Img Source - Alaina Johnson
In the fast-paced and demanding medical industry, healthcare organizations are constantly looking for ways to improve patient care, increase staff productivity, and reduce costs. One important aspect of achieving these goals is the effective management of hospital assets. With hospital asset management, you can rationally use medical equipment and achieve maximum efficiency in work processes.
What is an Asset Management System for Hospitals?
Asset management in healthcare can be carried out using a special system aimed at tracking equipment in the clinic. After its implementation, the management can easily control any medical equipment or consumables - from MRI and artificial respiration devices to medicines and bandages. The platform tracks assets in real time, providing 24/7 monitoring and improving treatment outcomes.
Statistics show that nurses spend up to 40 hours of work time per month searching for lost equipment. This leads to a decrease in their productivity. A hospital asset management system solves this problem. After its implementation in the clinic’s infrastructure, the time spent searching for assets is reduced by 11%, which ensures more efficient work of staff, and sometimes can even help save a patient’s life.
The hospital asset management system is based on miniature sensors (tags, beacons) which are installed on the equipment that needs to be monitored. At a certain interval, they send out radio signals, which are captured by special reading devices and transmitted to the cloud. After processing, the location data is sent to the user’s PC or mobile phone. Based on the information received, the platform builds maps of the building, where you can see each object in real time and track its movement throughout the hospital.
The system can monitor the following processes:
- inventory usage and availability;
- operation of medical equipment, availability and location of free devices;
- maintenance management to maintain the proper condition of medical equipment;
- movement of assets between buildings of the medical facility.
Reasons Why Hospitals Should Implement an Asset Management System
A healthcare asset management system saves nursing staff time and helps quickly solve everyday problems. There are many reasons why they should be introduced into the hospital infrastructure. For example, they reduce costs, increase staff productivity, maximize equipment utilization, and improve patient care. When using the platform, you can receive detailed analytics of the clinic’s performance, which ensures better decision-making.
Improving staff efficiency and productivity
Each shift, medical staff spend a lot of time searching for the tools they need. Healthcare asset management makes it easy to find the right object and thereby increases employee productivity.
Improving patient care
Using asset management systems significantly improves the quality of service. This is achieved by quickly finding equipment, which allows nurses to dedicate more time to patients. Staff are no longer distracted by less important tasks and can spend more time with patients.
Thanks to the introduction of this technology, staff always know where each asset is located. When it comes to ventilators or defibrillators, this can be a decisive factor in saving a patient’s life.
Maximizing asset utilization
Detailed maintenance planning using an asset management system ensures maximum equipment utilization. Using the platform, you can coordinate work processes and reduce operating costs.
Reducing costs
With the hospital asset management system, medical institutions can reduce their costs. Savings are achieved due to the following factors:
- preventing unnecessary equipment purchases by maximizing the use of current equipment;
- extending the service life of medical equipment;
- optimizing logistics processes within a medical facility.
Obtaining analytical data for decision-making
One of the important features of the management system is the ability to obtain detailed analytics about the operation of a medical facility. The platform allows you to generate reports on equipment, based on which you can make informed decisions regarding maintenance, repair, or new purchases. The analysis can be configured both by assets and by processes or time of their use.
How hospital asset management improves the quality of care
Hospital asset management removes barriers that prevent doctors and nursing staff from fully performing their responsibilities. When using it, you can easily track equipment, control the availability of free devices, and also quickly obtain information about the wear and tear of assets.
Tracking critical equipment
With digital asset management, critical equipment will always be within easy reach. This is especially important during emergencies when medical staff need to respond to the patient's condition as quickly as possible.
Monitoring the availability of available equipment for patients
The system allows you to control the location of available equipment. Medical staff are always aware of where the assets are and in what condition they are. Any objects are subject to tracking, be it medical equipment, beds, or wheelchairs. With constantly updated information, asset purchases, repairs, and replacements can be resolved promptly, providing better, more efficient care.
Obtaining data on equipment wear and service life
Using the system, you can constantly maintain equipment in working condition. The platform controls maintenance and simplifies the following tasks:
- carrying out repairs in case of breakdowns;
- taking preventive measures to avoid malfunctions;
- performing inspections and scheduled cleaning;
- maintenance planning.
When using the software, you can minimize the risks of emergencies and ensure more accurate and productive repair work.
Tracking tools by Navigine
Navigine provides hospitals and clinics with a specialized platform for real-time asset management and tracking. The system includes a set of features that help track and control the movement of assets and patients. This tool is based on software that operates in conjunction with fixed infrastructure and wearable equipment (such as bracelets, badges, smart watches, etc.).
The main advantages of the tracking platform are the following:
- effective asset management in healthcare;
- easy installation and settings;
- easy scaling as the hospital develops and expands;
- high accuracy of object tracking;
- seamless navigation;
- receiving information in real time.
To learn more about the features of the system and get the necessary technical support, contact us by filling out the feedback form or booking a free Zoom demo.
