In Japan, efforts are currently underway to introduce a variety of cutting-edge technologies in the field of nursing care. One notable pioneer in this area is Akita Sousei Management, which operates nursing care facilities in Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region. In Part 1 of this article, we interviewed Seiichi Awano, president of Akita Sousei Management, about the catalyst for his introduction of ICT tools as well as the effects of such tools.
Seiichi Awano
President of Akita Sousei Management Co. He is currently operating three corporations and five offices in Akita Prefecture. In recent years, he has attracted attention from all across Japan as a model for the employment of foreign human resources, and he has spoken an numerous seminars and other events.
Akita Sousei Management
Promotion of Digitalization
https://rin-sousei.com/forthefuture/digital
Contents:
From handwritten records to iPads
Having worked in a nursing care facility myself, I have often thought about operational efficiency. I predicted that care records, which were mostly written by hand, would be digitized in the future, so I introduced iPads 10 years ago. At that time, the entire staff shared three iPads and PCs.
At that time, all our staff members were Japanese. Many of them were in their forties, and some were perplexed by the introduction of ICT tools. Akita is a conservative regional city; perhaps it was still too early to use iPads for work duties. Nevertheless, most of our staff members were able to use them by the third month of their introduction. However, there were also some who resigned becayse they were unable to get used to the new tools.
After we stopped writing records by hand, we realized that our care records became easier to read. The government regularly conducts administrative operational guidance for nursing care facilities, and care records are checked without fail during these guidance sessions. With handwritten records, it took a lot of time to find the necessary information recorded on numerous pieces of paper. With iPads, however, it is possible to search for keywords. This made it possible for us to quickly retrieve information on events that occurred on specific dates and times, and we were able to complete administrative operational guidance that used to take a whole day in half a day. The introduction of iPads made it easy for us to find information and prepare documents, and it has improved our operational efficiency.
Reducing everyone’s burdens with monitoring robots
Four years ago, we applied for a grant and brought in monitoring robots. Vital sensors installed under the bed mats of our patients, allow us to monitor their condition, including their heart rate. Before, we used to make regularly-scheduled patrols every night. Every time we went to check if our patients were awake or asleep, we would turn on the lights in their rooms, which interfered with their sleep. Now, we can monitor our patients’ conditions using vital sensors, so there is no longer any need for late-night patrols. The burden on both patients and staff members has been eliminated. Robot technology in nursing care is advancing with every year, and I hope that subsidies and other formst of support will be effectively utilized to promote the introduction of this technology at more and more facilities across the country.
We are often said to be a leading example when it comes to adopting technologies, but we did so because we needed to streamline our operations due to a shortage of staff. Our digitization has been well-received bty our younger staff members, and has even helped bring in new recruits.
Foreign staff members from Indonesia also used a variety of tools as they work. The centerpiece of these tools is LINE WORKS. It is equipped with a translation function, and displays Indonesian text below Hapanese text, making it easy and convenient to communicate with them about details of shift handovers on a daily basis.
When it comes to handwriting, messy handwritten Japanese can be difficult to read even for Japanese people, and this is doubly true for foreign staff members. I believe that ICT is an important tool for facilitating communication and cultivating interpersonal relationships in nursing care facilities. Nursing care cannot continue with the same old values. We are working to redesign nursing care by fundamentally transforming both the nature of care work at nursing care facilities and people’s awareness.
People from all over the country come to visit our office. There are more and more people who are interested not only in how to utilize technology, but also in seeing our foreign staff members at work. They are surprised to learn that our Indonesian staff members are able to speak fluently in the Akita dialect. This is of course not only because of our use of ICT tools, but also because our staff members communicate with our patients on a daily basis as well as study on their own.
(continued in Part 2)
