Galway Bay fm newsroom:
A medical consultant at University Hospital Galway has developed a new smartphone app which will allow healthcare students undertake their clinical placement through the pandemic.
The 'Clinical Pass' app, created by Professor Derek O'Keefe, will ask healthcare students a series of questions every morning before they attend their placement, about how they're feeling, if they have traveled in recent days or if they've been in close contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19.
If students answer the questions satisfactorily, they will be issued a digital green badge which they will present to their supervisor before entering the clinic.
If any issue is identified while answering the questions, students will be issued a red badge and they will not be allowed partake in their clinical placement.
The aim of the app is to allow students to complete their clinical placement, which is essential in their healthcare training, while also protecting patients and staff from Covid-19.
The app has become mandatory for all healthcare students at NUIG undertaking clinical placement at Saolta Hospitals, which comprise UHG, Merlin Park, Portiuncla Hospital, and Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Letterkenny University Hospitals.
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