1643 LIVING LABS APPROACH TO INTEGRATE DIGITAL CARE PLANS INTO RELATIONSHIP-BASED CARE IN CARE HOMES

Abstract Introduction Teaching and Research in Care Homes (ToRCH) is a living labs partnership between University of Nottingham and three care homes in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We aim to engage care home teams in research, including knowledge exchange and co-designing research proposals. Methods We conducted 7 workshops / focus groups with 10 staff members. These were supplemented by site visits, where the researcher observed staff meetings and met with residents and relatives (for patient and public involvement). We elicited discussion by appreciative inquiry method and recorded findings through field notes. Ideas built over time, iteratively, through ongoing discussion. Results Digital care records, in place in all member care homes, were a focus of discussion and we identified three topics for improvement projects and accompanying research: A) Emerging from lockdown, care homes identified newly appointed staff may have missed aspects of training about digital documentation, e.g. using language consistent with the model of care. Additional support may optimise use of digital records consistent with relationship-based practice. B) Using digital care record for benchmarking to support improvement projects. C) Realtime analysis of digital care records to identify deterioration and deliver proactive care. Our partnership is working with the software providers to develop these projects to improve continuity of proactive care and to develop indicators to assess outcomes of improvement projects. Conclusion Our living labs partnership has enabled care home teams to reflect on their use of digital care records and how these mediate communication within the care team as well as with family carers and primary care colleagues. Fresh perspectives have emerged which may accelerate the impact of digitalisation of care homes.