Nurse and PhD student in the research project Bridging Safe Elderly Care, Matilde Skødstrup Axelsen had her baptism of fire at this year’s Folkemøde on Bornholm, where she debated under the topic: From silo to collaboration – How do we make transitions at hospitals safe for older patients?
The debate panel also included Ricco Norman Dyhr, hospital director at Zealand University Hospital, and Katrine Kirk, patient ambassador at Danish Society for Patient Safety. The tent was well attended by inquisitive citizens, who shaped the direction of the debate.
The debate was based on the research project, which develops a prototype of an AI-powered information site, that will ensure that key information automatically follows the patient – regardless of department or hospital.
In her PhD project, Matilde has followed communication between staff and patients and uncovered how documentation is handled. Transitions between departments and hospitals are an overlooked point of risk in patient care – especially for the elderly. Information can be lost, patients become uncertain, and staff have difficulty forming a quick overview.
Matilde started with an observation that there is an intense focus on transitions OUT of the hospital, while there is a need to improve transitions WITHIN the hospitals – and between them. Ricco Norman Dyhr agreed:
💬“We are not good enough and there is huge potential for improvement. We must ensure that the patient is better helped going forward, when treatment across cannot be avoided.” And Katrine Kirk added that the patient is often the bearer of information – and that the uncertainty is great. Medical records can be hard to assess for health care workers, and time is running short. Important information can be overlooked.
AI was also brought up and Ricco Norman Dyhr sees great potential in the technology, pointing out that it can contribute to efficiency in the daily workflow in clinics. Matilde emphasized that not all patients experience transfers as a challenge. “Therefore, it is important that we also to learn something from the good experiences.”
👉 Conclusion: Certainty in transitions calls for better collaboration, sharing information in smarter ways and support from technology. The patient must never bear the responsibility alone. Bridging Safe Elderly Care takes the first steps towards solutions that work in practice.