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At Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) in Dublin, Ireland, managing operating room (OR) inventory fell to the nursing team. In the two General Surgery ORs where scanning first went live, the Clinical Nursing Manager (comparable to a US OR nurse manager) was spending more than a day each week reordering and managing supplies, with little visibility of what had been used, when, or for which patient. That was time taken away from patients.
TUH made Scan4Safety, the GS1 program for scanning barcodes on patients and products at the point of care used across the UK and Ireland, the centerpiece of a new digital strategy, with patient safety as its first priority. After engaging with many providers, the hospital ran a pilot with Genesis, a GS1-certified solution provider, and selected Genesis to deliver the program.
The Challenge
Clinical time lost to inventory, and a gap in patient safety
Clinical staff were spending a large share of every week on inventory. Inventory levels and expiration dates were hard to track, and there was little or no record of which product had been used on which patient. If a product was recalled, tracing it back to individual patients was not straightforward.
TUH set out to find a system that would:
- Return time to clinical staff to focus on patient care
- Trace every product to the patient, improving patient safety
- Be easy to use, with no duplication of effort for OR teams
- Reorder supplies automatically
- Improve data quality and reporting, and link patient-level costing to patient activity
The Solution
Scanning at the point of care, led by clinicians
TUH went live in two General Surgery ORs in October 2019 and extended to the Cath Lab in July 2020. Each product is scanned to the patient in the OR prep room, just before it is used. Scanning before the procedure, rather than after it, is what allows active recall management. Reserve items stay unopened under the cart and are only scanned if they are opened and used.
- Every product scanned to the patient record using Genesis Point of Care
- Expiration alerts at the moment of scan, before a product reaches the patient
- Lot, serial and expiration data captured at receipt through GS1 barcodes
- Usage-driven replenishment: each scan adjusts inventory levels, and when a level reaches its preset minimum, Genesis sends a replenishment order to SAP
- Items without a barcode handled through a lookup folder of 2D barcodes, so OR staff still complete the process with a scan
Clinical leadership made the difference. The leadership of the Perioperative Clinical Director and the Clinical Nursing Manager was instrumental, working alongside Finance, SAP, Supply Chain and IT. The Clinical Nursing Manager briefed nursing staff directly, the team ran regular breakfast education sessions for OR staff, and a Scan4Safety module was built into the nursing orientation program. When scanning began, one nurse made a phone video of the process to share with colleagues.
The Results
Safer care, and time given back to patients
Patient safety. TUH now has full visibility of which product, down to lot level, was used on which patient in every OR where Scan4Safety is live. If a product has expired, the system alerts staff when it is scanned, before it is used on the patient.
Clinical time. The hospital estimates that one working day a week has been returned to the Clinical Nursing Manager. TUH sees this as more than a time saving: it is an increase in the overall quality of care.
Less waste. Sutures were previously ordered under a single bucket code, with very little visibility of inventory levels or usage by size. With usage data in place, the hospital can now return surplus inventory to suppliers. TUH estimates that Scan4Safety reduced inventory waste by €7,000 in the first phase.
In their words
“This is such a dream. I don’t need to worry again. We have the products ready for when the consultant arrives. It is safer for patients, and it gives me more time for patient care.”Olivia LeighClinical Nursing Manager (CNM2), General and Vascular Theatres, Tallaght University Hospital
“Scan4Safety is a key priority for Tallaght University Hospital. The success of the project has been driven by the strong collaboration across clinical and non-clinical areas. Scan4Safety is demonstrating real benefits by improving patient safety and giving time back to patient care.”Lucy NugentCEO, Tallaght University Hospital
“When a product is scanned to the patient, a replacement is ordered automatically, which means we do not run out of products and products do not go out-of-date.”John DonovanPurchasing and Scan4Safety Manager, Tallaght University Hospital
“This is a new digital strategy which has improved patient safety, increased operational efficiencies and reduced costs. All products used in the theatres are scanned to the patient. If needed all products can be traced electronically to the specific patient episode.”David AddieDeputy Director of Finance, Tallaght University Hospital
About Genesis
Genesis Automation Healthcare is the Clinical Lifecycle Management Platform, closing the gap between the ERP and the EHR. One vendor-neutral platform brings together Genesis Data, Sourcing, Inventory, Clinical, Savings, and Intelligence to help health systems protect patient safety and margins across every stage of the clinical supply lifecycle. Genesis is trusted by 400+ hospitals and health systems.
Give clinical time back to patient care.
Talk with a Genesis expert about how point-of-care scanning and automated replenishment can improve safety, traceability, and efficiency across your hospital or health system.
