[A web information system for enhancing management and improving special care services provided to dependent persons].
OBJECTIVE
Ensuring the quality of services provided in centres where dependent persons are seen by specialist services, by improving and enhancing how information -salary, control of tasks, patients' records, etc.- is shared between staff and carers. A web information system has been developed and experimentally deployed to accomplish this.


METHODS
The accuracy of the system was evaluated by assessing how confident the employees were with it rather than relying on statistical data. It was experimentally deployed since January 2009 in Asociación de Personas con Discapacidad "El Saliente" that manages several day centres in Almeria, for dependent persons over 65 years old, particularly those affected by Alzheimer' disease. Incidence data was collected during the experimental period.


RESULTS
A total of 84% of the employees thought that the system helped to manage documents, administrative duties, etc., and 92.4% said they could attend to really important tasks because the system was responsible for alerting them of every task, such as medication timetables, checking all patients were present (to prevent an Alzheimer affected person leaving the centre) etc. During this period the incidences reported were reduced by about a 30%, although data is still partially representative.


CONCLUSIONS
As the life expectancy of the population gets longer, these centres will increase. Providing systems such as the one presented here would be of great help for administrative duties (sensitive data protection...) as well as ensuring high quality care and attention.
Alvarez-Bermejo
J A
JA
Departamento de Arquitectura de Computadores y Electrónica, Universidad de Almería, Almería, España. jaberme@ual.es
Hernández-Capel
D M
DM
Belmonte-Ureña
L J
LJ
Roca-Piera
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D020407:Internet; D011787:Quality of Health Care