Emerging Technologies

Picture source: https://www.salesforce.com
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER – VOLUME 43: NUMBER 02

Cleansing and Coding
Proventix really embodies its ad slogan: “eliminating the spread of infections and diseases in healthcare and hospitality.” Its nGage hand hygiene system is revolutionizing healthcare compliance and helping save many of the estimated 247 lives lost daily due to healthcare-acquired infections, particularly MRSA.MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, is a disease caused by staph bacteria that becomes immune to antibiotics. MRSA infections in healthcare settings typically result from bacteria entering the body during invasive procedures or from devices, such as intravenous tubing or artificial joints.

Proventix displays are located above soap and alcohol dispensers, and each employee is outfitted with a tag bearing the Proventix logo. These displays and tags are connected to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) network to monitor and remind employees to wash their hands. With each worker wearing a personalized RFID tag, the system notes how often the employee performed a cleansing event (either sanitizing or washed hands). When a healthcare employee uses a cleansing station, the display automatically emits a personal message to that employee that can be a generic reminder about cleansing, or person-specific, displaying each worker’s compliance percentage. Managers and executives can use this stored data for performance and compliance reviews.

LifeCode extracts a patient’s clinical information from free-text medical records. The information goes to A-Life’s Actus system, which codes patient encounters and is powered by LifeCode. LifeCode electronically reads and comprehends electronic medical records similar to that of a human coder, but much quicker. OhioHealth recently engaged in a contract with A-Life to use its LifeCode system in five of its facilities, lauding A-Life’s reputation for accurately, quickly and efficiently deciphering patient encounters.