Bolton Clarke

The team worked with nurses, managers and governance and quality staff to review the dashboard, validate the information it displayed, and understand what would make it useful in everyday practice. These co-design groups were run both face to face and online. Staff tested the dashboard, gave feedback on what information was most helpful for their role, identified opportunities for improvement, and helped shape how the dashboard would be introduced and used across the organisation. Project staff used this feedback to refine the dashboard, improve reports and visualisations, and develop communication and support resources. Participants reviewed updated versions throughout the project to ensure the dashboard remained relevant, practical and aligned with workforce needs. 

Three facilitated face-to-face co-design sessions with field staff nurses, two online with clinical managers and quality managers, and an additional session with wound specialists informed dashboard refinement, communication approaches and implementation planning Wound specialists also verified that the information presented aligned with best practice requirements for venous leg ulcers care. 

Staff were asked to rate how easy the dashboard was to use and how helpful they found it using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. We also listened to their feedback through group discussions to understand what worked well and what would help people use the dashboard in their day-to-day work.  

• Development of a dashboard that is usable, acceptable and aligned to practice. 
  Staff reports and TAM evaluation noted that the dashboard:  
• is intuitive after a short familiarisation period  
• provides a clear overview of care gaps and priorities  
• supports planning and follow-up in day-to-day care  
• improves reporting  
• identifies areas for celebration  
• supports role specific requirements by providing focused pages on visualisations that are important to them, and  

• had strong acceptability and usefulness in current workflows  

High engagement and ownership through co-design:  

• Staff described the process as:  
• “Interactive, supportive, and inclusive”  
• a space where their input was heard and acted on  
• Field staff moved from initial scepticism to:  
• actively sharing the dashboard with peers  
• demonstrating use in team meetings  
• promoting uptake within their teams  
• Feedback also showed that staff valued being involved in the design process and felt more confident using the tool because their views had been listened to.  

This shows that co-design led to real ownership and early adoption behaviours, not just feedback.

A clear implementation model for safe rollout:  

The project developed a practical rollout approach, including:  

• peer-led communication (rather than email)  
• short “how I use it” videos  
• local champions (Care Managers or senior nurses)  
• embedding use into existing meetings and workflows  
• simple visual guides (Quick Reference Guides) instead of manuals  

A Positive Data Culture Framework:  

The project developed a framework in staff language that ensures data is:  

• safe to use (non-punitive)  
• clearly explained  
• relevant to care  
• embedded into everyday practice  

This directly addressed staff concerns about dashboards being used for monitoring or judgement. Together, these outcomes demonstrate that the dashboard is being used as a learning and support tool, not as a compliance or monitoring mechanism.

Future work will focus on:  

• staged expansion of the dashboard to additional teams  
• embedding use into business-as-usual practice  
• ongoing, light-touch evaluation focused on learning and improvement rather than compliance and  
• applying the same co-design and data-culture approach to other areas of care.  

The project leaves a lasting legacy—not just a dashboard, but a tested approach for using everyday data in aged care in a way that is safe, meaningful, and supports better outcomes for both staff and clients. 

For older people receiving care, this project matters because better use of information can support earlier action, better planning and more consistent care for people living with venous leg ulcer wounds that are often painful and slow to heal. For staff, it shows that data can be used in a way that is practical, supportive and focused on improving care.  

The project also shows that new tools work best when the people using them help design them. Co-design increases engagement builds confidence and improves usability. Communication is critical. How a dashboard is introduced matters just as much as what it does. This approach could be used in other areas of aged care, not just venous leg ulcer care.  

The team learned that technology on its own does not improve care. People are more likely to use a new tool when they understand why it is needed, feel safe using it, and can see that it is relevant to their everyday work.  

The project also showed that engagement of staff was reliant on psychological safety, using clear language, and ensuring that feedback led to real change. Barriers to engagement included workload pressures, staff confidence with technology and past experiences with co-design. These all affect whether a new dashboard is accepted and used well.