Flagging of needs
Electronic and paper records of communication and support needs must be made ‘highly visible’ to relevant staff and professionals. ’Highly visible’ means:
- Obvious and overtly apparent
- Visible on the cover, title and / or ‘front page’ of a document, file or electronic record
- Visible on every page of an electronic record (for example as an alert, flag or banner)
- Highlighted in in some way on a paper record so as to draw attention to the information as being of particular importance using larger or bolder fonts, or different colours
If a patients’ notes, file or record has multiple volumes, these support needs must be visible on the front cover and/or front page of every volume.
Information or communication support needs data must be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, updated by staff. The purpose is two-fold; firstly, to identify whether service user’s needs have changed (such as in the level of sensory loss); and secondly, to identify whether the most appropriate method used to meet those needs has changed (through technology advances or in the service user’s access to technology). For example a person with some visual loss may initially request information in large print, but in future request information through email or audio format.