Welch Allyn Unveils Cure For Vital Sign Documentation Errors At The Point Of Care

Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 31 Aug 2010 - 3:00 PDT

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Welch Allyn, a leading global manufacturer of frontline medical products and solutions, today announced it has found a way to significantly reduce vital signs documentation errors from acute care settings. By converging all aspects of vital signs documentation into one system, including patient data capture and wireless transfer to an EMR, medical charting and documentation errors are reduced thereby improving clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.

Without a digital solution such as this, studies have shown that 10,000 omission and/or transcription errors can occur per year for a typical 200-bed facility; 8,000 hours were wasted with manual vital sign documentation; and more than $250,000 was lost in productivity due to lack of access to vitals. The availability of an automated system that captures and wirelessly transmits patient data minimizes all of these issues.

The Welch Allyn Connex® Electronic Vitals Documentation (EVD) System provides clinicians in non-critical care settings with immediate access to accurate vital signs anytime, anywhere. It includes the Connex Vital Signs Monitor, Accessory Cable Management Stand, Connex VM Software, and the new Welch Allyn Partners in Care Services™ program that provides personalized support and installation.

"Every day there are challenges within acute care facilities, but these should not include inaccuracy of patient data, a lack of access to that data, or low efficiency with collecting vitals," said Dave Perkins, senior category manager, Vital Signs, at Welch Allyn. "The Connex EVD System provides an end-to-end solution to these problems. It has multiple components to ensure satisfaction for not only the clinicians but also the patients who are now receiving more efficient care."

Connex® Vital Sign Monitor 6000 Series

The Connex VSM (CVSM) is a full-color, touch screen device that acts as three devices in one-providing comprehensive patient documentation on a single display. This documentation includes automatic measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and pulse oximetry; manual parameters such as respiration, height, weight and pain level; and modifiers such as body position, O2 therapy details and others. The CVSM also gives the clinician the ability to control alarms, patient data and monitoring in a customized manner for each patient, and they can document this data right on the device-eliminating the need to locate a PC and transcribe it later.

The CVSM also enables two-way wireless communication from the bedside. It associates ID numbers to names to help clinicians properly identify patients and allows them to customize which ID fields are required and how they're displayed, including simultaneous display of multiple forms of ID. The wireless technology is built right into the system allowing the monitor to act as a true mobile device, and it works with current wireless networks to deliver up-to-date patient demographics.

The innovative design of the CVSM was developed in collaboration with global innovation firm Frog Design. It was created with a user-centered design process that ensured the ultimate combination of cutting edge technology, ease of use for clinicians, and efficiency for patients.

Connex® Vitals Management (VM) Software

Welch Allyn Connex VM Software is the backbone of the system that automates the vitals documentation process to eliminate manual steps and the errors that go with them. With Connex VM integrated into an EMR, users can document accurate patient data right from the bedside-giving clinicians instant access to patient data anytime, anywhere and allowing them to identify abnormal vital signs more quickly.

Accessory Cable Management Stand

The Accessory Cable Management Stand, with its unique accessory storage and cable routing system, is ergonomically designed for ease of use. All system components have their own compartment to allow quick identification and easy access. This helps clinicians keep everything neat and organized, so they can work efficiently and project confidence and professionalism when they interact with their patients. All supplies are on-board for convenience, and it's designed for ease of cleaning to help minimize cross-contamination.

Partners in Care ServicesSM

To ensure satisfaction, the Connex EVD System includes the new Welch Allyn Partners in Care ServicesSM offering, a support service that assists the facility with complete installation and integration, operation support, software updates and many other service features. The service offers training to get facility staff up to speed and can also certify biomedical technicians online to enable them to perform system repairs and maintain equipment in-house.

St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, a 431-bed facility in Syracuse, New York, served as a beta test site for the company and saw immediate results after implementing the Connex EVD System. AnneMarie Czyz, MS, RN, chief nursing officer at St. Joseph's, said they've experienced an enhanced documentation workflow to increase time spent with the patients and decrease the potential for errors and have achieved faster results-making the facility safer and more efficient.

"The Connex EVD System gave our facility tangible results that really maximized our EMR investment," Czyz said. "It helped us not only meet regulatory standards but also the time spent documenting vitals decreased by about 50 percent and errors decreased by about 75 percent. This solution is making it possible to provide higher-quality patient care and safety, the way it should be."

Source:
Welch Allyn

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