I N D U S T R Y I N V E S T I G A T I O N
Inventory management in healthcare
Accurately storing and managing medications is incredibly important for eliminating extra costs , meeting regulatory requirements , and of course , keeping patients safe . But when it comes to keeping track of medications , many challenges can arise as pharmacy inventory management in most hospitals is largely a manual process today .
Drugs placed into inventory should regularly be reviewed for expiration dates to ensure they are not outdated . Scandit ’ s multiple barcode scanning enables pharmacists to capture an entire shelf in a single scan , while AR overlays highlight expiration dates and other useful information on the device screen at a glance .
AR overlays , which are intuitive and easy to use , put important medication information , such as expiration dates , patient-specific dosage instructions , allergy information and other critical updates at the user ’ s fingertips , helping to reduce errors and increase patient safety .
By effectively tracking expiration dates , healthcare providers ensure that drugs are dispensed in the right order , with the earliest to expire being used first , reducing costly wastage .
Enhanced care
By speeding up workflows securely and accurately , smart data capture solutions offer nurses more time to do what they do best : caring for their patients . Spending more time with patients has been shown to improve job satisfaction and retention , as well as patient safety and the overall patient experience .
As well as time-saving benefits , improved scanning capabilities allow nurses to complete non-intrusive scanning . Patient wristbands are a critical touchpoint and part of nearly every scanning sequence . However , their curved , shiny surfaces can be difficult to scan with dedicated devices , especially in dimmed light rooms , meaning that nurses must move the patient ’ s wrist , scanning multiple times before getting it right and ultimately disturbing them . This can cause distress – which can be easily avoided with smart data capture offerings .
SMART DATA CAPTURE SOLUTIONS OFFER NURSES MORE TIME TO DO WHAT THEY DO BEST : CARING FOR THEIR PATIENTS .
Future-ready healthcare
The switch to scanning-enabled mobile devices is also a win for hospital budgets , with a significantly lower total cost of ownership ( TCO ) than dedicated scanners . Thus , the combination of smart data capture and smart devices provides a flexible , futureready solution that scales with growing healthcare needs and evolves as new technologies or use cases arise . Ensuring compliance and Business Continuity reduces errors and maintains an accurate view of medication and patient care .
Looking to the future , this technology can support end-to-end supply chain visibility of medication , improve the detection and removal of unsafe drugs and promote pharmaceutical traceability . Integration with automated dispensing devices and pharmacy management systems can allow for automatic tracking and inventory count , and with constant research and development underway for both software and hardware , organisations are not limited to a single mobile solution manufacturer or software vendor .
Nobody spends years of education and training hoping to become bogged down by slow , manual processes or cumbersome , outdated equipment . Incorporating smart devices and high-performance data capture tools across every step of the nurse ’ s daily journey can allow for improved hospital workflows , boosted staff retention and improved patient care . By providing nursing staff with the best technology , healthcare organisations can demonstrate to prospective and current employees just how much they value their time and expertise . �
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