Benefits of Device Connectivity

“Medical devices were seen as only able to deliver a therapy or service. This has changed,” said Donny Patel, president, Connected Care Group at Baxter. “The real value of connectivity lies in delivering information that helps clinicians care for patients more efficiently or effectively – and medical devices can be an important source for that rich information.”

Some benefits of connecting medical devices to the electronic health record (EHR) include:

1. Automating patient charting

When data flows from the device to the patient record, the nursing staff can save time. No longer transcribing notes or trying to catch up on charting at the end of the shift, staff can spend more time on direct patient care. The information is also available faster. Information also tends to be more accurate, because it's coming straight from the device, with no need for translation.

2. Managing device fleet efficiently

A fleet of devices can be located and deployed more efficiently, and the team can see exactly how devices are being used throughout different units. Knowing the location, use status, and even battery level of devices can make maximizing limited resources easier. This means your capital equipment is being fully utilized in line with patient census.

3. Supporting patient safety

Establishing two-way connectivity between devices and the EMR opens new ways to implement key quality and safety measures. IV drug prescriptions can be automatically checked against the drug and dose being delivered, for example, helping reduce drug-related “never events.”

4. Reducing waste

When every medication dose is scanned alongside the patient and at the pump and then fed into the EMR, some hospitals have found that they are wasting less medication, making the pharmacy more efficient.