Problem-solving in inpatient mental healthcare: The role of digital observations

Inpatient mental healthcare providers are grappling with a growing set of challenges. Increasing patient numbers and acuity, combined with ongoing staffing shortages, is placing significant strain on services.

While many industries, including physical healthcare, have adopted cutting-edge digital tools to help with everyday tasks, mental health hospitals often still rely on administration-heavy, manual processes that are burdensome for staff and limit the time they can devote to direct patient care.

Identifying the right problems to solve

The most impactful technologies aren’t simply the most advanced – they’re the ones that address real, pressing issues. And the most effective solutions arise when they are co-produced with the people who understand the problems the best.

Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust knew that their paper-based observation practices could no longer serve their evolving demands. They approached Oxehealth with a clear set of challenges and collaborated to develop a digital solution that could better meet the needs of both patients and staff.

Below, we explore three key problems this innovation is helping to solve.

“I think it’s the single biggest positive change in our service that I’ve seen. That’s the impact it’s had.” – clinical lead, EPUT

Problem 1: Paper observations are inefficient

Traditional paper-based observations are clunky and time-consuming. Clinical staff spend valuable time filling out forms, which admin staff must then manually process. Switching to digital observations makes recording patient notes quicker and easier, enabling staff to focus on patients and have more meaningful interactions with them.

“It’s so much easier to be taking around a tablet with you on your obs rather than a clipboard, with loads of bits of paper on.” – senior healthcare assistant, EPUT

Problem 2: Paper observations hinder effective data collection

Observations in mental healthcare are designed to do more than ensure a patient’s immediate safety; they’re intended to reduce risks and support recovery. However, paper-based methods make it difficult to capture, organise, and retrieve useful data. A patient on 15-minute observations may undergo nearly 100 checks a day, yet the insights gathered are fragmented and rarely offer a full picture of their wellbeing.

Digital observations facilitate the collection of richer data, giving clinicians a more holistic and comprehensive view of a patient’s condition. This can inform interactions, help staff spot early signs of deterioration and support personalised care planning.

“While we are still encouraging a written commentary in the observation comments, staff can also add these rapid-fire presentation answers and cover a lot more information about the patient’s condition at a time of an observation.”– Oxevision system manager, EPUT

Problem 3: Paper observations make it harder to track adherence

Ensuring care is delivered as intended is critical in all healthcare settings. Despite the best efforts of staff, manual observation methods can lead to errors, omissions, and delays. Paper records are also more prone to retrospective completion if staff miss checks.

Digital observations provide a more reliable solution by automating key aspects of the process. The technology helps guarantee checks are completed on time and data is accurately recorded. And audits are easier, giving management confidence that care is compliant with established protocols.

“It gives confidence that people are being checked when we say they have been checked, as paper observation records can be inaccurate, and they can be written retrospectively.”– clinical lead, EPUT

A transformative solution for inpatient mental healthcare

The co-produced digital observations tool has been deployed across all mental health wards at EPUT, as part of a wider care transformation initiative within the trust, and it continues to help staff solve some of their most critical day-to-day problems.

A recent evaluation showed that more than nine in 10 staff find the tool easy to use, and eight in 10 report improvements in protocol adherence, observation quality, and the overall care standards.