Depensys and mCare: Decision Insights Version 2 – Step-by-step user guide
Decision Insights Version 2 gives you far more mCare data at your fingertips while you are assessing a resident’s dependency in DepenSys. It turns day-to-day care notes from mCare into clear trend charts in DepenSys and next to the needs questions you are scoring, helping you make more confident, evidence-based decisions.
This article walks you through Decision Insights V2 as if you are using it on screen.
1. Before you start
Prerequisite: mCare and DepenSys integration enabled
Decision Insights relies on resident and care-note data flowing from mCare into DepenSys. To use it:
To start using Decision Insights, you must first have the mCare to DepenSys ADT
integration enabled. Please raise a ticket with the Support team to enable this for
you.
Once the integration between mCare and DepenSys is enabled, the resident
information from mCare will link to any existing residents within DepenSys,
ensuring their care note data can be displayed within the needs
assessment.
When a resident has a matching record on mCare, DepenSys will notify theuser in the top right corner of the Resident Needs view with an alert message:
2. Open the resident’s needs assessment in DepenSys
Once the integration is live:
Log into DepenSys as usual.
Select the relevant home, then open the Residents list page.
Click the resident whose needs you want to review
Image: DepenSys resident list with the "Residents" and the “Click to edit this resident” button highlighted.
How this helps you
You are now in the core screen where dependency is scored. Decision Insights V2 will layer additional mCare context on top of this view without changing your existing workflow.
3. Confirm that the resident is linked to mCare
If the resident has a matching record in mCare, DepenSys will show a clear alert in the top right of the Resident Needs view:
“This resident is linked to mCare, use the Needs links (hyperlinks) below to aid your assessment.” (see image)
This simple banner reassures you that:
You are looking at a linked resident, and Decision Insights charts will be available where data exists, so your dependency assessment will be supported by real care-note history.
If you do not see this message, either:
The resident has not been set up in mCare, or
The integration and linking are not yet configured.
4. Spot which needs have Decision Insights charts
In the resident needs assessment, you will see the usual list of dependency needs grouped into categories such as Psychological, Emotional & Social Care, Physical Care, and Specific Care Interventions.
For any need where Decision Insights V2 has trend data from mCare the the Needs label appears in bold and it becomes a clickable hyperlink. (examples of bold hyperlinks in image below)
All needs can now display mCare information, this includes:
Key Care Factors
Daily one-to-one care hours
Daily additional skilled hours
Accompany out of home
Admission / transfer in
Discharge / transfer out
Psychological, Emotional & Social Care
Sensory / communication deficits
Impaired consciousness
Cognitive / Withdrawal
High psychological needs
Special family needs
Educational needs
Physical Care
Airway or breathing problems
Bed rest or living in bed
Mobility needs
Nutrition and fluid needs
Personal care needs
Incontinence or stoma care
Catheter or tube care
Specific Care Interventions
Infection Control Precautions
Intake / Output Monitoring
Tests / Procedures
Medication Supervision
Observation / Supervision
Through selecting the hyperlinks tou can immediately see which areas of the assessment are backed by mCare trend data, so you know where you can pull in extra evidence before setting a score.
5. Open a Decision Insights chart for a need
To view the data:
Click on any bold need label (for example “Mobility Needs” or “Personal Care Needs”).
A trend chart will pop up, showing relevant care-note activity for that need over roughly the last 90 days.
Each chart visualises:
How often the related care icons or sliders were used in mCare
Patterns over time, such as increases in support, episodes, or interventions
A timeframe that gives enough history to understand whether needs are stable, improving, or deteriorating
If there is no data for that resident in mCare for the selected need, you will see a clear alert such as:
How this helps you
You can now see the story behind the score. Instead of relying on memory or anecdote, you have concrete evidence of what has been happening day to day in mCare over the passed 90 days in relation to this care need for this resident.
6. Interpreting the charts – what each category shows
Decision Insights V2 maps specific mCare icons and sliders to each needs category. When you view a chart, you are seeing counts or trends based on how often those icons or sliders were used in care notes.
Reminder:
Decision Insights uses care notes recorded in mCare, where appropriate for each needs category.
It is designed to support, not replace, clinical judgement and other information sources such as assessments, care plans, discussions with staff and family, or paper records.