks whilst equipping them with the information they need to deliver care. In order to encourage the uptake of these systems, the Councils are in the process of making grant funding through the Digital Transformation Fund available over the next year offering financial support in the purchase and installation of these platforms.
In addition to this we want to promote wider digital innovation in the care sector. Once providers begin to transition to these new digital platforms, we will begin to look at using the same model of financial incentives to promote the uptake of digital falls prevention technologies.
Louise Ferro, Head of Business Systems and Continuous Improvement said: “It is really exciting to see these developments in Adult Social Care. We are continuously looking for ways to improve outcomes for people by exploring new technology and by ensuring systems and processes are efficient.
Our support to the care provider market is vital in ensuring that care in Coventry remains up to date with technological advances and the changing needs of people requiring support. The use of fund is an excellent example of partnership working in this area.”
A Spotlight on Advocacy: VoiceAbility
Supporting people to have a voice and raise issues
Our advocacy services in Coventry are provided by voice and rights charity VoiceAbility. Hear, the independent charity, one of the largest providers of advocacy and involvement services in the UK, tell us a bit about their work in Coventry throughout 2022/23.
We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing for over 40 years, and in 2022/23 provided a wide range of advocacy services for adults in Coventry.
This included providing independent support for people with mental health problems including those who have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. We also provided independent support for people deprived of their liberty in a care home or hospital, and for decisions about care and support.
2022/23 in numbers
- 1,272 advocacy enquiries, a 22.4% increase on the previous year
- 759 enquiries related to health advocacy
- 513 enquiries related to care and support advocacy
- 692, the number of people we supported this year
Pamela’s story
Pamela lives in a care home and is subject to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). When those restrictions came up for review, she was referred to VoiceAbility for an advocate to make sure her voice was heard.
When Pamela was visited by her advocate, whom she had previously met in 2020, the advocate noticed changes in her care and health needs. Pamela could only say the occasional word, but her advocate observed how she indicated through her body language and sounds when there is something she does not like. Pamela’s engagement with care staff was positive, but her advocate noticed in the records that Pamela’s care plans were out of date, and concerns about her health may not have been addressed.
Pamela’s advocate raised this with the care home manager who agreed to refer Pamela to a dietician. Pamela’s care plans and risk assessments were updated to reflect the support she now needs.
Need support from an advocate?
Contact us by phone: 0300 303 1660
Contact us by email: helpline@voiceability.org