N!CA - Digitalisation of Innovative Care Processes to Unburden and Empower Nurses
Funding: COMET Project
Duration: 2024 - 2027
Project team UMIT TIROL: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elske Ammenwerth, Elisavetta Beeck, Jessica Ferreira da Silva Marquest
Cooperation partner: Medizinische Universität Graz (Koordination), Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft, FH Oberösterreich, Universität Wien, decide Clinical Software GmbH, Gepflegt Wohnen GmbH, ilvi GmbH, KAGES, Predicting Health GmbH, Vetterli Roth AG
Das COMET Projekt N!CA wird im Rahmen von COMET Competence
Centers for Excellent Technologies durch BMK, BMAW, SFG und Land
Steiermark gefördert. COMET wird durch die FFG abgewickelt.
20.6.24 Pressegespräch zum N!CA-Start (in German)
Webseite des N!CA-Projekts (medunigraz.at)
Background
The persistent shortage of nursing professionals poses major challenges for healthcare organizations. At the same time, complex care processes, documentation requirements, and fragmented information flows create additional workload. Digital technologies can help simplify nursing processes, improve access to relevant information, and support nurses in clinical and organizational tasks.
Objective
N!CA (“Nursing – Innovation, Collaboration and Automation”) aims to reduce the workload of nurses through optimized processes and the targeted use of digital solutions, while at the same time strengthening their professional scope of action. To achieve this, nursing workflows are to be simplified, information flows improved, and innovative digital support solutions developed. Particular emphasis is placed on solutions that are expected to provide measurable benefits for nurses and patients and that can be integrated into existing care structures.
Methods
Within the project, work processes in acute and long-term care were systematically analyzed together with nurses and other stakeholders. Methods included observations, interviews, focus groups, as well as participatory design and Lean Management approaches. Based on the identified challenges, four central use cases were selected for further development.
For each use case, a logic model was developed linking the respective initial problems, required resources, planned activities, and expected short- and long-term outcomes. Based on these models, specific organizational and technical innovations were derived and assessed in terms of their expected benefit potential, required effort, and acceptability. In parallel, requirements for the structured and cross-sectoral use of routine data as well as legal conditions for new digital solutions were investigated.
Results and Current Project Status
The process analyses identified relevant potential for improvement, particularly in nursing handovers, discharge management, and information and documentation processes. Concrete innovation approaches were developed for the prioritized use cases. These include more structured digital handover processes, digital support for discharge and self-management, and solutions aimed at improving the availability of decision-relevant information for nurses.
The developed logic models systematically describe the assumed causal relationships between identified problems, planned interventions, and expected effects on workflows, information quality, and nurses’ workload. Based on these models, the proposed innovations were assessed and further developed into site- and context-specific intervention packages.
In parallel, the foundation for standardized, cross-sectoral use of routine data was established. This data basis is intended to support further analyses and AI-based models. Legal analyses addressing data protection, liability, and documentation requirements accompany the development of the new processes and digital solutions.
As a next step, the prioritized innovations will be translated into concrete action plans for the participating institutions and further examined with regard to their feasibility and impact.