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On the Mark  |
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From the President
I am pleased to announce that we have now completed the testing for our new product, ScopeTrac, and it is now available for release. As you know in November 2009 the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Department of Veterans Affairs issued a joint safety communication entitled "Preventing Cross-Contamination in Endoscope Processing". The communication was also reviewed by the Joint Commission. A copy of the communication is available on our website. Endoscope Communication
In this communication the 3 parties detailed their recommendations to lower risk to patients from improperly processed flexible endoscopes. Prior to the release of the safety communication we had already begun the development of ScopeTrac. The joint communication is validation that the product we developed would not only meet but exceed the protocols and recommendations for the processing of flexible scopes.
We previewed the product at this year's AORN and the feedback was great. Our test sites have also provided great input and I believe you will find the final product an essential tool in meeting your goals for patient safety. For current users of Censitrac a Censis representative will be in contact soon to tell you more about ScopeTrac and to set up a demonstration. If you are not a current Censitrac user, please contact Client Services and we will have a Censis representative get in touch with you.
On a personal note I hope you and your families have a safe and fun filled July 4th holiday.
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Business Development
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I am pleased to announce that beginning this month Censis will begin hosting monthly lunch and learn webinars. These webinars will concentrate on areas of Censitrac® functionality that, based on client feedback, are areas of high interest. They will be held the 3rd Wednesday of each month starting at 11:30 AM CST and run for approximately one hour with time reserved for interactive questions at the end. The following topics will be covered for the balance of 2010;
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July 21 - Loaner Trays
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August 18 - Reporting Suite
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September 15 - Scope Tracking
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October 20 - Instrument Marking
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November 17 - Quality Control
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December 15 - Maintenance Tracking
Space is limited so reserve your slot today and in advance by contacting Kevin Bevill at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by calling the Helpdesk at 1-888-877-3010 Opt.1
If these dates do not fit your schedule, you can also view the recording of these demos online at http://censis.net/training/videos. The recorded videos will be available 1 week after the live webinar.
If you would like to see a demonstration on a specific topic that is not listed above, please call our Helpdesk at 1-888-877-3010 Opt.1 and they will customize a webinar specifically for your facility.
Censis appreciates your business and the opportunity to assist our clients with continuous process improvement ideas through the maximum use of Censitrac®.
Jim Creason
Senior VP of Business Development
Censis Technologies
615-468-8009
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Technology
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Hospital for the Future --- Technology Trends in the Healthcare Facility
I was recently selected to be a member of a webinar panel focused on discussing technology trends in the healthcare facility. For those of you that had the opportunity to listen in, I know you found the topics thought provoking, especially if you're in the middle of designing a new facility or renovating an existing one.
"Increased Reliance on Information Systems to Improve Patient Safety" is the topic I addressed.
Here are a few highlights from the presentation.
- Use of automated systems like Censitrac® improve patient safety by
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Assuring properly sterilized instruments are delivered to surgery
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Tracking instruments used in each surgery for infection control
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Getting all of the correct instrumentation required for a case to the right place, at the right time, in good working condition
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Need for on-line, up-to-date instructions for instrument processing requires automated systems due to the growing volume of data
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More widespread use of RFID to replace manual bar code scans for accurate locations of items
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Increased need for information systems throughout the hospital requires special attention in the planning process for a new facility or a major renovation, to address:
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Expanding network bandwidth requirements
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Secure local and wide area networks
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Reliable wireless connectivity throughout the facility
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Hardened electronic equipment
- Workflow analysis for equipment and storage positioning
- Redundancy of equipment to avoid single points of failure
Janice Hardrath
Chief Technology Officer
Censis Technologies
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Client Services
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Did you know that you can specify a shelf life for your rigid and
soft (blue) wrap containers and peel packs ?
As you know, the sterility of most items in the medical field doesn't last forever. With Censitrac® you can monitor your containers and peel packs for sterility and run a simple a report that will tell you when items expire or are close to expiration. To enter your shelf life choose Administration from the Main Menu. Choose Settings and then Trays from the Option Group drop down menu. The first field is for your soft or bluewrap containers. The 2nd field is for your rigid containers and the 3rd field is for your peel packs. This page saves dynamically so there is no Save button to push.
To view your items that have expired, choose the Container --Inventory Report and customize by checking the Last Sterilized checkbox for both "Sorted by" and "Show". To specify a certain date range click on the "Filter" checkbox and enter the date range.
If you have any questions with this feature or any other areas of Censitrac®,
please call our Helpdesk at 1-888-877-3010 Opt.1 and we will be glad to assist you.
Kevin Bevill
Director Client Services
Censis Technologies
615-468-8007
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Featured Hospital - Keelser Medical Center (Keesler AFB)
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The 81st Medical Group operates Keesler Medical Center, one of the largest medical centers in the Air Force. Its primary mission is to maintain medical readiness for worldwide contingencies by providing quality, cost- effective healthcare for 10,947 active duty and 46,981 eligible local beneficiaries in a 40-mile catchment area. The 81st MDG commander also oversees the Gulf Coast Multi-Service Market, which includes five military medical treatment facilities and two Coast Guard medical facilities stretching from Mobile, Ala., to New Orleans, coordinating care for more than 75,000 eligible beneficiaries along the Gulf Coast.
(Source: http://www.keesler.af.mil/)
Etching instrument
Airman 1st Class Karol Kowalczuk, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron, electrochemically etches a two-dimensional bar code on a surgical instrument March 26 in Central Sterile Supply. Airman Kowalczuk said "with the bar codes, instruments can be individually tracked and information will be readily available, such as when they were last used or sterilized and in which surgical package they are located."
A research project at the 81st Medical Group Hospital, sponsored by the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, has added a new application. The project, which uses Automated Identification and Data Collection (AIDC) applications, seeks to improve clinical and business processes. AIDC includes technologies such as Radiofrequency ID (RFID), ultrasound, bar codes and infrared that allows an item to be identified nearby, in the case of bar codes, or at a distance, using RFID.
A proof-of-concept recently started in the hospital's Central Sterile Supply. It involves surgical tray and instrument tracking under the guidance of Capt. Yvonne Hill, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron. It uses two-dimensional bar codes that are electrochemically etched into the stainless steel surgical instruments. The 2D bar codes (approximately 4 mm square) uniquely identify each instrument as well as its type and are linked to information in the system data base.
As CSS technicians assemble a tray for surgery, each instrument is scanned and compared against a count sheet for that particular type of surgery. An alert is given if the incorrect instrument has been chosen or if an instrument may have reached its expiration date. (Some instruments have an expiration date and must be discarded after so many uses.) Once the tray is assembled, an autoclavable (sterilizer) RFID tag is affixed to the tray and, following sterilization, the tray and contents may be quickly and accurately located in storage as the need arises.
This system will ensure that all trays are complete and that no instruments have exceeded their expiration date. Since scanning also allows the computer to present the instrument's picture and manufacturer's specification, it will be particularly useful when training student surgical techs. The 81st MDG Hospital is a Phase II training site for this and several other Air Force enlisted medical specialties.
(Source: KMC Roll Call Newsletter, Vol 4 Issue 13, Apr 5, 2010)
By Matthijs Uijterschout
Shipcom Wireless, Inc., and Larry George
Senior Telemedicine Consultant & Project Manager
Center for Partnerships in Research & Technology
Medical Modernization Directorate
Office of the AF Surgeon General |
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Ordering Supplies
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Brian Mills
Censis Technologies
615-468-8019
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