Thing 3 - Why Digital?

For me, digital is no more of a choice than patient records or embracing best practice. I believe that digital health is essential to care provision that working without it is dangerous for both staff and service users. The vast majority of staff use technology in their daily lives but hesitate to use it professionally. Some of the barriers identified I agree with - hardware and resources(or lack of) are frequently reported by staff but disagree that the use of digital health takes you further away from those who we help and wastes time - I would actually say that the opposite is true - embracing digital health allows us to connect with our service users in mediums with which they are comfortable and familiar and, when used correctly, increases efficiency of care. Surely efficiency and quality  are the basis for any health and social care advancement and digital health is no different. I was fascinated to see from the informatic that managers believed their staff last capable with digital technology and was pleasantly surprised when the questionnaire demonstrated that I see digital capability as a strength. We need to get all the workforce digitally capable so that we can provide effective and efficient care in a medium that is familiar to our service users. Digital diaries saves time and energy trying to work out time for staff to meet, VC / GoMeeting / attend anywhere and LYNC reduce the need for face to face contact, use of virtual reality can reduce anxiety and therefore reduced the need for sedation during certain medical procedures and electronic notes allow safe communication of patient information - these are jest a few examples of the benefits of digital health.

Open Badges

Before today I hadn't heard of open badges but have to say it is an area which sits very comfortably with me. I am very familiar with learnpro and love the concept of being able to clearly evidence learning without formal qualifications. My reason for this is the deep seated belief that what makes me good at my job does not solely rely on my formal qualifications but with time so precious it's so important to be able to evidence learning and demonstrate commitment to online learning.  I suppose my main reflection is why I don't know about open badges? is it a reflection on me, the industry in which I work or the badge system itself? Either way I am ready to embrace the world of open badges.

Facing the fear

What have I done? I'm sitting here 23:00 on a Sunday night wondering why on earth I have signed up to something else! But in all honesty I was desperate; In April I signed up to Digital NMAHP Leadership course and my social media project has ground to a spectacular stop... I have one hundred excuses on the tip of my tongue including the age old NHS favourite - 'my clinical commitments are just too high' and whilst that is absolutely true, its never going to be any different and therefore requires a leap of faith to jump away from the every day to do something different in the hope that it eventually comes full circle and improves the care we deliver in an innovative and efficient way. My hope is that '23 things' will motivate, inspire and support my project development because if the truth be known, I'm scared of social media and my proposed project and am using high clinical commitments as something to hide behind. Today this hiding stops. I Sarah Nicol, practicing Occupational Therapist, will no longer hide and prevaricate. I will embrace and learn and, yes, make mistakes and that is okay. Today I have set up and written my first blog - let the fun begin!