EBME SEMINAR
A question of connectivity
On 26 April, medical equipment healthcare professionals assembled at the Milton Keynes DoubleTree Hilton Hotel for the ninth EBME Innovations Seminar. A lively series of talks highlighted the importance of sensible healthcare technology management by using technology to improve patient outcomes.
Healthcare professionals responsible for the management of medical equipment were treated to a series of best practice seminars designed to enhance patient safety and improve hospitals’ efficiencies, despite increasing budgetary constraints. The event is made possible thanks to the sponsorship of exhibitors, enabling the organisers to provide top level seminars, refreshments, lunch and prize draw to both delegates and exhibitors.
The overriding focus of this year’s seminars was connectivity of devices, particularly as a driver for evidence based, precise care and the delivery of patient generated health data. EBME chairman Dr John Sandham CEng, FIHEEM, MIET, opened proceedings by welcoming delegates to the ninth EBME Innovations Seminar, adding that this year’s event had received an unprecedented number of visitors. As a result of this success, John announced that next year’s event will be increased to two days, and move to a larger venue. “We are taking the views of the delegates and exhibitors into consideration and moving to the Milton Keynes Arena on 3 and 4 April 2019, for our 10th year, to allow more exhibitors and delegates to attend,”
he explained. “With a new logo – EBME Expo – this expansion will provide a platform for more IT systems and medical systems.” John introduced the first speaker, David Mulvey, who has extensive medical engineering experience and has worked within the NHS as both a technical trainer and technical support engineer. In recent years, David’s engineering experience has broadened with roles in Pathology and Imaging (MR, CT and X-Ray). His talk examined vital signs in anaesthesia via analysis of breathing waveforms. “If you check a car and monitor the exhaust, you get a good idea of the performance,” he observed. “In
humans, it’s equally important to check CO2 and by analysing this gas we can look further down into the system. Capnography allows us to monitor the concentration or partial pressure of CO2 “Using EtCO2
in the respiratory gases. monitor CO2
to control ventilation we can in two ways: one, pull a small
flow from a patient’s ET, or: two, inline CO2 monitors. The costs are high – and the
equipment often gets kicked around!” Citing a carbon gas measurement bench, which can be analysed in real time, David demonstrated how to establish the causes of
sudden disappearances of CO2 wave forms
from one breath to the next. “The most common cause is a ventilator disconnect, while others include esophageal intubation, patients ‘fighting’ against the ventilator and raising the reading level,” he advised. “In theatres there are so many elements that need to work together; the patients, the surgeons, the anaesthetists and the equipment. When there’s a problem, everyone needs to see what’s going on.” Debbie Pope, country manager (UK & Ireland) for Qualcomm Life presented her talk, “Delivering ‘precision medicine’ through connected care,” by providing an understanding of how connected patient data can fuel predictive care models and improve outcomes. “Smart phones have revolutionised connectivity in just a few years,” Debbie observed. “By 2022 all cars will incorporate smart technology and data is the new fuel. It also saves lives!”
Debbie noted how the usage of sensors and connected intelligence in healthcare is increasing. “By 2020 around 40% of IOT will be related to the health sector,” she said. “We need to use this technology better in order to save lives. Until recently, we thought EPR was the answer, by providing an electronic record of periodic healthcare of a single individual, but it can’t take all of the data required to monitor patients. “Data overload in the ICU puts pressure on staff and we write down information coming from devices on to paper. When a nurse transcribes, approximately one in five times the data will contain an error – this is human nature and inevitable, but provides inaccurate information.” Debbie believes intelligent care starts with data. “Moving patients out and sending them home to monitor, makes them feel less stressed and having a platform to analyse real time data – such as heart rate – means we can identify if we need to get the patient back in via data capture and aggregation.” “Integration is always going to be an issue,” she noted. “When training staff, any
28 I
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM JUNE 2018
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 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
