SIRCovid: an ICT cooperative system between elderly homes and healthcare system
About this good practice
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the value of care in the nursing home setting. Having a common ICT system between nursing homes and the healthcare system is essential for communication & collaboration between healthcare professionals from both environments, seeking to preserve care continuity for all elderly residents.
The SIRCovid nursing homes information system, created for the management of Covid outbreaks, has consolidated itself as a data collection platform in this area. With its integration with the Aragon’s User Database (BDU), a real, permanently updated census of the elderly living in nursing homes is collected. Likewise, the platform contains a list of employees from each of these homes. On the other hand, SIRCovid allows interoperability with the basic and fundamental tool of the Aragon Public Healthcare system, the electronic health record (EHR). This enables a channel for the exchange of clinical and functional data among the nursing home healthcare staff, the Aragon’s Healthcare Service and public health epidemiological surveillance.
In SIRCovid, data regarding the 494 nursing homes for the elderly, people with disabilities & sheltered housing is stored. For each of these, has data concerning the number of authorized places and occupancy; plus contact information. Likewise, it stores the authorisations from the General Directorate of Healthcare & Planning regarding health services offering, such as medicine, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
Resources needed
Financial resources will vary depending on the other region’s ICT systems. Nonetheless, it is the ability to put in place collaboration mechanisms between different institutions able to bring in resources to ensure development and implementation is the key to success.
Evidence of success
SIRCovid includes 494 nursing homes, 20,243 residents & 13,831 employees. 1065 users access platform (442 health professionals). Prior authorisation from resident/legal tutor, health staff can access EHR data: test results & hospital discharge data. 7,648 residents have granted access
Potential for learning or transfer
Both a barrier & a challenge was setting up collaboration mechanisms between the Social & Healthcare sector. Nevertheless, this barrier soon became an opportunity to setup close cooperation ties between both, which today still endure.
The Covid-19 pandemic has spotlighted the need to have up-to-date data for making decisions. All ICT systems within the Health Department and its interoperability with other Departments within the regional government -public or private- is key.
Still a weak point in our region is the dispersion & ageing of the population –how to reach out to all- and here, ICT plays a key role. Another barrier is the lack of professionals, especially those willing to work in dispersed rural areas.
Data exchange tools -EHR & SIRCovid- between professionals in nursing home settings and healthcare system is key for nursing home health professionals. It facilitates coordination & collaboration, improves continuity of care & ensures implementation of healthcare strategies.
Further information
Coordination between SIRCOVID tool and Electronic Health Record.
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