Healthcare Wins and Workflow Solutions Include Code Technology

Where would you or your loved ones be without advanced healthcare technology?

For many people, the answer to that question isn't something pleasant to think about. Luckily for all of us, healthcare practices, procedures, and technologies just continue getting better. Today, we see a future where a cure for cancer is within reach. Improved healthcare practices and procedures save lives. And technology plays a monumental role in patient safety through the efficient application of life-saving practices. However, no matter how good the practice, execution requires the best tools available.

Five Rights Can Make a Wrong

Most nurses know the five rights of medication use:

• Right patient
• Right drug
• Right time
• Right dose
• Right route

However, most nurses also know the pitfalls of that idea. In a 2010 article titled "The Five Rights: A Destination Without a Map," Matthew Grissinger, RPh, FASCP, points out how adhering to the five rights isn’t always cut and dry. "For instance, how does a pharmacist identify the right patient when the patient’s name and room number on an order copy are blurred and the physician’s signature is illegible?"

The digitization of pharmaceutical information, known as an electronic medication-administration system (eMAR), allows barcode scanners to receive, dispense, and unit dose medications—making it easier for medical professionals to follow the five rights.

But if you’re curious about the validity of this claim, don’t take our word for it—take the New England Journal of Medicine’s word. One study published in the journal found that "Use of the barcode eMAR substantially reduced the rate of errors in order transcription and medication administration as well as potential adverse drug events."

Utilizing eMARs is just one way barcode scanners improve patient safety. If you’re a healthcare worker looking for ways to reduce your stress and improve patient safety by working smarter, not harder, the industry-leading, barcode scanning solutions from Code can help you do just that!

Code Data Capture Solutions Innovating Healthcare

No matter what barcode scanning option you prefer, Code has a lightning-fast, durable, disinfectant-ready solution for you. Our tethered scanners (CR1100, CR1500) offer battery-free options including power efficiency and lightweight, compact design.

Our Bluetooth imager (CR2700) comes in a palm and handheld option that allows you to carry it all day long. In addition to replaceable battery packs, it also features programmable buttons to allow for customization.

Our mobile software-based barcode scanning and decoding integration (CortexDecoder) allows users and teams to mobilize their point-of-care workflows with enterprise-grade barcode scanning capabilities from their iOS devices. Protecting that mobile investment from the wear and tear of the hospital floor and chemical disinfectant requires a medical-grade solution. Codes mobile battery backup case (CR7020) is completely enclosed with hot-swappable batteries and data pass-through/single sign-on options.

Not all barcode scanners are created equal, and when you choose to use Code scanners, you choose to:

• Rapidly scan the first time, every time
• Stay powered for more than a complete shift at the highest use rate
• Disinfect your scanner without the worry of damage
• Feel confident and assured of a 'good read’ every time
• Easily scan reflective and damaged barcodes where other brands fall short
• Collect data that is easy to access and analyze
• Value the PVC-free and purpose-built reader design for intuitive ease of use

Now that you know what Code is and why you need barcode solutions in the healthcare industry, let’s dive a little more into what Code solutions might look like in the day-to-day life of your hospital or lab. The examples below are just a few of the most common applications for using Code scanners and technology in the healthcare industry.

We have countless more applications, in addition to these examples, where Code scanners will thrive and improve your workflow.

Bedside Medication Administration

Humans make mistakes - plain and simple. And a lot of humans have pretty poor handwriting. This is where barcodes truly save the day. There is just no room for error when it comes to administering medication to patients—whether it happens due to writing the wrong dosage or just incorrectly reading the dosage.

Code scanners work to help reduce medication administration errors by reading and decoding the correct patient information, matching, and verifying with zero-miss accuracy. Matching the right dose of the right drug to the right patient can be seamless and easy when you use Code scanners. The Code technology you choose simply depends on your unique workflow. True mobility options are now also available with hospitals eager to keep their enterprise-grade Code scanning power using their phones and tablets.

Positive Expressed Breast Milk Identification

Newborn babies need to eat frequently to ensure their continued health and strength. With those frequent feedings, the chances of feeding a baby the wrong Expressed Breast Milk (EBM) increase drastically. As there are potential health risks associated with feeding a baby the wrong EBM, special care should be taken to ensure the right EBM goes to the right baby. It was clear that barcode technology could be used to solve the problem at hand, which is where Code stepped in to help. Code scanners and engineers have been integral in helping develop a custom healthcare solution that scans a mother’s patient wristband, sends a signal via Bluetooth to a printer, and then prints a barcode label for EBM vial that corresponds with a barcode on the infant’s wristband.

When it comes to scanning barcodes on tiny infant wristbands, on the curved walls of EBM vials, or through incubator glass, Code scanners outperform the competition and ensure a lightning-fast and correct scan every time.

Workflow and Supply Chain Management

Almost any workflow problem you have can be solved using a barcode system and Code scanners. Are your disposable gloves almost out of stock? Is your printer ink running low? Setting up a barcode solution with Code can help your hospital maintain a seamless supply chain and workflow. Code software can be programmed to automatically reorder supplies when inventory hits certain levels. In addition, barcodes can be utilized to track more sensitive things such as surgical instruments as they go through the sterilization process.

Pharmacy Applications

Scanning barcodes on medications is a much more involved process than scanning barcodes on jeans at Target. Settling for a scanner that reads only basic barcodes won’t cut it in the healthcare industry. Drug barcodes can include multiple pieces of information like expiration dates, lot numbers, and the FDA-required National Drug Code (NDC).

Code scanners uniquely read dozens of symbologies (even at the same time) and are easily set up at pharmacy counters to scan medications as they leave. The information on those medication labels can then be tracked and read with confidence, never worrying if you’ll be able to scan the barcode and get all the information you need when you need it. Code scanners and decoding technology continue to read barcodes that others simply can't.

Vendor Credentialing

Vendor credentialing is a huge part of effectively gate-keeping the privacy, security, and safety of patients and staff due to all the outside helping hands coming in and out of the hospital on a daily basis. There is an efficient, new way to pass off on vendors entering the hospital's premises, and that is automatic vendor credentialing.

Vendors can get assigned a barcode, scan, print their pass, and go!

Lab and Specimen Collection and Tracking

When working with blood, lab cultures, or other specimens, mix-ups can be deadly.

Using barcode tracking significantly reduces the chances of a potentially hazardous mix-up.

Additionally, it is imperative to use sterile equipment in these processes to avoid cross-contamination. The unique plastics formula used in the mobile and handheld Code scanners feature CodeShield® technology, which seals out dust, debris, and contaminants—all while being made to withstand a laundry list of disinfectants. Sterilizing a Code scanner is a breeze and won’t damage any of the electronic components. Your lab can work with the assurance it is protected and operating at peak efficiency.

Blood and Saline Bag Scanning

Scanning a blood or saline bag and matching them to the patient are very critical elements in the healthcare workflow. With a blood bag, there are so many barcodes to scan on a single bag, which makes the process of trying to hide and scan the right ones—in the right order, stressful and time-consuming. Saline bags create a different workflow problem by possessing a single white barcode printed on the transparent, reflective bag.

Is there a solution for scanning complicated barcodes and parsing only the correct information needed while ignoring the rest? Why, yes there is a solution; it is called Code.

Incorporating data capture into your firm’s process, projects, or products is as easy as contacting Code at info@codecorp.com or 801-495-2200. Our data experts across North America and EMEA are ready to assist.