From the May 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


In an ECRI analysis of 100 random pump-related events from May 2010 to March 2012, they found that if the pumps were integrated into the EMR, 75 percent of the errors could have been avoided.

Cerner and Epic are the leaders in smart pump and EMR integration but Allscripts, McKesson, MEDITECH and Siemens Healthcare are also players. Hospira was the first smart pump vendor to integrate but CareFusion, Baxter, Smiths Medical and B. Braun now also have smart pumps that interface with an EMR.


Many hospitals are interested in integrating their smart pumps with their EMR, but it’s proving to be a challenging task. A KLAS report released last year called “Smart Pump/EMR Integration: Not Easy, Worth the Effort,” offered the results of a survey completed by 251 providers where over half said they are considering integrating their smart pumps with their EMR. However, only a few have actually taken that step.

“The challenge has been that folks have been involved in other pursuits,” says Colin Buckley, director of research at KLAS. “There’s been a lot on the plates of both providers and vendors.”

The biggest thing on their plate is ‘meaningful use’. Providers are implementing EMR upgrades, or in some cases, implementing their first EMR and the vendors are trying to get their software certified to meet the meaningful use requirements.

On the smart pump vendor’s side, they’re concerned with getting clearance from the FDA after the slew of recalls.

On top of that, integrating smart pumps is more complex than integrating other devices. Both software and hardware is involved and not just two, but three parties have to work together.

“It’s more complex challenge for folks, so you add that on top of the distractions of meaningful use and other types of things, you can see why they’ve kind of slowed down,” says Buckley.

But since it’s so valuable, in terms of patient safety, convenience and efficiency, Buckley has no doubt in his mind that it will eventually become an industry standard. “I think absolutely this will be a standard or the standard, the question is — how long is that going to take,” he says.

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DOTmed Registered HCBN May 2014 Infusion pumps Companies

Names in boldface are Premium Listings.
Domestic
Andrew Schmidt, Discount Cardiology, CA
Sam Kassir, Infusion Pump Repair, CA
DOTmed Certified
DOTmed 100
Arnold Wiesel, MFI Medical, CA
DOTmed Certified
James Blount, Biomed Plus, LLC, LA
DOTmed Certified
Itibere Silveira, Each Project, MI
Gail Ruggles, Numia Medical Technology, LLC, VT
Ali Youssef, USOC Medical, CA
DOTmed Certified
DOTmed 100
Robert Bean, Integrated Rental Services, KY
Steve Horning, Scientific Equipment Liquidators, MN
Nathaniel Green, Medical Specialties Distributors, LLC, IL
Bob Gaw, PRN, MA
DOTmed Certified
DOTmed 100
Bob Caples, Med-E-Quip Locators, Inc., MO
DOTmed Certified
DOTmed 100
David Lapenat, ANDA Medical, Canada
DOTmed Certified
DOTmed 100
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