Hospital Pneumatic Tube System Buyer s Guide Evaluating material transport partners that fit your needs

Transcription

1 Hospital Pneumatic Tube System Buyer s Guide Evaluating material transport partners that fit your needs

2 Improving the Patient Experience With hospitals more focused on the patient experience than ever before, it is important to find technology partners that help your facility improve patient care. Selecting the right pneumatic tube system solution can enhance your patients experience by providing faster delivery of medications and faster turnaround times on lab results, while freeing your staff to focus on delivering quality patient care. Not all automated pneumatic tube systems (PTS) are created equal. As your facility evolves and grows in size and patient volume, the importance of a reliable and scalable PTS is critically important. Oftentimes, hospital automation providers will offer a portfolio of solutions in addition to pneumatic tubes, allowing for integrated material movement and management throughout the facility. Selecting the right pneumatic tube system solution can enhance your patients experience by providing faster delivery of medications and faster turnaround times on lab results This paper guides you through the evaluation of pneumatic tube system solutions to ensure you make the best choice for your current and future material transport needs. With careful planning and by asking the right questions, you ll be much better equipped to evaluate the solution that s bestsuited for your facility.

3 Core Pneumatic Tube System Features Software Dashboards Effective PTS solutions integrate software and hardware, providing an in-depth look at total system performance via an easy-to-use software platform. This vantage point allows hospitals to access information that drives increased safety, an improved patient experience and lower operating costs. The following features are crucial when evaluating highperformance PTS software: Integration with system security for tracking and tracing carriers Dashboards offering real-time views of transaction status, operational metrics and system exceptions Simple user interface to increase efficiency and reduce errors Power management capabilities to reduce operational costs Virtual server support for ease of implementation and updates Customer Support Access to a knowledgeable and responsive customer support team is crucial when dealing with a critical hospital system. Choosing a partner with experienced and available support representatives is something that cannot be overlooked when installing a PTS. Through PTS dashboards, the tube system provides customizable reporting capabilities that translate PTS data into actionable information. Optimized data is presented through the user-friendly and intuitive dashboard software. Selecting a technology partner that offers the most data in an easy to access and understand format is key to effective system management. Remote System Monitoring Remote monitoring of your PTS is invaluable in terms of immediate response to and resolution of alarms, returning the system to normal operations and minimizing the impact on facility support personnel. The ability for remote system monitoring to provide reports on tube system uptime, alarms, response times and corrective actions also supports high system performance and active system management. Finding a PTS provider that translates raw tube system data into the most relevant information for your facility makes a significant difference in system performance and proactive system maintenance. Chain-of-Custody Beyond simply facilitating transaction tracking, modern solutions for chain-of-custody permit users to monitor deliveries, secure access and provide audit reports automatically ensuring proper documentation and security with each transaction, regardless of user compliance. Automating critical transaction steps ensures transaction integrity and reduces procedural variability, whereas barcode scanning and other manual processes require users to remember and execute each step. Whether you are adding on to an existing tube system or building a new one, the best chain-of-custody solution for your facility is one that has been customized by the provider to meet your facility s specific secure transaction requirements. Consider the locations of your PTS stations and who will be using them. Not all send and receive locations require the same levels of security. Among the considerations for chain-of-custody solutions are: User-friendly interfaces and workflows improve user compliance with policy and procedure guidelines Alert notifications to ensure timely deliveries Secure access to eliminate lost medications and promote accountability Transaction recording to provide an activity audit and ensure operational efficiency

