Solutions for Hospitals Overview MedTrac™ for Hospital Logistics MedTrac for Consignment MedTrac for Asset Management
Overview The lack of IT in the supply chain is a major source of inefficiency and waste for hospitals and their suppliers. Hospitals spend most of their budgets on providing care for patients, allocating very little to improving internal processes through increased IT investment. Inventory management is manual or at best semi-automated, creating error-prone data which results in waste due to lost, expired, and obsolete products. In order to ensure that all products are available at all times, hospitals maintain inventories at unnecessarily high levels tying up hospital cash. Studies have shown the level of waste (obsolescence, expiry, damaged, special needs, duplicated) is generally 20% of all items on-hand with a further 25-30% of on-hand stock in excess of the actual requirement and therefore at a greater risk of becoming obsolete, expiring or becoming damaged. The core reason for excess inventory is lack of visibility to actual point of use information at the time of the procedure. Due to limited IT investment, hospitals lack the automated systems that provide them with visibility into their own inventories, creating poor asset utilization and an inability to understand their own cost structures. While these activities are important, it is an inappropriate use of the skilled and already overburdened nursing staff. Between six and eight hours per week, per ward of nursing time is spent supporting the supply chain according to an Exel PLC UK National Healthcare System study. Back to Top
MedTrac for Hospital Logistics This solution enables the management of all hospital inventories at ward level and tracks product consumption by patient, procedure and doctor. Ward level orders can be consolidated into purchase orders that can be electronically transmitted to suppliers. Hospitals using MedTrac achieve lower inventory levels, increase efficiency, reduce waste and improve cash flow. These advantages provide hospital staff with more time and resources to focus on patient care. Having visibility to exact usage data, on-hand inventory and on-order inventory levels allows management to make more informed decisions on product inventory levels. It reduces the risk of inventory obsolescence and minimizes the level of inventory throughout the hospital. Visibility to inventory and usage data not only allows for better inventory decisions, but it can also help hospitals make improved purchasing decisions. Having exact product usage in specific categories can help in strategic sourcing initiatives and price negotiations. Back to Top
MedTrac for Consignment This solution focuses on the unique requirements of consigned inventories. Product consumption is tracked by patient, procedure and doctor. This information can then be electronically transmitted to suppliers for reordering and replenishment and to hospital accounting systems, freeing up hospital personnel to focus more time on patient care. The solution ensures proper patient billing by capturing product consumption by patient and procedure. Back to Top
MedTrac for Asset Management This solution focuses on the tracking and location of mobile assets as they move around the hospital. Studies indicate that a typical nurse spends 30 minutes per day trying to locate equipment. Location information is obtained through the use of RFID tags on the assets and readers in strategic locations throughout the hospital. This solution reduces delay in finding equipment, reduces the risk of over buying equipment and the risk of the asset being removed from the hospital. Back to Top
