HIT Vendor Seeking MDDS for Meaningful Relationship
As noted before, from time to time I answer questions and exchange ideas with folks from hospitals, companies and with students. It’s a karma thing with me – if I can help out with reasonable effort in situations where there’s no immediate consulting opportunity (although there may in the future), and it’s interesting, then I do what I can.
The following is the most recent exchange from a conversation I’ve been having with a product manager at a HIT software vendor about MDDS. They develop and sell an information system, part of which consumes medical device data. Not every customer already has an MDDS, and those that don’t look to their company to provide one as part of a “complete solution.”
Hi Tim,
I have been researching 3 companies for vitals integration: iSirona, Capsule Tech, and Nuvon.
From my research, it seems that having FDA clearance for MDDS seems to assure that the product will work out of the box and it’s tested for safety and effectiveness and seems to be a better choice to have than an MDDS (reliability, safety for patients).
Clinical Workflow & Technology Integration Summit
On June 7th, 2013 the Texas Children’s Hospital and Smith Seckman Reid are producing an educational workshop on medical device connectivity. Nursing is the predominate perspective explored in this event. (One of my pet peeves is all the focus physicians get from vendor’s marketing departments. Yet, when it comes to systems in hospitals, the predominate user – by far – is nursing.)
TCH, an early adopter of clinical documentation into EMRs and alarm notification, has some of the most extensive experience with medical device connectivity in the US. They’re hosting and presenting at this one day seminar. Here’s the blurb on the event, with links to where you can register. Besides the great content, the next best thing is the cost – free. The only downside is there’s room for just 150 attendees.
Enterprise-Wide Medical Deivice Integration and CIS Workflow
Last month I spoke at the first CIS Qatar International Conference in Doha Qatar. My topic was the Importance of Enterprise Wide Medical Device Integration in CIS workflow. You can download a copy of my presentation here.
This was the first such conference in Qatar with over 1,500 people attending. The ballroom only had capacity for 1,200 so they had remote screens and audio for the 300 overflow attendees. Several hospitals in Qatar are in the process of implementing Cerner’s EMR, so there is a lot of keen interest in all things EMR.
Alarm Fatigue Plagues Hospitals. Again. Still.
On April 8, 2013, the Joint Commission published a Sentinel Event Alert on medical device alarm safety in hospitals. Once again, alarm hazards tops the ECRI Institute’s 2013 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards. Alarm fatigue is unfortunately a topic that is evergreen because it has plagued hospitals for many years and shows little sign of abating. A search of the literature will show the most common consequence of alarm fatigue is a failure to rescue adverse event (in which the vast majority 80% of patients die). A secondary consequence is on patient satisfaction; constant alarms audible throughout the unit make it difficult for patients to sleep.
RFID RTLS 2012 Update – Where to Start
I commonly receive requests for information about connectivity and enabling technologies like indoor positioning systems. Here’s an example:
…I am currently undertaking research into RFID technologies and WLAN to use within a hospital. In particular I am interested in implementing the use of patient/infant tracking tag, panic tag or status tag, asset tag and also temperature control tags, all of which are working with a WLAN.
Is there any information that you are able to share with me please.
While I don’t normally provide services for free (I have bills to pay like everyone else), I have no problem providing some initial information or value to get to a place where an actual project can be considered. So, in that spirit, here’s my reply:
I would be glad to share some info with you. From your email it appears you have a number of different indoor positioning applications which you want to undertake. The key to RFID is that there is no one best system or technology for all applications. You have to match the requirements of your positioning applications to the various capabilities of different systems, and many hospitals end up with more than one RFID system as a result.