4 Important Questions to Ask During Your Evaluation Minimal Interruption Are the installation teams extensively trained and specialized in working in a healthcare environment? The result of selecting a provider with this experience is reduced disruption and risk during the installation of your system. Ask your tube system provider to explain their design process. You don t have to be an architect or general contractor to understand the basics, and it is critical to simulate performance in advance of installation. System Reliability Does the provider have a strong customer base that demonstrates reliable systems? Asking for a reference isn t just a good idea, it s a requirement. By understanding the provider s customer demographics and identifying current customers with similar characteristics to your facility, you ll have a greater knowledge of their capabilities and service for your needs. Ease of Use What sort of training does the PTS provider offer and is the system user-friendly? With today s technology and the healthcare industry s strict guidelines, the last thing your hospital needs is another confusing and timeconsuming system for employees to master. With tube system features such as secure send, speed dial and chain of custody, it s essential to ensure user confidence and ongoing satisfaction. A PTS should be as simple to use as an automated teller machine (ATM), while training and user manuals should facilitate effective use of higher-level features and functionality. Traffic Optimization Reporting and Analytics Technologically Advanced With most of the tube system hidden within the walls, ceilings and basement of a hospital, how do I know if it has been designed for optimal traffic performance? All PTS systems are different. There are many technical considerations to be evaluated, including: geographical location, traffic volume and scalability. Technology partners should be able to conduct a system simulation prior to install to demonstrate that your PTS is designed to perform according to your facility s specified needs today, with the capability to meet future demands as your needs grow. Does the PTS provider offer dashboards showcasing system performance? Data is king across all industries. In healthcare, it s even more important because lives are depending on system performance. In today s advanced technological landscape, a PTS partner should be able to track system usage and provide tube system traffic details and other important data, allowing you to monitor, analyze and address critical performance metrics in real time. Is the provider equipped to keep up with the technological advancements of the healthcare industry? Looking for a provider with proven technology innovations is especially important in this industry with the ever-changing needs of this demanding audience. Don t be shy ask your PTS provider about their PTS technology platform and what their vision is moving forward. How will the system accommodate future technology innovations and incorporate new capabilities in hardware and software? What is their roadmap to buffer technology obsolescence?

5 Scorecard Choosing the Right Solution Does the solution provide: Ability to incorporate variable speed delivery? Back-up for catastrophic failures? Touch-screen panels at end-user send and receive stations? Dynamic routing options for optimized delivery speed and throughput? Does the system allow you to incorporate track and trace features including: PTS carrier tracking? Badge swipe user authentication? PTS station access doors? Alerts to notify user of send or receipt? Does the system performance offer: Guaranteed uptime? High throughput even during peak times? Software that optimizes routing to achieve the fastest transaction times? Does the PTS provider offer: Comprehensive PTS training on and off-site? Training for transport system protocols, infection control issues, proper packaging techniques and climate protection? Remote PTS monitoring capabilities? 24/7 Customer support? Preventive maintenance programs? Regular system audits or inspections to ensure smooth system operation? Other relevant hospital automation technologies? And do they integrate with existing systems?

6 Total Cost of Ownership Hospitals that select reliable material transport automation save time in operations and maintenance thus saving money. Maintaining a tube system is not very different from keeping your car in good working order. If you skip an oil change, it can be detrimental to your car s operation. Think of PTS preventive maintenance the same way. If you don t proactively manage the health of your tube system, it will eventually stop performing the way you expect it to, which is not an option in healthcare, where fast deliveries eliminate pain and speed up diagnosis and treatment. For more information on how to select the right pneumatic tube system provider for your healthcare facility, visit swisslog.com/healthcare or [email protected].

7 2015 Swisslog EN NAM PTS-413 Swisslog Healthcare Solutions Swisslog Healthcare Solutions is the leading supplier of automation and software solutions for material transport and medication management in healthcare facilities. Swisslog has installed facility-wide and pharmacy automation systems in more than 3,000 hospitals worldwide, including more than 2,000 in North America. Denver-based Swisslog Healthcare Solutions offers total system design, manufacturing, installation and customer support providing an integrated solution for lean workflow and operations that enhances information access, patient safety and cost efficiency. Swisslog systems may be covered by one or more patents. See swisslog.com/patents for details. Swisslog Healthcare Solutions USA: Canada: swisslog.com/thoughtleadership