In today's dynamic healthcare environment, there is a growing complexity of networks and devices. Physicians and nurses are increasingly mobile, yet they need to make quick decisions based on clinical evidence located elsewhere. As a result, clinicians need easy access to information for decision support - regardless of where they are or the location of the data. Collecting, storing and documenting patient data electronically is a growing trend in today's leading hospitals. Technologies that are essential to business communication are becoming common in healthcare. Wireless medical devices, such as bedside and patient-worn monitors, increase patient mobility and reduce cable clutter, but they can pose network integration challenges. Care team members need to see vital patient information from these devices in many places at once: at the point of care, in the central monitoring station, and beyond the hospital. Patient data must be documented in the ICU and OR, and then integrated into the hospital's electronic medical record.
Sharing a single network
To protect the security of vital patient data, hospitals traditionally had to deploy two networks - one for general hospital information and the other for life-critical patient data. As a result, hospitals had to deploy and maintain two separate networks. Dräger addresses this challenge with Infinity OneNet, a shared infrastructure that integrates patient monitoring systems into one hospital-wide wired and wireless network rather than requiring a separate network. OneNet streamlines the network infrastructure, while ensuring the security of vital signs data. As a result, hospitals can reduce infrastructure and administrative expenses by maintaining one network rather than two.
Maintaining vigilance at the central nursing station
Nurses need to be able to see vital signs and hear monitor alarms of critically ill patients at all times - even when they are not with the patient. To meet this need, Dräger's Infinity CentralStation gathers and displays information from Infinity bedside/transport and patient-worn monitors for central monitoring of up to 32 patients on the Infinity Network. If a vital sign parameter exceeds a set limit, the alarm sounds both at the bedside monitor and at the Infinity CentralStation.
Bringing clinical data to the point of care
Having comprehensive patient information is essential for providing quality care. Traditionally, physicians could see patient vital signs data at the point of care, but had to go elsewhere to see other clinical information. Dräger answers this challenge with Infinity Omega, a patient monitoring solution that integrates an Infinity Delta series patient monitor and docking station with an Infinity C700 for IT workstation and Infinity Explorer software. As a result, physicians can view vital signs, lab data, patient data management systems, X-rays, scans and MR images - all on one large touchscreen display. This synergy puts the information physicians need at their fingertips which can support decision making, save time spent looking for information, and help reduce the potential for medical error.
Having remote access to current and retrospective patient data
Physicians often need to access vital patient information from their homes and offices, or while traveling. Dräger meets this need with a comprehensive remote access solution that includes Infinity Symphony, a Web-based remote viewing application that provides access to data stored on the database of the Infinity CentralStation by making it available virtually anywhere via the hospital network. Infinity Symphony provides near-real-time views of monitored patient information and ventilation data - with a single sign-on and integrated patient selection. Infinity Symphony features the Infinity WebPortal, which lets physicians access a wealth of patient information - such as charting information from the Innovian clinical information system, archived diagnostic ECGs from Infinity MegaCare, and near-real-time monitoring data from WebViewer - with just a few mouse clicks. This eliminates the time-consuming process of having to pull this information from many diverse systems, while providing a single, comprehensive view of each patient's condition.
Automating documentation in the ICU and OR
In today's perioperative and critical care environments, nearly every step of the care process must be documented - which generates a significant amount of redundant work by multiple clinicians. This requirement places very real limits on clinical responsiveness at the acute point of care, which is where responsiveness matters most. Dräger helps hospitals meet this challenge with Innovian Solution Suite, a Web-based clinical information system that continually captures vital data from perioperative and critical care medical devices and information systems and integrates it into one easy-to-navigate interface that can be easily accessed anywhere via the hospital network. Another proven Dräger solution is ICM, Intensive Care Manager. This client/server-based critical care information management system supports better planning, more precise documentation and relevant statistical analysis.
All components of Dräger's information access solution are integrated from the ground up - which opens the flow of patient information throughout the hospital and beyond, while providing the necessary security and control measures that hospitals need.
About Dräger
Dräger is an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology. Dräger products protect, support and save lives. Founded in 1889, in 2007 Dräger generated revenues of around EUR 1.8 billion. The Dräger Group employs around 10,000 people in more than 40 countries worldwide. Please visit www.draeger.com for more information.