Transforming pain management with PainChek^® at VMCH

Using a TGA cleared-medical device ensures VMCH residents receive evidence-based pain assessments to allow for best care.

PainChek^® provides an accurate assessment of pain for those with dementia or in the palliative care phase who cannot communicate their pain levels.

PainChek^® assessments allow for treatment regimens to be tailored to the individual results, and improved resident-centred care.

Using PainChek^® on a smart device assists in portability of care assessments.

Allows VMCH to be at the forefront of technology solutions for aged care.

Having the capacity to integrate PainChek^® into existing resident management system ensures data can be stored in one easy-to-access repository.

Here at VMCH, our services are as diverse as the people we support.

We work in partnership with people of all ages and abilities to achieve their individual goals and dreams, remain connected to their communities and enjoy their independence.

We provide homes for 934 people in residential aged care across 12 locations in the Melbourne area.

Our aged care residences offer ‘aging in place’ with chronic disease management, specialised dementia and palliative care and respite options.

Clinical Manager Jeff Brooks explains the benefits of PainChek® in addressing VMCH strategic goals as follows:

“The most common feedback from staff is the ease of use of PainChek^®. Being an application, which is used on a portable device, has enabled great buy-in from staff, which has certainly assisted us during the rollout across our residences.”

Jeff Brooks maintains that the use of PainChek^® is not only an improvement on current systems for staff but is also a positive change for how residents are cared for, and their pain managed.

“One of our strategic goals is ‘to provide exceptional quality of life’. To fulfil this goal, we need the best tools that we can provide to our staff to assist them in assessing and evaluating pain interventions, be that pharmacological or non-pharmacological.”

“PainChek^® is the new standard of pain assessment that allow us to perform a comprehensive evaluation for residents with cognitive impairment when they experience changes in behaviour.”

“Such assessment also allows VMCH to meet Standard 3 of the Aged Care Standards, as it is best practice, allows care to be tailored to the individual and optimises residents’ health and wellbeing.”

“VMCH has also received favourable feedback from WorkSafe Victoria on the implementation of PainChek® and its role in minimising occupational violence in the workforce.”

Appropriate and targeted pain management for residents with a diagnosis of dementia and on a palliative approach is essential to get it right. The use of PainChek® assists with managing the intricacies of each equally.

To illustrate this, Jeff describes a case study from VMCH Shanagolden Aged Care Residence, Pakenham.

“We had an elderly man who was exhibiting escalating behaviours. He was non-verbal, had a diagnosis of dementia and was also receiving palliative care services. Through thorough PainChek^® assessments staff were able to minimise his pain symptoms, and the behaviours settled.”

“Having a TGA cleared-medical device allows staff to monitor residents across the whole of their medical journey, including in the palliative approach.”

“Using the artificial intelligence of the PainChek^® app, coupled with assessments of movement, voice, activity and clinical signs all add up to a better assessment of resident’s pain.”

“Having an objective, valid and reliable assessment of pain for residents who are unable to express their pain is incredibly valuable.” 

Jeff Brooks discusses the integration of PainChek® with their resident management system

“Having an open API allows the seamless integration of PainChek^® into VMCH systems. This integration allows for collected data to be held in our single source of truth and allows in-depth analysis of an individual resident’s results. This then provides an opportunity for staff to establish trends and effectiveness of interventions over time.”