There are a number of supporting technologies for each of these subareas. For example, when it comes to in-house transportation management, resources such as transport trolleys can make it easier for hospital staff or other service providers to transport pharmaceutical products and materials. Oftentimes there is also a so-called ATS, an automated material transport system. This umbrella term covers a number of technologies such as power-and-free systems, automated guided systems (AGV) and electronic monorail systems (EMS).
When it comes to receiving and storing materials – or when sending patient specimens to a laboratory – barcodes or RFID chips are often used as tools. As it pertains to procurement and disposal, special packaging systems and identifiers ensure that samples, sterile equipment or potentially hazardous shipments are securely packaged and transported.
Yet how can hospitals gain – and maintain - a complete overview of the location, quantity, and availability of all important materials to ensure that a scheduled surgical procedure runs smoothly for instance? Or how can they accurately factor in delivery times and potential complications in surgical planning?
Software supported digital solutions in hospital logistics are one possible option. “Digital solutions are very common in all areas of logistics. Although the different areas are individually organized, they are connected through interfaces. For example, there is a food ordering and management system and a warehouse and pharmaceutical ordering system. Of course, the sterile processing department also works with software, “explains Dr. Wibbeling. RFID technology plays a key role in many digital approaches. These chips – if they are attached to surgical instruments or sterilized devices for example – make it possible to track equipment within the hospital at all times. The corresponding software also enables planners to schedule surgical interventions in real time. The availability of the necessary sterilized equipment can be synchronized with room and staff availabilities. Deliveries needed for surgeries can also be accurately forecasted.
Fully integrated digital solutions, which form a kind of central hub for all logistical processes promise highly efficient logistics management for hospitals. ”In essence, automated registration of all workflows, all materials, relevant media, and patients will be possible in real time. This will promote increased economic efficiency and improve patient safety in the future,“ says Armin Schorer, Managing Director at ASANUS Medizintechnik GmbH, whose company provides software solutions for instrument management as well as medical products with intelligent logistics and RFID chip technology. Integrated solutions also make it possible to record and completely automate processes and procedural steps. With this approach, hospital staff would simply need to follow the steps as indicated by the software.