iCare Pathways

Mandl M, Schüssler S, Bauer S, Lohrmann C

The practice project "iCare pathways" aims to develop and test three electronic care pathways (malnutrition, pressure ulcer and falls) in German, Dutch and Austrian nursing homes.

From January until July 2012, three iCare Pathways were developed. Each participating country developed a care pathway for one special care problem:

Germany: iCare pathway pressure ulcer (Institut für Medizin-/Pflegepädagogik und Pflegewissenschaft, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)

The Netherlands: iCare pathway falls (Institute Care and Wellbeing, NHL University of Applied Sciences, Leuuwarden, The Netherlands)

Austria: iCare pathway malnutrition (Institute of Nursing Science, Medical University of Graz, Austria)

Each care pathway is based on the Care Dependency Scale (CDS) (Dijkstra, 1998; Lohrmann, 2003) and contains evidence-based recommendations derived from national/ international guidelines. All three pathways were discussed and finalised in the international working group and subsequently translated into the three languages.

In each country, nursing homes were invited to take part in this project. In Austria, three nursing homes agreed to participate. Prior to testing the care pathways in the participating nursing homes, telephone interviews were conducted with the respective nursing care professionals in order to provide insight in current procedures, protocols, instructions and guidelines in nursing practice. Furthermore a questionnaire for general information regarding the organisation of the nursing home practice and the characteristics of the nursing home clients in general was sent to the participating nursing homes.

In the middle of July 2012, training sessions were carried out in the nursing homes. At the beginning of each training session, a modified questionnaire called CDS Evaluation Questionnaire (Eichhorn-Kissel, 2011), which is based on the Staff View Assessment Instrument by G. Hansebo (1998), were handed out to be completed by the attending health care professionals. During the sessions, the participating institutions were provided with a manual containing comprehensive information on the use and handling of the developed care pathways. The trainings session also included information about the development and use of the CDS, the to-be-tested care pathways, how to work with the iPads, as well as a case study for interactive live training. All three care pathways will be tested in all participating nursing homes, starting with the care pathway malnutrition.

After all three care pathways (malnutrition, pressure ulcer and falls) will have been tested, the final evaluation will take place. In order to allow a comparison of before and after this project, the CDS Evaluation Questionnaire (Eichhorn-Kissel, 2011) will be used again.

Hervorgegangene Veröffentlichung

Lohrmann C, Mandl M, Schönherr S, Schüssler S. (2013) iCare Pathways (Forschungsbericht)