The storm that was delayed: worsening of a diabetes process-of-care measurement during COVID-19

What is it about?

A gradual deterioration in accurate patient identifier entry was observed following the introduction of a hospital-wide networked blood glucose monitoring system, which was exacerbated following the onset of COVID-19, despite the relatively low number of COVID-19 cases in the hospital. Once negatively affected, accurate patient identifier entry did not recover to pre-COVID-19 levels and remained impaired at the end of the study period.

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Photo by Matt Chesin on Unsplash

Photo by Matt Chesin on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Accurate entry of patient identifiers for glucose meters is a relatively new but important process of care in Australian hospitals. In the absence of ongoing reinforcement and training, adherence to hospital processes of care, including those related to diabetes, may deteriorate.