What Matters to Me

Background

The National Dementia Strategy states that patients with dementia should receive individualised care tailored to their preferences and needs. With an ageing population, where approximately two-thirds of hospital beds are occupied by patients over 65, the number of inpatients with dementia is increasing. Slow patient flow throughout the hospital often results in these patients remaining on busy medical wards for extended periods, posing challenges in the provision of patient centred care. “What Matters to Me” (WMTM) documents are provided to patients and their families to record their care preferences and assist staff in providing personalised care. However, poor compliance with their use limits their impact.

Aim

To increase the proportion of patients with dementia who have a completed “What Matters to Me” document in their paper and electronic notes to 60%.

Methods

We conducted two PDSA cycles. In the first cycle, visual aids were created and distributed to doctors, nurses and therapists to clarify their roles in supporting patients and families to complete the document. Following a reaudit we implemented a tick-box on our electronic handover system titled “What Matters to Me Needed?”. This helped the team identify patients who required this document.

Results

Our pre-intervention audit revealed 35% of eligible patients had a completed WMTM document in their bedside folder and only 1% had it uploaded to electronic notes. After the first PDSA cycle, compliance increased to 44.9% in paper notes and 26.53% in electronic records. Data collection for the second cycle is ongoing but will be completed by the end of March 2025.

Conclusion
Targeted posters and educational interventions improved compliance, especially with electronic documentation. Further improvements are needed to enhance and sustain uptake. Future work could assess staff engagement with WMTM documentation and its impact on patient care.