{
  "abstract": "Background A tool was created to explore the dependency and occupancy levels of patients in a hospice in-patient unit.Aims This new tool was developed to inform the skill mix and sufficient staffing levels in place to meet needs of hospice patients. The aim was to observe how dependency and occupancy levels fluctuate over time, helping recognise additional factors that affect the hospice environment that may impact patient safety and care.Methods The dependency tool was completed on each shift, occupancy levels noted and the dependency of each patient categorised based on how they scored in areas of care, such as mobility, elimination needs and cognition. Additional factors that impacted patients’ care such as complex wound dressings and emergency admissions were also recorded.Results Data was collected for a six month period, capturing periods of either of low, medium or high dependency clearly and quickly. Calculating percentages of patients falling into each dependency category based on occupancy levels provided meaningful statistics for staff to understand and aid staffing decision making. At times of full/high occupancy levels, the tool helped explore what the patients’ needs were and support staffing increases with the appropriate skill mix to ensure the patients’ safety and care needs could be met.Conclusion This new, hospice devised tool is now embedded in daily practice and is informing decision making around staffing to ensure skill mix and numbers are appropriate to give the best care to patients based accurately on their dependency. The tool has encouraged a greater insight into occupancy and dependency, moving away from terms such as ‘busy’ to be replaced with meaningful language such as ‘the occupancy is at 6, with 4 of the patients being high dependency’. This allows for a better understanding of service demands and care delivery.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St Luke’s Hospice, Basildon, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Jenny Bacon"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St Luke’s Hospice, Basildon, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Karen Comerford"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St Luke’s Hospice, Basildon, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Clare McGuire"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P-78 From insight to impact: an innovative tool designed to monitor patient dependency levels",
  "uid": "20112dc2-4808-5bc7-b6b4-e8d5351854df"
}