As EMR systems gain population in the industry, there will be many different applications available for use in an effort to manipulate all of the data collected. The systems are platforms for many different applications that can drive the industry to interoperability. Each “healthcare worker” has something different that they are focused on tracking, whether it is a mobile asset, compliance by healthcare workers or patient vitals.
According to an article published this week in Healthcare IT News, healthcare technologies have the potential to transform the industry. Lisa Suennen, a managing member at Psilos Group stated, “EMRs are becoming a commodity, but putting applications on top of EMRs to deliver usable data creates value.” Suennen also mentioned that another area with growth opportunity is patient safety.
RFID and RTLS technologies have the ability to seamlessly integrate with EMRs. What are the benefits that come from implementing RFID and RTLS solutions into EMRs?
·Eliminate the need to manually enter data – by eliminating manual entry an organization will improve work flow, minimizing human error therefore minimizing costs.
·Improving Patient Safety – Tracking compliance of hand-hygiene as well as OR/ED patient tracking and medication tracking.
The more activities that can be tagged and tracked on a sensory network provide an opportunity to manipulate additional data and additional input without additional manual entry. With real-time updates each staff member will have the ability to gain visibility geared toward their own interests within the organization, from wheel chairs to IV pumps.With this we can work to improve care, reduce costs and minimize risks.
According to the study, My five moments for hand hygiene by Dr. Didier Pittet and his colleagues, healthcare workers do not perform proper hand hygiene practices throughout their workday. This inferior quality of care has been a challenge to infection control management for many years. How can we change the culture of hand hygiene and improve patient safety and quality of care?
With any good study comes a great method of observation. Through the use of technology, not only can we record activity, we can attempt to prevent unsafe practices, educate real time and modify behavior. With the implementation of a hand hygiene compliance (HHC) solution, hospitals and other healthcare organizations can have the ability to capture all events and anticipate all situations in regards to patient contact.
Because infection never sleeps, our ability to practice safe hand hygiene must never sleep. Adoption of real time notification systems can help shine a light on the problems that healthcare organizations are faced with on a daily basis and help to fix them.
In the last few days there has been a lot of talk in the health care industry surrounding President Obama’s most recent health care proposal.The year-long effort, and the fourth proposal, is focused on making health care more affordable, making health insurers more accountable, expanding healthcare coverage to all Americans and making the health system sustainable. A large portion of the proposal focuses on reforming health care insurance—designed to reduce the cost of healthcare for patients.Moreover, Title III of the proposal, “Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Health Care,” includes incentivizing doctors, nurses and hospitals to improve care and reduce unnecessary errors that harm patients.
While the government focuses on roping in costs and incentives to improve patient care, what are healthcare providers doing to help meet these objectives?
Some of the most costly healthcare issues are healthcare acquired infections (HAIs). Annually, HAIs are estimated to affect more than 1.7 million patients, kill 99,000 patients, and cost between $35 billion and $45 billion. Under the new federal reimbursement policy, payment for care required as a result of HAIs will no longer be approved, making prevention urgently important to the bottom line. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HAIs are a top 10 cause of death in America.
One of the simplest ways HAIs can be prevented is by medical personnel properly washing their hands.
While Washington works on the insurance issues, health care providers are looking to health information technology (HIT), including RFID solutions, to help reduce cost, minimize risks and improve patient care now.One of the best ways to prevent HAIs is hand-washing, and one of the easiest ways to ensure compliance is to back it with technology.
The hand-hygiene solution provided by Dynamic, built on Versus’ IR-RF technology, consists of badges, ceiling sensors and soap/sanitizer dispensers retrofitted with sensors. When a person dispenses soap or sanitizer, the sensor reads the ID badge and timestamps the occurrence.If a badged person approaches a patient prior to handwashing, the system alerts the individual audibly. The information is stored in a database for reporting and is easily integrated with other systems.
The system effectively addresses hand-hygiene compliance by automatically capturing hand-washing data in the background, 24-7. It alerts staff on compliance in real time, allowing hospitals to prevent adverse events before they occur. The system tracks who washed their hands and when.
Other RFID and RTLS solutions, such as patient tracking, medication tracking and lab tracking can help bring down the costs of healthcare by ensuring costly errors are not made. Let Washington worry about insurance reform and healthcare providers can focus on how to reduce costs, minimize risks and most important, improve patient care with HIT.
