5 Ways Mobile Computer Vision Supports Patient Safety in Healthcare Workflows

| Healthcare

healthcare

Healthcare providers around the world are harnessing smart device-based mobile computer vision to improve patient care and streamline business processes. From patient management to medication administration, mobile data capture solutions can help healthcare teams bolster efficiency and support patient safety. The result? Lower operational costs, greater workflow flexibility, and better healthcare outcomes.

As a leader in mobile computer vision, augmented reality (AR) and machine learning technologies, Scandit empowers healthcare providers worldwide with fast, flexible and reliable hospital scanning solutions. Our smart device-based scanning software is perfect for hospitals and other healthcare environments where accurate, real-time data capture is essential. So today, we’ll be discussing five ways that mobile scanning supports patient safety to help you decide whether this technology is the right choice for your healthcare team.

A Rundown on Mobile Barcode Scanning Solutions for Healthcare

Thanks to innovations in mobile data capture technology, even basic consumer smart devices can be transformed into powerful hospital scanning solutions. These low-cost data capture devices deliver the same speed and accuracy as dedicated scanners—bringing enterprise-grade scanning performance to your healthcare workflows. From processing damaged and blurry patient IDs to poorly lit barcodes on medication packaging, smart device-based barcode scanning excels in the most demanding healthcare environments imaginable.

Looking for a real-world example of how mobile scanning supports patient safety? We recently worked with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (a leading UK hospital trust) to create a software-based barcode scanning solution for scanning patient wristbands, assigned beds, and clinics and operating theatres patients are taken to. Using a Scandit-powered patient management app, Leeds NHS Trust staff captured barcodes with unrivaled speed and accuracy—enabling real-time patient updates to the electronic whiteboard at the nurses’ station. Check out our full case study to see how the Scandit solution optimized patient care routines for the Leeds NHS Trust.

These are just a few of the crucial healthcare workflows that mobile barcode scanning supports:

1. Confirming Patient Identity

With mobile barcode scanning-enabled smart devices, caregivers can quickly and easily identify patients—from the point of admission all the way to being discharged. With a simple scan of a patient’s wristband anywhere in the hospital, your healthcare staff can access detailed information on their specific needs, ranging from medication to supportive care. This solution mobilizes patient management and brings greater transparency to your patient ID workflows, fostering superior patient service and safety.

If you’re looking to improve care with new patient identification software and solutions, the software offers augmented reality (AR) features. For example, the Scandit Barcode Scanner SDK offers a premium AR feature that enables caregivers to access augmented reality overlays and get in-app displays of patient information instantly on the device screen after each scan—enabling smoother, more reliable patient identification and care.

2. Administration of Medication

Medication administration plays a vital role in ensuring patient safety. And with the right barcode scanning solution, you can make this hospital workflow more intuitive and accurate. Mobile healthcare apps on smart devices can scan medication information into a record in seconds—fully digitizing your medication administration workflow and improving patient safety in the process.

Medication administration apps are even more effective when harnessing Scandit’s augmented reality functionality. Scandit-powered apps empower healthcare professionals by providing essential medication information (such as expiration dates) with a tap of their finger, fostering faster and more reliable administration. These hospital scanning solutions can even provide in-app overlays with patient-specific instructions—including allergy information and proper dosage—to ensure that each patient receives the highest quality of care.  

3. Medication/Specimen Tracking

Smart device-based data capture apps can efficiently track and manage medication, sterile fluid collection bags, and other essential healthcare assets. These inexpensive, easy-to-use scanning tools offer excellent capture performance for poorly lit, damaged, or small barcodes at any angle—ensuring fast, error-free asset tracking. And because healthcare staff are already so familiar with smart device apps, they’re easy to implement across your patient care environments.

With a Scandit-powered tracking app, your team can scan multiple barcodes on specimens, blood bags, or medication in one instance to maximize efficiency. Our data capture software can be added to any smart device, including smartphones and tablets, enabling clinicians to quickly scan medications before administering them. Our computer vision-enabled mobile apps significantly outperform other barcode scanning options, bringing unmatched efficiency to your asset tracking workflows.

Scandit’s multiscan functionality also enables healthcare professionals to scan multiple 1D or 2D barcodes on specimen containers at the same time with a single scan. By equipping every member of your team with a barcode scanning-enabled smart device, you can perform more time-efficient checks to further reduce errors and increase patient safety. Our AR functionality also empowers healthcare staff to more effectively visualize patient information right on their smart device screens—driving more efficient, error-free asset handling.

4. Medical Equipment Tracking

Along with tracking medication, blood bags and other healthcare supplies, mobile data capture can be used to track and manage key medical equipment. For example, surgical staff can leverage barcode scanning-enabled mobile devices to quickly and efficiently scan instruments etched with DPM codes before and after surgery—fostering more transparent and reliable coordination of surgical equipment.

With Scandit software, any smart device can be transformed into an enterprise-grade equipment tracking tool—capable of scanning a host of barcode symbologies. Your team can leverage Scandit-powered tracking apps to scan 1D, 2D and DataMatrix codes used for identification of medical instruments and other equipment—ensuring that the right resources are made available exactly when they’re needed.

5. Medication Orders

Did you know you that mobile hospital scanning solutions can be used by clinicians quickly reorder pharmaceutical products? Using their smartphones and an ordering app, any technician can scan a medication package to reorder prescribed items instantly—ensuring faster and more accurate patient care.

With a Scandit-enabled ordering app, hospital staff can scan multiple products in a single instance via multi-scanning. Scandit software can also augment your healthcare apps with augmented reality feedback, giving users detailed product information on the products they scan to reorder. This feature supports better decision-making regarding patient care—and a more efficient reordering process overall.  

Advance Patient Safety With Scandit

Explore our free eBook, 5 Ways Smart Devices Can Support Patient Safety in Healthcare, to learn how digital workflows built on smart devices are reshaping patient care. Feel free to connect with us for more information on how Scandit technology can drive superior patient management and safety.