A second-phase funded PainChek® pilot has commenced across 15 care homes in Scotland, following the successful completion of the first phase earlier this year.
The Care Inspectorate, Scotland’s care regulator, recently issued its Quality Improvement Plan for 2023/4 built around four key pillars aimed at improving quality and participation. A critical component of the ‘Innovation’ pillar is Phase 2 of Care Inspectorate’s ‘test of change’ initiative.
This initiative focuses on trialling PainChek® with up to 15 care services to gather more information on its effect on medication usage and quality of life for care home residents, as well as its adoptability and longer-term sustainability.
The pilot will include tests across different user settings, service types, user groups, and geographical locations.
A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate explained the potential of PainChek® in a recent healthandcare.scot article:
“We welcome the use of innovation and technology to help support people to experience the best possible care.
“This device should enable more appropriate use of medication and improved quality of life for care home residents. In future the device may also be able to support detection of pain in young children who are unable to adequately communicate pain.”
The spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate told healthandcare.scot why it is important to take advantage of digital innovations like PainChek®:
“The Care Inspectorate is committed to supporting services across Scotland to provide the best possible care for everyone, respecting their needs, rights and choices.
“However, some people experiencing care find it more difficult to communicate their needs than others, and digital innovation can help to ensure that everyone receives the help and support they need.”
PainChek’s Head of Business Development UK&I, Tandeep Gill, says PainChek is looking to see this second pilot improve pain assessment and enhance overall quality of care, adding:
“By achieving positive outcomes for care home residents and the care staff involved, we hope to gain the opportunity for a broader government-funded rollout across Scotland.”
Following a successful second phase, the third phase may include a potential rollout of PainChek® to more than 35,000 beds in care homes across Scotland. Phase four will potentially extend the rollout to additional social care services across Scotland.
Key outcomes from the initial pilot phase
PainChek® has already been trialled in a handful of Scotland’s care homes and was linked to a 42% reduction in falls among residents after six months.
It has also been associated with an increase in the number of pain assessments completed, more appropriate use of pain medication, and a general reduction in the prescribed rate of pain medication.
PainChek’s Tandeep Gill says the initial pilot delivered these positive health and care outcomes thanks to pain being “promptly identified and monitored” through the PainChek® system.
To read the Care Inspectorate’s full Quality Improvement Plan 2023/24, please click here.
To learn more about how PainChek® could enable best-practice pain management within your organisation, book a one-on-one session with a member of our team.