HIMSS and ASQ announce 16 “Stories of Success!” case studies
HIMSS and ASQ (American Society for Quality) recently announced the selection of 16 real-world and peer-reviewed case studies that have been selected as Stories of Success! Introduced in October 2009, the Stories of Success! case-study program showcases outstanding accomplishments in the adoption and use of information technology to achieve improved patient safety, quality, effectiveness and efficiency. The call for case studies highlights the fulfillment of the national priorities established by the National Priorities Partnership (NPP) and The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG). Is your healthcare organization a success story?
Designed to emphasize the link between improvements in healthcare quality and patient safety and health IT, HIMSS and ASQ chose those who are using IT every day and could identify how technology helps support the six priorities of the National Priorities Partnership and the Joint Commission’s national patient safety goals and priorities.
What are the everyday IT applications that are enabling these healthcare organizations to be recognized as a success story? For one organization, it’s RFID. A few weeks ago we highlighted how RFID can help healthcare providers meet the National Patient Safety Goals in our blog post, “What will JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goals inspire you to do?” These Success Stories! further emphasize how RFID directly improves patient care by minimizing risks and reducing costs.
What RFID solution would benefit your organization the most? A systems integrator can help you identify where you can reap the most benefits and address the areas that need the most work. As featured in the RFID case study, it is important to start with a targeted area when implementing an RFID solution and identifying what the challenges are and how they can be met before rolling out system wide. Make your organization a success story with RFID!
As the healthcare reform bill now remains in the control of the Senate, President Obama is urging them to approve a bill by the end of the year. While the government is still debating whether the current healthcare reform act will, indeed, lower the cost of care to consumers, something certain is a signed piece of important legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, that reduces the burden of innovation, improvement and infrastructure to the nation’s most critical industries, including healthcare.
Each year the federal government provides approximately $400 billion in grants for a wide range of purposes, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is adding about $380 billion to those annual funding amounts between 2009 and 2011.Funding for technology projects that meet community and civic economic development, safety and growth objectives and small-to-medium enterprise growth (among other criteria) is available like never before. Sure, the government’s motive is largely practical – to rebuild the sectors hurt by the financial downturn and reinforce growth industries so that the national economy grows– but businesses stand to reap the benefits of increased funding access.
Because Dynamic’s RFID and RTLS solutions directly help reduce costs, minimize risks and improve patient care, many of our solutions are eligible for purchase with government grant money. But how do you know what you don’t know? Through a new partnership with IMGrants, a funding research program offered by Ingram Micro to qualified resellers, we now have the ability to help you identify, apply for and maximize federal funds, including those that are a result of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, as well as state and foundation grant sources for projects. It’s not a bail out…it’s an equalizer to keep your business alive and competitive. Take advantage.
Contact us to learn more about our partnership with IMGrants.
Healthcare IT News today reported that a new study says health care costs could be cut by 40 percent using a “connected healthcare” model. The report, by the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC) and Cambridge Consultants, surveyed leading health care providers, payers, patients and technology leaders.
The survey shows that focusing on patient well-being will improve patient outcomes and that coordinating care “will reduce wasteful spending in defensive medicine, inefficient claims processing, medical errors and emergency room services” (Healthcare IT News, Sept. 18).
The articles describes the integrated connected care model:
“An integrated connected health approach advocates an end-to-end solution, giving patients control as well as responsibility and connecting them with a wide network of healthcare professionals and online applications. This integration can be achieved through a range of technologies, beginning with electronic medical records…”
Many respondents had a limited view of connected health, understanding the concept as electronic medical records or remote monitoring.
A surprising 40 percent of people surveyed said they were unaware of any examples or solutions for the connected health approach. Advocates call for a national educational campaign on the implications for improved patient care and outcomes.
Those who did believe in the approach’s potential for cost-savings largely anticipated that it would take 4-15 years to achieve widespread adoption in the US (90 percent).
The article also references the PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute report released in August that estimated $1.2 trillion dollars in wasteful spending each year in the US health care industry — more than half of the total amount spent annually ($2.3 trillion).
Contact us to learn how an RFID-integrated solution could help your health care facility support a connected health care model by automatically and accurately capturing critical data and integrating the information in real time across virtually any electronic system, including electronic medical records.
According to Healthcare IT News, hospitals are seeing significant cost benefits due to participating in Premier healthcare alliance’s Accelerated Supply Chain Endeavor (ASCEND) program.
