PrimaBergamo
Pope John XXIII Hospital Launches Digital Monitoring for Surgical Patients and Equipment
The system operates through a new network of wired antennas equipped with Bluetooth technology installed at strategic points throughout the hospital. These antennas automatically track special wristbands worn by patients and the three thousand “tags” attached to various medical devices and equipment.
The implementation began in September with the installation of special buttons on around three thousand pieces of equipment (including ECG machines, ultrasound devices and probes, syringe pumps, defibrillators, electrosurgical units, external pacemakers, and electronic medical record carts) and the expansion of the detection antenna network to all departments and clinics. This work was carried out by the IT Systems and Technical Office in collaboration with the Bergamo-based company TapMyLife.
By January 2023, the digital tracking system was up and running. In simple terms, knowing the location of equipment ensures preventive maintenance is performed according to the manufacturer’s recommended schedules, thus safeguarding patient and staff safety.
The Bergamo hospital’s operation is among the largest and most comprehensive indoor tracking initiatives for medical supplies conducted in an Italian hospital, setting a new benchmark for the sector.
Link to Original Article: https://primabergamo.it/attualita/papa-giovanni-al-via-il-monitoraggio-digitale-dei-pazienti-chirurgici-e-delle-apparecchiature/
BergamoNews
Pope John XXIII Hospital Launches Real-Time Digital Tracking for Patients and Equipment
Bergamo. In recent weeks, Pope John XXIII Hospital in Bergamo has implemented an innovative indoor tracking system.
This system enables real-time digital monitoring of patient movements between departments and operating rooms, as well as the intra-hospital movement of key mobile medical and IT equipment. Patients are automatically tracked throughout their hospital journey thanks to a new network of wired antennas.
Approximately 3,000 devices and pieces of equipment are equipped with specialized “tags” that are tracked by these antennas, which are strategically installed throughout the hospital and use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. The system now allows real-time monitoring of operating room usage times, as well as the time required for transfers between inpatient wards, intensive care units, and operating rooms. The project was overseen by Silvia Scetti, a physician in the Operational Management Unit at Pope John XXIII, who explained that “digitizing processes provides the opportunity to optimize operating room management and timing, identify potential issues, and reduce waste.”
The project was implemented by the Hospital’s ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Systems. The locator now allows the identification of the exact location of patients or medical devices within the hospital. In the near future, such networks will enable indoor navigation similar to GPS used for road travel, helping patients find their appointment rooms or guiding visitors to the bedside of a hospitalized relative in a large hospital like ours.
Building on the existing sensor network, Clinical Engineering has extended tracking to medical equipment. Traditionally, knowledge of the quantity and location of these ‘assets’ relied on manual inventory, with all its associated limitations, errors, and costs.
In September, special “buttons” were added to around 3,000 pieces of equipment, including ECG machines, ultrasound devices and probes, syringe pumps, defibrillators, electrosurgical units, external pacemakers, and electronic medical record carts. The antenna detection network has been extended to all departments and clinics, thanks to the work of the ICT Systems and Technical Office, in collaboration with TapMyLife, a Bergamo-based company specializing in digital solutions for hospitals, universities, and large public spaces. By January 2023, the digital tracking system was operational.
“The new real-time digital localization system for technological equipment was introduced primarily to enhance clinical safety for patients,” explained Maddalena Branchi, Director of Clinical Engineering at ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII. “We can now quickly retrieve the equipment needed for urgent care at any moment. But the benefits don’t stop there. Digital technology ensures better budget management in compliance with certification requirements and offers the possibility to manage some outsourcing processes for medical equipment more efficiently, such as maintenance.”
Knowing the location of equipment ensures preventive maintenance (scheduled servicing) according to the manufacturer’s recommended timelines, thus ensuring the safety of both patients and operators. The Bergamo hospital’s operation is among the largest and most comprehensive indoor tracking initiatives for medical supplies conducted in an Italian hospital.
“We have invested in these two projects, which, at relatively low costs, allow us to optimize the management of strategic hospital processes,” notes Maria Beatrice Stasi, General Director of ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII. “The advantages offered by the infrastructure, created with wired antennas, will enable the Bergamo Hospital to expand its automation offerings in the future, introducing monitoring systems for logistical, clinical-organizational services, or for patient reception, while simultaneously strengthening clinical safety profiles for patients.”
Link to Original Article: https://www.bergamonews.it/2023/03/03/il-papa-giovanni-avvia-il-tracking-digitale-in-tempo-reale-di-pazienti-e-apparecchiature/583279/
ClicMedicina
Bergamo Hospital Launches Digital Monitoring for Patient Transport and Medical Equipment
“The digitalization of processes offers the opportunity to optimize the management and timing of the operating room, identify potential issues, and reduce waste,” says Silvia Scetti from the Operational Management Unit and the Administration of Pope John XXIII Hospital, who oversaw the project.
“Modern hospitals are equipped with high-quality wired networks. Technological advancements provide cost-effective software and hardware solutions for asset tracking,” states Antonio Fumagalli, Director of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Systems at the Hospital, through which the system was implemented.
