Canberra nurses accused of playing on their phones at work have fought back.
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Patients have been complaining that nurses are using their mobiles while they supposed to be at work, ACT Health said.
However, Canberra Health Services installed a new health record on November 12, meaning patient data is recorded on computer and mobile devices.
Health staff have access to communal handheld devices, which allow them to access and update patient data and text talk to each other.
"Unfortunately, we've heard some patients say staff are talking and playing on phones and not listening to them, but they're actually using the new devices," ACT Health said.
Canberra Hospital clinical nurse consultant Kate Gorel said real phones were only used occasionally within the hospital.
"We do use phones within the hospital for communicating with our managers and our doctors and things," she said.
"But the likelihood is that, if we're on a device and we look like we're texting.
"We're likely ... inputting your patient information into your patient file."
The new system is another step away from nurses having to wade through wads of papers covered in doctors' infamously messy handwriting.
"In the past, we had multiple online systems and multiple paper based systems that all of our patient records would be kept in," Ms Gorel said.
She said when one of her elderly patients was transferred from a rehab hospital, she could easily see the details of their stay.
"I knew everything that had been happening when the patient was there, when the patient was transferred back to us," Ms Gorel said.
"I knew everything, the whole backstory. I didn't just have bits of paper here and there, and it was all in one place. I could just find that information really easily. I didn't have to sift through pages and pages.
"It's great for patient safety."
The devices are also able to scan patients' wristbands, and use the same system as other devices like tablets and computers.
The digital health record documents all interactions between a resident and the ACT Health system.
This includes Canberra Hospital, Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, University Canberra Hospital, Community Health Centres, Walk-in-Centres in the ACT and Clare Holland House.
Information might include information from a heart-rate monitor, medications, theatre bookings or observations.
It does not record information from private health services.
Public patients cannot op-out of the system, but can choose whether information is shared with a GP or private specialist.
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Canberra Health Services said most of the information put onto the system was already being collected on paper or older information technology systems.
They said the software is also used at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Women's Hospital.
"Planning and development for [the digital health records] has been more than six years in the making and has included thousands of hours of security checking and testing," ACT Health said.
"Multiple security controls and auditing mechanisms are in place to ensure that patient records are secure and can only accessed by authorised personnel."
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