Gold Award in High Tech/High Touch goes to Abramson Center for Jewish Life

The Polisher Researcher Institute of the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life developed a new tool called the Match-Quality Indicator in order to help residents maximize their activities based on preferences. The project won it the Gold Award in the High Tech/High Touch category of the McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards.

Match-QI “really reflects the collaborative research at its best,” said Kimberly Van Haitsma, Ph.D., vice president of the institute. “It reflects everyone’s voice.”

The system uses an Access database system to generate color-coded graphic reports of whether individual preferences are being met. The resident is asked to rank the level of importance of recreational activites in an assessment, and if he or she has participated in the desired activity more than twice a month, the display is green. The system helps staff create better care plans; it piloted Match-QI with 205 residents, Haitsma explained. The results showed that residents attended 30 activites on average per month, and 80% of them were ranked “important” or “somewhat important.”

The program “has revolutionized our ability to meet resident preferences in tangible ways –— from a totally personal perspective, a household perspective, and a total community perspective,” said Valerie Palmieri, the COO at the Abramson Center. The center is in North Wales, PA.

Katy Abbott, Ph.D., who was a former senior research scientist with the Polisher Research Institute before becoming an assistant professor of gerontology at Miami University of Ohio, said that it was rewarding to be involved in research conducted in an applied setting.

“Thanks to provider input, we are currently developing an app that will make this program accessible to providers via tablet, phone or laptop,” she said. “Creating meaningful solutions to ‘real-world’ issues makes it difficult for me to call this ‘work.’”

Abramson has recently partnered with Penn State’s College of Nursing with plans on making it more widely available, Van Haitsma said.

“We want to take this technology and roll it out,” she said.

The Silver Award went to Signature HealthCARE for its use of Smart Bed Technology made by Goodmark Medical and BAM Labs. The company also received a Certificate of Merit award in the Dignity category for this project.

Residences at Wingate in Massachusetts won Bronze for its use of interactive digital signage, which has helped residents stay connected to activities and services offered.

Certificates of Merit were awarded to Kentwood Manor in Louisiana for its use of RosieConnect in taking vital signs and increasing staff time with residents, and to the Chelsea Retirement Community in Michigan for starting an iPad class for residents, which has included teaching them how to use Face-Time.

The winners in each of the Tech Awards’ five categories were announced in McKnight’s Daily Update this week.

Quality – Monday

Innovator – Tuesday

Transitions – Wednesday

Dignity – Thursday