As a director of Quality Assurance, patient safety is in the forefront of my mind on a daily basis. I am constantly searching for ways to ensure patient safety and have many solutions in the technology available today. Below I have listed several websites that contain information on some of the newest technology available to help promote patient safety.
This website discusses some of the newest technology trends that are helping nurses perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently, but above all, more safely. It discusses automated medication administration systems; the safety sponge system technology that helps to ensure accurate sponge counts in the OR; and also technology that identifies patients through biometrics, such as fingerprints, palms, and the irises in their eyes.
This website describes state-of-the-art access controlled wall stations for medication storage and administration. This technology allows medications to be more readily accessible to the nurses while helping to ensure the “5 patient rights” for medication administration. Studies have shown the access controlled wall units increase work flow efficiency while decreasing medication errors.
Have you ever looked for a piece of equipment in an emergency situation and could not find it because another department borrowed the equipment and never returned it? If you are like many nurses, your answer is yes. Well this website provides information on technology that can help prevent this occurrence. It discusses radio frequency identification technology (RFID). This technology allows each piece of equipment to be tagged with an RFID chip for easy tracking.
This website discusses interesting technology that enables vital signs, laboratory data and other patient care information to be sent directly to off-site doctors so they are able to intervene more quickly. VISICU enables ICU’s to be wired for advance video and electronic monitoring and this connects to off site specialists 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It is no secret that incorrect blood transfusions are among some of the most dangerous medical errors. This website provides technological solutions to prevent this error. It describes a new technology that encompasses safety features for every step of the process.
This website explains one of the most technologically advanced beds available, the Smart Bed from Hill-rom. This bed has a number of technology features that help to ensure patient safety by preventing patient falls. Patient falls is one of the biggest safety concerns facing hospitals today and this new bed has been proven to help decrease the number of patient falls in your facility.
