Japan’s Nagasaki University Hospital, a medical facility known for its cutting-edge medical services with a 150-year history, has implemented enterprise mobile technology to boost its track record for efficiency and accuracy with the help of Zebra Technologies’ enterprise-class TC55 touch computer.
The application of the TC55 came at the behest of the hospital to introduce a new field-use terminal while upgrading its electronic medical record system in 2015, in a bid to meet the needs of future healthcare by improving both the medical information solution and the device.
The teaching hospital serves the 1.3 million residents of Nagasaki prefecture, and treats more than 360,000 outpatients and 260,000 inpatients annually. The TC55 is a crucial tool to ensure the adherence to Nagasaki University Hospital’s stringent Three-Point Authentication System.
This deployment adds to the breadth of Zebra Technologies’ healthcare customer portfolio, which covers more than 2,000 hospitals globally and supports over 300 million patient transactions annually. Successful implementations include those at Danat Al Emarat in Abu Dhabi, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) in Leiden, the Netherlands, and the USL di Reggio Emilia in Italy.
Three-Point Authentication System
Nagasaki University Hospital’s Three-Point Authentication System consists of checking the Target– the wristband on the patient; the Administrator– ID card of a doctor or nurse; and the Object– barcode on the drugs, before administering any medication.
TC55 works as a mobile nursing information device in seamless conjunction with the hospital’s electronic record system “MegaOakHR”, provided by NEC Corporation.
TC55 supports safety management with the intuitive operation of Android OS and a high-precision, built-in barcode scanner that accurately reads barcodes on patients and medication, significantly reducing patient misidentification or medication error.
Supported by stable Wi-Fi and Near-Field Communications (NFC), TC55 enables real-time confirmation of data, vastly improving efficiency and accuracy by performing entries and recording simultaneously.
Other benefits of the TC55 include its ability to be cleaned with disinfectants, durability that withstands 1.2m drop or immersion in water, and replaceable batteries that enable long, continuous use.
“Mobile nursing information devices give us significantly more control over safety,” says Mizuho Okada, head nurse, Department of Nursing, Department of Medical Informatics, Nagasaki University Hospital.
“Our nurses can check on drug prescriptions by the bedside, just before administering injections or blood transfusions, as well as electronically record the details of the procedure with just one click. Nurses no longer need to transfer records from their memories to the patients’ files after they return to their stations. The TC55 reduces the time required for the recording process while increasing accuracy. Above all, we now have more time for bedside care than ever before.”