MedMobile reduces medication round times for Amana Living

How Telstra Health helped Amana Living

Tanya Tobias, Care Systems Administrator at Amana Living, explained how impressed their staff have been with the software solution.

Staff leading the way

In 2016, Amana Living implemented Telstra Health’s Medication Management software and MedMobile app, and Clinical Manager software as part of their ongoing commitment to improving safety, quality, and clinical excellence. The MedMobile app enables workers to access and record medication administration information using a tablet device at the point of care, which syncs to Medication Management and Clinical Manager for clinical management and reporting purposes.

“Like most of the industry, we wanted to standardise our practices with medication to reduce errors and improve efficiencies”, Tanya explained. “Our team were very keen to move across to an electronic system,” stated Tanya.

MedMobile, an award-winning application, contains a resident photo feature to help staff easily identify each resident during a medication round. A useful safety feature, it also helps to save staff valuable time while enabling new employees and agency workers to easily identify each resident.

Smooth implementation

Amana Living utilises Samsung tablet devices to run MedMobile. These devices are encased in frames and attached to medication trollies to ensure they can’t be moved around or dropped.

As most staff have smartphones, the Samsung tablets were familiar and easy to use. A small number of staff who were not as confident quickly adapted to utilising MedMobile via a tablet device, with Tanya explaining, “It was a very easy implementation and our team learned how to use the app with minimal training.”

“Our Implementation Consultant was fabulous, and great at helping to resolve any issues as they cropped up along the way. We had fantastic training and were given a thorough explanation of the software. Our team is now confident to train new staff on how to use MedMobile as they come on board,” stated Tanya.

Everyone benefits from quality improvements

The time taken to complete a medication round at Amana Living has shortened considerably since implementing MedMobile and Medication Management. Tanya reported that one facility has reduced their hour-long rounds by about 25 minutes – a 40% time saving. Without the need for time-consuming paper-based processes, staff have more time to spend caring for residents.

Tanya explained that staff are able to monitor residents’ medications more thoroughly with Medication Management, with exact times recorded of when medications are given. Visiting clinicians have noticed the difference too. Tanya said that several doctors have commented that they appreciate being able to view medication reports in the software quickly and clearly when they come to the facility.

“A pharmacist who undertakes our Resident Medication Management Reviews (RMMR) expressed that the software enables him to work more effectively when preparing to undertake comprehensive medication management review,” stated Tanya.

Fast and easy reporting

MedMobile also ensures that medications are not missed, as a reason must be captured to explain any non-administered medications. This process helps in reducing medication errors and compliance risks.

As Tanya explained, “MedMobile is great for staff conducting medication rounds as it’s very simple and easy to follow. We’ve also found that our management team really appreciate the Medication Management and Clinical Manager software, as they provides fast, accurate information with easy access to a range of different reports.”

The is a case study only. Results will vary depending on circumstantial organisational factors, including efficient organisation implementation, and the number of modules available and implemented by the client.

One source of truth for clinical and medication data

In the year of its release in 2016, MedMobile was awarded the Mobility Innovation of the Year award at the Victorian iAwards, the Excellence in Mobility and Devices award at the Microsoft Australia Partner Awards, as well as named co-winner of the Best Workforce Efficiency or Quality Improvement Solution at the Information Technology in Aged Care (ITAC) Awards.

The award-winning MedMobile app is part of a wider Medication Management solution, including MedPoint, which assists providers with the safe administration of over half a million medications on a daily basis across Australia. For added risk reduction, information captured in MedPoint and MedMobile seamlessly forms part of the resident record in Telstra Health’s clinical and care management solution, Clinical Manager.

This seamless experience helps reduce the risks associated with resident medication or allergy information needing to be manually added into two separate systems – helping to protect our older community.