An open-door psychiatry project from Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (HUGTiP), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) and Qualud has led to the creation of RutiSafeNet, an innovative risk monitoring tool for patients with acute mental disorders. This solution, which uses a touchscreen interface, enables nursing staff to visualise and analyse data in real time, facilitating quick and well-informed decisions to enhance safety.

One of the main challenges in mental health hospitalisation is ensuring a safe and respectful environment for patients. With this goal in mind, several hospitals in Spain are shifting towards an open-door model, moving away from the traditional closed-unit approach for patients with acute mental disorders. This new, more therapeutic and human-rights-aligned model has been successfully implemented in other countries and is emerging as a viable alternative.

At Can Ruti, a multidisciplinary team from HUGTiP's Psychiatry Department and IGTP's Psychiatry and Mental Health Research Group, in collaboration with the company Qualud, has launched the OpenDoors project, funded by a JMC Legacy Research Fund grant from HUGTiP. The team has developed a monitoring tool, RutiSafeNet, designed to reduce the risk of incidents, improve healthcare quality through continuous risk assessment, and adapt resources to meet individual patient needs.

The tool integrates a touchscreen system with Qualud's software, providing continuous risk monitoring for mental health patients who may engage in high-risk behaviours such as suicide, aggression, or absconding, enabling early intervention. Additionally, it allows workload assessment for nursing staff, optimising resource allocation and improving the experience of both patients and healthcare teams.

This pioneering solution aims to address the lack of objective methods for identifying challenging behaviours in psychiatric patients, reducing human bias in risk assessments and ensuring the safety of both patients and staff. Through systematic real-time evaluations, the system facilitates data collection for further analysis and continuous improvement initiatives.

Dr Jorge Cuevas Esteban, head of the Adult Psychiatry Department at HUGTiP and IGTP researcher, states that his team aims to "break down barriers and foster recovery in an environment where safety and shared decision-making can coexist, eliminating the stigma associated with psychiatric hospitalisation". He further adds that "the software provides a fast and accurate risk assessment, allowing professionals to focus on delivering better patient care".

This software, developed at Can Ruti, will be available for implementation in other hospitals thanks to a commercialisation agreement between IGTP and Qualud.

This development is part of the open-door hospitalisation model implemented in HUGTiP’s Psychiatry Unit, which has been recognised with the prestigious Avedis Donabedian Award for excellence in mental health care. This pioneering model, a reference in Catalonia, prioritises patient rights, enhancing both the quality of care and the overall patient experience during hospitalisation.

About Qualud

Qualud is a digital agency dedicated to driving the digital transformation of the healthcare sector by developing digital solutions designed to efficiently address health challenges. Its team works closely with users and patients to understand their needs and co-design validated solutions that are user-friendly and clinically effective.