Are the lifesaving machines and materials where they’re supposed to be, e.g. defibrillators or oxygen bottles? Are the patients getting the help they need, or is the nursing staff’s time spent elsewhere?
The staff in hospitals spend their time at work doing reports, as well as nursing tasks. Unfortunately, time spent on other tasks eats up time that could be spent on patients. However, reporting is still an important part to ensure the right actions are taken and the right medicine is being administrated. In addition to all tasks, the staff spends time searching for equipment and machines, that easily get displaced around the hospital. These machines are mostly life-saving devices, needed to be located fast to ensure the best possible care for patients in a medical crisis.
Heat maps show where, when, and how much the devices are used
When the device is stored in a place that is far away from where it is used, it can create an illusion of urgency and not having enough medical equipment and machines available. This could be solved by using Wide Area Mesh for location data of the devices. This way, heat maps reveal the actual use levels for the devices, as well as critical information of where and when it has been used last. The data can be used to change storage location to a more central place, where the staff finds it easier and faster. When talking about life saving devices, like a defibrillator, every second counts.
Work flow improvement improves also spirits at work
The system enables faster and more efficient nursing and thus, a safer and more reassuring environment for the patients. More importantly, the staff can concentrate on actual nursing duties which enhances the wellbeing of the staff and patients. Personnel that is less stressed, frustrated and disrupted over lost equipment and searching after them, and able to concentrate on nursing tasks, cope better at work.
On the management level, the utilization level data of the medical devices can be used to guide purchases and improve utilization of current device pool. The data can also lead to process optimization and improving the quality of the nursing duties.