“The BLE technology, which uses a low-emission Bluetooth system similar to that found on our smartphones, enables the recognition of a tag associated with a moving object/subject. The locator can now tell us the exact location of a patient or a piece of medical equipment within the hospital. Traditionally, knowledge of the quantity and location of these assets relied on manual inventory, with all its associated limitations, errors, and costs.
In September, special “buttons” were affixed to approximately 3,000 pieces of equipment, including ECG machines, ultrasound devices and probes, syringe pumps, defibrillators, electrosurgical units, external pacemakers, and electronic medical record carts. The detection antenna network has been expanded to all departments and clinics, thanks to the work of the ICT Systems and Technical Office, in collaboration with TapMyLife; the digital tracking system was operational by January 2023.
“The new real-time digital localization system for technological equipment was introduced primarily to enhance clinical safety for patients,” says Maddalena Branchi, Director of Clinical Engineering at ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII. “Today, we can quickly retrieve the equipment needed for urgent care at any moment. Centralized management of information is a crucial factor in a complex organization like ours, which operates with continuous 24/7 shifts of professionals. For each device, we can analyze the average daily usage times and the ‘typical day’.
“We have invested in these two projects, which, at relatively low costs, allow us to optimize the management of strategic hospital processes,” says Maria Beatrice Stasi, General Director of ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII. “The advantage offered by the infrastructure, created with wired antennas, will allow Bergamo Hospital to expand its automation offerings in the future, introducing monitoring systems for logistical, clinical-organizational, or patient reception services while simultaneously strengthening clinical safety profiles for patients.”
Link to Original Article: https://www.clicmedicina.it/ospedale-papa-giovanni-xxiii-bergamo-avvia-monitoraggio-indoor-tracking-digitale-trasporto-paziente-apparecchiature-elettromedicali/
Ictbusiness
Bergamo Hospital Leads the Way with Indoor Tracking
Indoor tracking is a technology widely used in marketing, retail, and intralogistics, and now hospitals can also benefit from it. This is exactly what Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo has done by implementing a real-time monitoring system for patient movements between departments and operating rooms, as well as for the intra-hospital movement of key mobile medical and IT equipment.
This system proves particularly useful for a facility that manages large volumes, having recorded over 37,000 surgical procedures last year. The goal was not only to speed up and improve management operations but also to enhance patient safety.
The indoor tracking system relies on sensors, networks, and wearable Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Patients in wards or intensive care are equipped with wristbands containing electronic tags when transferred to the operating room. These tags are detected and tracked by a network of wired antennas, specially installed and utilizing low-emission Bluetooth technology (Bluetooth Low Energy, BLE).
“Modern hospital facilities are equipped with high-quality wired networks,” explained Antonio Fumagalli, Director of ICT Systems at Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital. “Technological advancements offer cost-effective software and hardware solutions for asset tracking. BLE technology, which uses a low-emission Bluetooth system similar to that on our smartphones, enables the recognition of tags associated with moving objects or subjects.”
Following initial testing of the IoT wristbands, tracking was extended to medical equipment such as ECG machines, ultrasound devices and probes, syringe pumps, defibrillators, electrosurgical units, external pacemakers, and electronic medical record carts. This expansion was carried out by the ICT Systems and Technical Office in collaboration with TapMyLife, a Bergamo-based company specializing in digital solutions for hospitals, universities, and large public spaces.
The system allows real-time monitoring of room occupancy and usage times, as well as tracking the time required for transfers between wards and operating rooms. These activities, previously done manually with all the associated delays, limitations, and errors, are now streamlined. “The locator can now tell us the exact location of a patient or medical equipment within the hospital,” Fumagalli continued, hinting at future developments.
“In the near future, networks like this will enable indoor navigation, similar to what we use for road travel, helping patients find their appointment rooms or guiding visitors to a patient’s bed in a large hospital like ours,” he added.
The benefits include improved control and management of spaces, timing, and flows across various hospital departments, with faster and more precise operations compared to the past. Additionally, digital technology facilitates better budget management in line with certification requirements and potentially more efficient outsourcing of certain processes related to medical equipment, such as maintenance. Knowing the location of equipment allows for preventive maintenance, adhering to manufacturer timelines, thereby ensuring the safety of patients and staff.
“The new real-time digital localization system for technological equipment was introduced primarily to enhance clinical safety for patients,” stated Maddalena Branchi, Director of Clinical Engineering at ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII. “Today, we can quickly retrieve the equipment needed for urgent care at any moment. Centralized information management is a critical factor in a complex organization like ours, operating with continuous 24/7 shifts of professionals.”
“For each device,” Branchi continued, “we can analyze average daily usage times and typical daily patterns. For example, we can track an ultrasound machine used in the morning for outpatient procedures and then returned to the ward in the afternoon. This allows us to optimize the equipment allocation for each unit and make the most of sharing opportunities, while also avoiding purchase waste, underutilization, or non-use due to various anomalies.”
Link to Original Article: https://www.ictbusiness.it/cont/news/ospedale-di-bergamo-all-avanguardia-con-il-tracciamento-indoor/47546/1.html#.ZBR9CXbMJD8
