Patient Monitoring Options Plentiful

Patient monitoring devices are vital to many settings, including outpatient care, because they help to reduce complications and increase patient comfort.

Patient monitoring devices that diagnose and track critical dyshemoglobin levels, such as carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin, as well as a patient’s peripheral perfusion and level of hydration before, during, and after surgery, are particularly useful for surgery centers, says Dan Draper, director of acute care at Masimo Corporation.

Monitoring those levels is critical to improved surgical outcomes.

“The capability of continuously and noninvasively receiving this information, in realtime, provides clinicians with a more complete picture of their patient’s physiologic status in the presence of potentially life threatening underlying conditions,” Draper says.

It is imperative that clinicians who use these machines receive proper training. Some clinicians lack it, and this leads to problems, according to the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.

Continuing education is paramount because new machines have variations in breathing circuit design, automated checkout, volatile agent delivery, hidden piston ventilators, fresh gas delivery, and ventilation modes.¹ 

The incidence of equipment-related critical events is relatively low, but morbidity associated with these events can be high, say the authors of, “Challenges ahead in technology training: a report on the training initiative of the committee on technology.”

“Human error is the leading contributor to equipment related problems, and it typically magnitudes greater than pure equipment failure, which itself is rare,” the authors write. “The implication, of course, is that we need greater training and facility with our equipment as recognized by leading authorities.”

When it comes to machine purchasing, doing your homework can save hundreds of thousands of dollars over time. It is wise to ask yourself what your needs are now, and what they will be two to four years down the line, says Gabe Micchelli, a product manager at Data-scope.

“(Product purchasers) should look for patient monitoring devices that don’t break the bank today and that can be expanded on tomorrow,” he adds. “Just as important as the product is the company behind it. The company should place the consumer’s needs above all and be ready to meet the needs of the practice as it grows and changes. The first-time buyer should know the company’s track record for post-sale support. Get to know the representative and look for companies that ask what the buyer’s dreams are for the future and how they can help in making those dreams materialize.”

When contemplating the purchase of patient monitoring devices, consider the following questions, Draper says:

• Does this system provide the necessary physiologic data and measurements you need to keep your patients safe 
• How accurate and reliable is the information that is captured?
• Will the platform/solution grow with your facility, or will you have to periodically replace the devices as new capabilities are introduced 
• Does the vendor have a record of innovation 
• Is the architecture flexible enough for seamless integration with your existing infrastructure, or will you incur additional infrastructure costs

The decision to purchase patient monitoring equipment from one company vs. buying from several companies depends on what other services and products are available from the various contenders, Micchelli says. The obvious benefit to buying all patient monitors from one company is the similarity of product operation.

“This isn’t always the case — even within one company’s entire product line — but there’s more to it than that,” Micchelli says. “The healthcare facility should consider the quality and uniformity of the clinical support and technical service available from each company, and each company’s willingness to provide those services. Often, the magnitude of the purchase is more significant to a smaller company than it is to a larger company.”

Generally, having a single brand for all patient monitoring devices is advisable because it ensures compatibility from bed to bed and department to department, Draper says. It also ensures consistency of how data is captured and displayed, and allows staff to be trained on one system.

“However, surgery centers should not get trapped into using the same old technology for the sake of conformance,” Draper adds.

Reference

1. Olympio MA, Reinke B, Abramovich A. Challenges ahead in technology training: A report on the training initiative of the Committee on Technology. APSF Newsletter. Fall 2006:43-48

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines