News

At Southern Cross Healthcare, innovation is about striving to make healthcare more efficient, accurate, and ultimately improving outcomes for patients.

Recently, the organisation implemented an electronic fluid balance record to address a critical aspect of patient care.

Southern Cross Healthcare National Informatics Lead Wendy Matthews says if a patient’s fluid status is not accurately monitored, it can lead to serious complications like dehydration, fluid overload, or electrolyte imbalances.

Despite this, she says fluid balance recording has been done poorly all over the world.

“Research has shown that fluid monitoring is only done accurately in just over a third of cases with calculation errors accounting for at least a quarter of these inaccuracies because it’s normally done manually on a paper chart,” she says.

Matthews, a registered nurse with a strong background in clinical education, has overseen the rollout of the new system to 13 Southern Cross Hospitals since September this year.

Fluids are recorded at the bedside and the system automatically calculates the patient’s fluid balance in real time, making it easier for nurses and clinicians to track and respond to changes quickly. This reduces the risk of error, which is especially important in critical care situations.

“The electronic fluid balance record, along with other clinical data, allows for a comprehensive view of a patient’s status,’ Matthews says.

“It can be done at the same time as nurses check vital signs and can be accessed on mobile devices at the patient’s bedside.”

Southern Cross Healthcare focused heavily on training for clinical teams before rolling out the new system. An earlier implementation was halted last year to make improvements.

“It’s been a journey, but once our clinicians get familiar with the system, they’ve seen its benefits,” Matthews says.

“We heard from some clinicians who initially had doubts, and are now saying, ‘this is fantastic’. Once they see how it works in practice and the real-time data it provides, they’re on board.”

The fluid balance record is designed to be adaptable and scalable, so as new technologies and best practices emerge, the system can evolve.

Matthews, who started in the National Informatics Lead role earlier this year – after two decades as a nurse and nurse educator within Southern Cross hospitals in Christchurch and Auckland – is the interface between clinical staff and the digital technology team.

She works closely with a dedicated team of clinical informatics liaison staff, who help integrate new systems at each hospital.

Southern Cross Healthcare’s Head of Clinical and Patient Portfolio, John Ashley, says clinical feedback plays a pivotal role in shaping digital tools.

“We’ve had a lot of input from nurses, specialists, and doctors to make sure that the system is intuitive and truly meets their needs,” he says.

“This collaboration between the Southern Cross Healthcare clinical, and Orion Health technical teams is what makes our approach so effective in terms of creating systems that enhance the quality of patient care.”

Southern Cross Healthcare’s investment in digital healthcare is helping to create a more connected and streamlined system. All patient data is securely stored in an electronic patient record, which is accessible across its hospital network.

This means that if a patient returns to a Southern Cross hospital, their past records, including previous admissions and discharge summaries, are available in real-time.

“Previously, patient files were securely stored as physical files, and if a patient returned, it could take time to track down their information. Now, all of that data is available at the touch of a button,” says Ashley.

“We’re not just adopting new technology for the sake of it. We’re making sure that it truly enhances the way we care for our patients.”