Healthcare Service Improvement

[Munchkin98]

Hello there,

I'm a third year BSc radiography student producing a poster for an assignment. It is to go on display outside X-Ray, CT and MRI rooms requesting that those caring for significantly cognitively-impaired patients, especially from care homes, inform us of anything that may be useful during the examination. This could include how the patient prefers to be addressed, how they best communicate and whether they exhibit any behaviours we should be aware of. The implications of this knowledge could reduce time in distress, sub-optimal imaging and increase staff safety.

If anyone on this forum could provide me with anything else they feel is useful for staff to know about the patient they're accompanying, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[nae sporran]

Welcome to the forum @Munchkin98. It is a noble aim, but the booklet patients are usually given on wards https://www.gwh.nhs.uk/media/134048/this_is_me.pdf has I think most of the questions you need to ask.

 

[Spamar]

Actually get the staff to follow what you have written. I was in hospital last year and amongst the other info on the wall next to the bed was your name and the name you wanted to be known by. I always use a shortened form of my name. The last ward I was in nobody, but nobody used my preferred name. I spoke to one or two individual nurses. On my last day I let rip, and everyone got the message!

 

[nitram]

Asking the staff to read through http://www.ocagingservicescollabora...te-Communication-with-the-Memory-Impaired.pdf might also be useful.

 

[canary]

What a good idea. In my experience, no one looks at the "this is me" booklet very much and a large poster outside the X ray department might focus minds to think about dementia.