In the world of mental health care, the Sørlandet District Psychiatric Center at Sørlandet Hospital has reason to celebrate. Their contribution to the CheckWare platform has helped reach a remarkable milestone of 8 million measures completed. Gro Merete Grønvold Eilertsen, a Clinical Neuropsychology Specialist at the Clinic for Mental Health, Sørlandet Hospital, couldn't be happier about this achievement.
"Reaching the 8 million mark is incredibly exciting for us, given our history and how long we've been striving to implement this system," says Eilertsen.
The journey towards this milestone began in 2016 when the Clinic for Mental Health at Sørlandet Hospital first contemplated collaborating with CheckWare. However, it wasn't until the fall of 2019 that they initiated a pilot project. Ironically, the day Norway went into lockdown in 2020 was the day they had planned to hold the kickoff meeting for the main project involving remote patient monitoring, with CheckWare as a key component. Instead, the clinic shifted gears and implemented video consultations.
"We embarked on this project just as the pandemic hit, which gave us a significant push," explains Gro Merete Grønvold Eilertsen, who serves as a clinical advisor in the clinic director's office at the Clinic for Mental Health, specializing in psychiatry and addiction treatment.
Over the years, she has been deeply involved in digitizing healthcare services and has led "Remote Monitoring II," a project that oversees the implementation of eMestring, CheckWare, and the use of video conferencing in therapy.
"It's important that we have fun with what we do. That's what makes CheckWare work. We've had many clinicians and administrative staff who found this enjoyable, recognized the possibilities, and embraced the program when presented with it. It creates so many positive ripple effects when enthusiasm drives something both useful and inspiring," she adds.
Celebrating CheckWare's Impact
In the current year alone, Sørlandet Hospital has sent out 51,000 measures to their patients. The eight-millionth measure from CheckWare was issued by the hospital on May 4th this year. A month later, the District Psychiatric Center (DPS) Solvang, a specialist mental health service for residents over 18 in Vest-Agder, received a celebratory cake.
Gro Merete Grønvold Eilertsen attributes their success to the invaluable support from their internal team, especially from Bjørg Lindevik and the administrative unit.
"The engagement with CheckWare forms largely because we have an exciting program to present to people. I've liked the tool from day one, which makes it easier to present it effectively," says Bjørg Lindevik.
Since 1999, she has worked in the administrative unit at the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ABUP) at Sørlandet Hospital. Since 2020, Lindevik has held a position as a consultant at ABUP, including a role as the clinic's system administrator in the project related to CheckWare implementation at the Clinic for Mental Health (KPH).
"I'm extremely satisfied with CheckWare's support. We have excellent communication, both in terms of support, with our customer contact, and with the developers. We receive quick feedback, engage in open dialogues, and collaborate seamlessly. I appreciate that it's not overly technical jargon, making it accessible even for someone like me, who's over 50 and doesn't have an IT background. That, I find, is excellent!" Lindevik enthuses.
Simplicity and Effective Communication
The adoption of CheckWare's measures solutions continues to accelerate. They reached the seven-million mark in October last year, an increase of one million measures in just eight months. A cake was sent to Kronstad DPS in Bergen to celebrate this milestone.
Lindevik believes that using straightforward language is a key ingredient in their recipe for success. It lays the foundation for a productive dialogue between the customer and the provider.
"CheckWare's solution is user-friendly and presented in simple language. This makes it easier for us to have a constructive dialogue. I greatly appreciate that it's not filled with IT jargon, whether we're collaborating on product development or receiving support feedback from CheckWare. It ensures that even I, having crossed the age of 50 without an IT education, can quickly grasp it. I find that to be very beneficial!" Lindevik concludes.
In the world of mental health care, CheckWare's user-friendly approach is helping clinics like Sørlandet DPS make significant strides in patient care and assessment. With a commitment to simplicity and effective communication, they're not just reaching milestones; they're changing the game for the better.