Medical technology
opportunity to improve equipment utilisation, enhance clinician access to vital resources and improve patient outcomes. Achieving these goals will require some cultural change and education, both within EBME teams and equipment users. The adoption of tagging has been shown to change clinician behaviour: tagged equipment is far more likely to be returned to the correct location, for example, and ‘squirrel stores’ emptied when individuals know the equipment is tracked. These changes in behaviour alone result in less time spent searching for equipment and far better utilisation. For the EBME teams, better visibility supports
the preventative maintenance required for both regulatory compliance and to maximise equipment lifespan. As equipment increasingly moves between ICS organisations, however, new processes and procedures will be required to determine how best to ensure optimal asset availability while maintaining compliance and patient safety. Policy evolution considerations include: l Servicing/ maintenance could remain the responsibility of the asset-owning Trust or the Trust where the equipment is currently located.
l How can staff and patients access essential equipment and facilitate their safe and simple return, especially for community- based equipment? Equipment stores could be consolidated, with up-to-date asset information managed via a computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) system, allowing authorised healthcare professionals to quickly access the required equipment.
l Sensitivity is required when talking with friends and family of deceased patients to ensure equipment is returned. Knowing where the asset is enables an ICS to consider new models to make it easier for friends and family – such as community drop-off hubs. With assets tagged, any that appear on an auction site can be traced back to the relevant patient (or family) for further investigation.
Changing models This evolution in process will likely be ICS- specific and reflect the speed with which cross-organisation patient care is extended. In time, as the line between acute and community Trusts becomes blurred, it may not work for each Trust to retain ownership over its own bank of assets. Equipment could be owned by the ICS and assigned to a specific patient within an Integrated Care Pathway. This approach could achieve a far more efficient allocation and management of equipment. Indeed, as the way patient care is delivered across an ICS,
58
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I August 2024
including community care, is extended, patterns for asset demand will clarify. With detailed information about asset location, usage, history and place within a care pathway, EBMEs will be able to further refine the location, servicing and maintenance of assets to make accessibility as easy as possible, while improving asset retention and minimising the need for additional contingency stock.
Future vision A hybrid tagging technology model enables an ICS to transform asset visibility irrespective of current levels of digital maturity. With a single view of assets, EBME teams can deliver a far more integrated and joined-up approach to equipment management that seamlessly spans multiple care provider organisations. Over time, this information will enable an ICS
to optimise equipment availability, enhancing patient safety and improving outcomes, while minimising the need for contingency stock. It will also deliver the insight required to support continual improvement and explore different ways of managing the patient experience. That is the future. Today, the biggest win is for an EMBE team to know what each Trust has, and where that equipment is located at any time. Building on that model to create a virtual asset register will enable an ICS to explore the best way forward to improve equipment availability, reduce loss and minimise the need for contingency stock. With the right policies and processes to support both clinicians and the patient journey, including embedding asset allocation within an integrated care pathway, improving education and embracing cultural change, asset visibility will be key to optimising asset utilisation, maximising existing resources and safeguarding the patient experience throughout the entire ICS.
References 1.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/07/nhs- virtual-ward-expansion-will-see-thousands- of-children-treated-at-home/
2.
https://transform.england.nhs.uk/blogs/ embracing-digital-tools-to-improve- efficiency-productivity-and-patient-safety/
3.
https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/nhs-mandate-2023/the- governments-2023-mandate-to-nhs- england#:~:text=By%20March%202024%2C%20 all%20trusts,can%20support%20registry%20 data%20submission).
4.
https://www.idoxgroup.com/news/hospital- asset-tracking-records-management-news/ idoxs-bodyguard-t-lockbox-tracking- solution-successfully-trialled-at- gloucestershire-hospitals-nhs-foundation- trust/
About the author
Steve Bruce, Assets divisional Director at Idox, began his journey with Idox as a software engineer back in 2006. Over the years, he has held various leadership roles within the company, spanning product development and customer support. His experience extends across both public and private sector clients. Steve is deeply committed to engaging with
customers and developing software solutions that deliver real value. His approach involves leveraging the distinctive insights gained from close collaboration with customers, setting Idox’s offerings apart within competitive market sectors. Steve holds a BEng in Computer and
Electronic Systems from the University of Strathclyde
CSJ
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