The article reports that members are saving up to 24 percent in supply-related expenses. The program helps control costs by simplifying purchasing processes and negotiating contracts with suppliers.
Premier Purchasing Partners President Mike Alkire was quoted by the publication: “The program is allowing them to drive lower prices, reduce total cost of care without sacrificing quality and create metrics and benchmarks that ensure continuing progress.”
Hospital purchasing departments concur. “ASCEND has helped us achieve immediate savings that are sustainable over time,” according to one purchasing manager who was quoted for the article.
Premier boasts 2,200 hospital members and 63,000 other healthcare sites in the US. It is the country’s largest health care group purchasing organization (GPO).
Dynamic Computer Corporation is a Premier contracted supplier, offering RFID solutions for Asset Tracking and Management through the GPO to its members. For more information on saving costs with an RFID solution purchased through Premier, contact us today.
Sign up for a Webinar on Friday (Sept. 18) at 11 am to learn more about Dynamic’s RFID solutions to improve patient care, reduce costs and minimize risks.
Dynamic Computer Corporation (DCC) is piloting a cutting-edge sensor-based hand hygiene compliance solution to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) at the University of Miami Center for Patient Safety. HAIs are among the top ten causes of death in the US.
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. July 29, 2009 — The University of Miami UM-JMH Center for Patient Safety has successfully launched a hand hygiene compliance (HHC) pilot project with the help of two Michigan-based technology businesses who specialize in health care real-time locating solutions (RTLS).
Dynamic Computer Corporation is a health care RTLS systems integrator based in Farmington Hills, Mich. Traverse City -based Versus Technology designed the automatic HHC system using their patented infrared – radio frequency (IR-RF) technology that has been deployed in hundreds of hospitals for automating patient workflow events. The HHC solution can be deployed as a standalone system or as part of an enterprise RTLS system.
How the HHC solution works
The solution uses small IR-RF sensors in soap dispensing units that read staff ID badges and monitor the location and timing of hand-washing events. Employees hear a verification sound upon successful information capture about whom, when and where the hand washing event has occurred.
“Nothing matters more than the safety of our patients. That’s why we are working with Versus and DCC to create an exciting, technologically-advanced system to decrease healthcare-associated infections,” said David J. Birnbach, M.D., M.P.H., Director, UM-JMH Center for Patient Safety.
The goal of the HHC solution is to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by promoting evidence-based practices and fostering a culture of safety and accountability. Hospitals are able to accurately track and report on HHC compliance in real time, and retroactively to monitor problem areas for additional training where necessary. Staff members are alerted in real time when they forget to wash their hands, before an adverse event takes place.
“This is a reliable and affordable solution with compound benefits for hospitals seeking to improve patient care and processes while greatly reducing costs,” said Farida Ali, DCC President & CEO. “This is just one example of how innovative technologies are transforming the way we deliver care. Everyone is a stakeholder.”
Henry Tenarvitz, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of Versus agrees, “It is very important to Versus Technology that we provide solutions that not only reduce the potential for hospital acquired infections, but do so in a way that increases hospital staff efficiency.” Tenarvitz continued, “Our commitment to making compliance systems affordable has driven Versus to discover ways to leverage existing nurse call infrastructure to control installation costs.”
The UM-JMH Center for Patient Safety is planning to use the system to train students, resident physicians and nurses, and to advance their mission of preventing medical errors and improving patient safety.
“The expertise of these partners is the ideal complement for our mission, and together we can create a culture of patient safety,” said Dr. Birnbach.
How big is the HAI problem?
“Americans don’t expect to get additional infections when they go into the hospital. Stopping health care associated infections and improving the quality of care is one of our top priorities,” stated HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in an press release earlier this month.
According to the CDC, HAIs account for about 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year. Most of these are preventable by proper hand washing. Here are a few facts from the CDC’s March 2009 report on the direct medical costs of HAIs.
There are about 4.5 HAIs for every 100 hospital admissions
Direct annual costs to US hospitals (adjusted for inflation) range from $28.4-$33.8 billion to $35.7 - $45 billion.
Anywhere from about 20-70 percent of HAIs are preventable, equaling a saving s of $5.6- $6.8 billion to $25-31.5 billion to the healthcare system with effective prevention measures.
“HAIs in hospitals are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States” (Health Public Reports, 2007).
For more information on RF-integrated HHC solutions, contact Dynamic at www.DynamicRFIDSolutions.com/contact or call toll free 866-257-2111.
