New tablet app for safe use of medicines

A new app for tablet devices has gone on the market this week to give aged care workers instant access to correct and safe information on crushing and dissolving medications for aged care residents with swallowing difficulties.

Monday’s launch of MedeCrush for Apple and Android tablets comes two months after the release of a smartphone version of the app from education providers MedeHealth, which specialises in online learning materials on safe use of medicines for the residential aged care sector.

Users can search for a medication by its generic or brand name within the app, which doesn’t require an internet connection to function. A tick or cross indicates whether the drug can be safely crushed or dissolved and if not, an alternative medication, such as a liquid variation, is offered where applicable.

Preparation instructions for administration through a PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) feeding tube and alerts for drugs that require special handling are also provided.

MedeHealth business development manager Simon Rowe said health workers would have to sift through a number of text books to get the same information as provided in the app.

“Most nursing homes are starting to move towards tablets and iPads on their medication carts they use during management rounds so the key thing for us was to develop something that gave them instant access to information on crushing medicines,” Mr Rowe said.

“With once glance you can see a tick or a cross and you know whether you can or can’t crush or dissolve the drug.”

Mr Rowe said while aged care staff were crushing medicines daily for the high number of residents with dysphagia, or swallowing difficulties, a lot of tablets were being crushed that shouldn’t be.

“We are providing information on how to crush or dissolve medications safely and correctly because the facts are out there that people are doing the wrong thing every single day and either exposing the resident to harm or exposing themselves to harm,” Mr Rowe said.

The information contained in the app is clear, evidence-based, and regularly updated by a pharmacist consultant, which ensures its current, he said.

The app is available through the iTunes and Google play store for $19.99. MedeCrush is also available as a web-based application from MedeHealth.

Online training platform

Also in MedHealth’s suite of products is an online education platform tailored specifically for aged care, which allows managers of aged care facilities to run a structured education program.

Education modules cover the quality and safe use of medicines plus other topics relevant to aged care including wound management and infection control.

The product includes a pre-assessment and post-assessment in order to show a clear growth of knowledge for each topic and nurses can earn continuing nursing education points as the education is endorsed by the Australian College of Nursing, Mr Rowe said.

Managers can allocate learning modules to staff automatically by email, monitor staff progress and use the reporting tools to print off reports and staff can do the training on any internet-enabled device, he said.

Later this month MedeHealth will launch a new training category that covers all the mandatory training requirements such as elder abuse, manual handling, cultural diversity and other things for the workplace, Mr Rowe said.