Bar-coded wristbands newest upgrade at HMC
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| New technology recently implemented at Hancock Medical Center will help streamline the patient registration process, according to Administrator Hal W. Leftwich, DBA, FACHE.
Bar-coded wristbands are corresponding labels are generated at registration through the hospital's new Automated Registration Documentation System (ARDS). Multiple documents are created by laser printer to indicate specific services the patient will receive, such a lab tests, MRI or mammography.
Inpatient and outpatient registration sheets are color-coded for identification, and the system eliminates the need for expensive pre-printed patient order forms.
The patient's signature, required for consent for treatment, is now captured on a digital pad and can be stored indefinitely in the hospital's computer system. A mobile computer with signature pad can be transported to the bedside for unaccompanied emergency department patients.
The next phase of this computer upgrade will allow nurses to scan the patient's wristband and prescription medication to accurately dispense medications," said Leftwich, who noted the process reduces the need for time-consuming manual data entry.
"Patient safety is a top priority, and this is another part of our commitment to improve," he added.
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