Medical staff, nurses, health care assistants and allied health professionals at The Priory in Langford are the most recent group to transition from paper to electronic charting, with the Go-Live of electronic clinical documentation at the Long Term Care (LTC) facility. The lights went on for “ClinDoc” as of November 27th, adding much more information to the electronic health records of the residents who live there.
The Go-Live was highly anticipated, according to the manager at The Priory, Paul Charlton. “The team fully embraced this opportunity for change and improvement with genuine excitement and enthusiasm! I am so incredibly proud of everyone at The Priory for this amazing accomplishment. It speaks to their dedication and commitment to resident centered care.”
LTC leadership put in some extra support for the Go-Live by designating “Power Coach” staff who are experienced in both PowerChart and working in long term care. One of the people providing that elbow-to-elbow support was LPN Tammy Parkinson, whose first experience with an IHealth Go-Live was at Gorge Road Hospital.
“I rolled out with The Gorge and then I took a day line here,” says Parkinson. Parkinson’s skill set in PowerChart, long term care and preceptorship was a good fit for the role.
For new LPN Becky Radvila, it is a reminder of some of her nursing training, where she used PowerChart, but with the added dimension that the new system is now part of her daily work.
“Today was the first day I worked with PowerChart on the floor, and it’ll take a bit to wrap my brain around all of it,” says Radvila.
LPN Rafael Chicopa had a “brief moment” of previous experience with electronic clinical documentation in the go-live at Oak Bay Lodge, just before the transfer to The Summit at Quadra Village, but that was four years ago. On his first day using clinical documentation at The Priory, everything feels new.
“We’re still working and learning – it’s quite good so far,” says Chicopa.
The process of preparing for the activation brings benefits that go beyond simply adopting a new electronic method of documenting, says Philip Friesen, Director, LTC O/O Operations.
“This activation has made us really think about how we are doing things and why we are doing them.”
Looking to the immediate future, Friesen is very optimistic about the positive momentum this change is bringing to Long Term Care sites across the Island.
“People are hungry for it, they want the electronic health record at their site,” he says. “Once people realize what it does for them, and once they learn how to use it, they don’t want to go back to paper charting.”
To see more images from the Go-Live at the Priory, visit the Priory Photo Gallery.
