Pumps get smarterAs infusion pumps get smarter they begin to incorporate more automation and less reliance on healthcare workers controlling them individually. Integration of the pumps with other IT systems is crucial, and as the features for the pumps expand, more of the devices can be updated via wireless network within the hospital. KLAS researcher Jason Hess says a handful of organizations have started to integrate smart pumps into the closed loop process, so a nurse can make a drug order flow straight from the CPOE to the appropriate pump at the bedside. Integration with EHR/CPOE and medication barcoding is the future for truly smart pumps. |
 Click to enlarge Analysts say smart pumps will become integrated with the electronic health record, CPOE and barcoding applications. |
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3 TRENDS TO WATCH
KLAS researcher Jason Hess says infusion pumps are getting smarter and better integrated:
1. INCREASED WIRELESS ACCESS: Integration for pumps means not only a flow of information across all necessary IT components, but also the ability to update drug and dosage information instantly across every one of hundreds of pumps in a hospital. There are huge time savings and error avoidance capabilities in moving away from manually updating each pumper they are. 2. CLOSED LOOP: Getting pumps to talk to the barcode scanner for the drugs and take orders from the CPOE, all of which are likely to be from different vendors, is a huge challenge. But the best pumps should be able to fit into the loop and help to automate the ordering and infusion processes. 3.ALERTS: Nurses should be alerted every time there’s an irregular dosage for a medication administered at a pump, Hess says. “If you’re only doing a periodic sampling, is that really enough knowledge about the pumps and what they’re administering for dosage?” he asks. New pumps should be equipped with smart alerts to help avoid any chance of a medication error. |
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Smart pumps getting smarter |
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B. Braun |
Cardinal Health |
Baxter Healthcare |
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Hospira |
Hospira |
Hospira |
User Reviews |
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 "My hospital, about three and a half years ago we did a trial with three different pump companies. The trial was extensive in a lot of our specialty areas, as we were searching for the pumps that would work best to meet the needs of our hospitals. B. Braun’s pumps won significantly."Kathy James, clinical supply chain manager |
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| "The investment in the Symbiq intelligent pump immediately paid patient safety dividends. Since the pump monitors the volume infused, there is no need for manual calculations and this is a big time saver for the nurses. As a result of integrating Symbiq with other technology, the medication administration data is more accurate, which enhances our documentation to support CMS reimbursement on outpatient I.V. therapy. As a result, we have already realized an increase in reimbursement of $10,500/month." Richard J. Schaeffer, vice president and CIO, St. Clair Hospital |
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 "The LifeCare PCA pumps feature integrated bar code readers, which identify drugs and their concentrations from the bar codes on prefilled and pharmacy-prepared drug syringes and then auto-populate information on the pump’s programming screen, thus limiting the chance of administering a drug or concentration outside of hospital-defined parameters. Misidentifying a drug concentration is one of the most serious PCA issues. With LifeCare PCA, the drug is automatically selected from the drug library for that particular clinical care area when the clinician inserts the syringe into the device, thus ensuring 100 percent compliance."Burnis D. Breland, director of pharmacy, Columbus Regional Healthcare System |
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 "The Alaris System and central monitoring has allowed us to view and trend the drops in respiratory rate and no breath alarms. This provides the necessary patient data to support referrals for medical diagnosis and workup for potential untreated OSA conditions. In addition, central monitoring with the Alaris System and Alaris Gateway allows clinicians to make measurable impacts to patient safety."Ann Holmes, Munson Medical Center |
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