3707 The impact of digital care records on the spread of the action falls programme in care homes

Abstract Background Falls are a leading cause of morbidity among older people living in care homes. The Action Falls programme includes a multicomponent falls risk assessment checklist and guidance on mitigating actions. It demonstrated a 43% reduction in falls in a clinical trial. Initially developed as a paper-based tool embedded within care plans, Action Falls faced limited adoption when adapted as a standalone digital version. Care homes indicated they could not implement digital checklists that operated outside their electronic care planning systems. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Digitising Social Care Programme (initiated in 2021) has rapidly expanded the use of digital care records. Adoption increased from 40% of providers in December 2021 to 72% by mid-2024. This study reports on implementation efforts within the FinCH Imp National Study to embed the Action Falls checklist into digital care record systems. Methods We engaged with care software providers, care homes, commissioners, and industry bodies to enable direct integration of the Action Falls checklist into digital care systems. A free, collaborative licensing model was offered to encourage adoption by software manufacturers. Results Over a three-year period, we approached four individual care software manufacturers and their national industry body representing over 52 companies. Two providers agreed in principle to adopt the checklist, though concerns about development costs and limited demand were noted as key barriers. Facilitators identified included potential mandates from professional bodies or Minimum Operational Data Standards, and market incentives such as competitive advantage. Discussion The digitisation of care records has introduced care software providers as new stakeholders in the implementation of evidence-based interventions into care homes. Navigating this landscape is complex due to the intersection of healthcare, social care, and private provision. Building sustained, collaborative partnerships is essential to embedding clinical evidence into digital systems and ensuring impact at scale in care homes.