Digital solution for nursing staff: Helpchat revolutionizes everyday hospital life!

Digital solution for nursing staff: Helpchat revolutionizes everyday hospital life!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the nursing situation is becoming increasingly tense. In order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers and reduce the burden on nursing staff, a new research project called EDITCare is starting. Among other things, this aims to optimize communication between nursing staff and patients through the digital application “Helpchat”, which is particularly important in the current specialist discussion about digitalization in nursing. According to the Greifswald University Medical Center, the app was developed to shorten the walking distance of nursing staff in the hospital and at the same time improve the flow of information to patients, which could increase the efficiency of care.

By using the app, patients can register their concerns, such as the need for painkillers or water, directly via the digital platform without the nursing staff having to be in the room. Caregivers receive faster information and can accept and process requests digitally, which should significantly reduce the time they spend walking. This should not only reduce the workload, but also improve the overall quality of care. The recommendations of the study commission on the future of medical care emphasize the need for physical and psychological relief for nursing staff, which is intended to be addressed by the EDITCare project Technicians' Health Insurance reported.

Digital solutions as relief

The project is financially supported by the G-BA Innovation Fund until the end of November 2027, with a total of almost 4.9 million euros. Partners in the project include the Greifswald University Medical Center, the University of Greifswald, the Berlin Institute for Applied Health Services Research and the Techniker Krankenkasse Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. These partnerships aim to achieve a comprehensive evaluation of the project, with the University of Greifswald being responsible for qualitative and quantitative analyses, while the Institute for Applied Health Services Research is responsible for the health economic evaluation Greifswald University Medical Center.

The need for such measures is underpinned by the constantly increasing pressure to perform in nursing and the associated challenges in recruiting personnel. The care industry is considered a laggard in digitalization, which leads to increased documentation effort and leaves little room for interpersonal communication. However, experts have recognized that digital solutions offer a promising opportunity to address these challenges Polavis.

First steps and planned expansions

The first tests of the “Helpchat” app have already taken place on two wards at the Greifswald University Medical Center. The introduction of this digital form of communication is also planned in other facilities, such as the Wolgast District Hospital and the Rostock University Medical Center. The project leader, Prof. Dr. Steve Strupeit sees this approach as a great opportunity to improve the working conditions of nursing staff and patient care. A prospective cluster-randomized intervention study using a mixed-methods approach will comprehensively evaluate the effects of the system, including subjectively perceived caregiver burden and patient satisfaction Technicians' Health Insurance.

The digital transformation in care offers great potential to bridge the tension between increasing demands and staff shortages. However, the acceptance of the digital solutions by the nursing staff themselves will be crucial. Only by involving the workforce in the digitalization process can it be ensured that the new systems are actually used and achieve the desired effects. The future of nursing could depend significantly on how successfully such innovative tasks are mastered Polavis.