Thomasville- Archbold Hospital is fine tuning a high-tech computer system that will save time and money and help avoid potential problems during surgery.
When a patient enters the operating room, his life can be on the line. That's why Archbold Hospital is investing in a new, cutting-edge computer system. "It's going to speed up our charting in the operating room. It's going to allow us to pull statistics monthly from a program we've been having to do manually," says Supervisor of Ambulatory Surgery Jan Doddridge.
That means the system cuts down the margin for error, and the amount of time hospital staffers have to spend preparing before and after surgery. Nurses say the more time they invest on the front end, the more they'll save on the back end. "Down the road it's going to save us a lot of time. But right now there's a learning curve because it's a little different," says Doddridge.
Not only does the new computer system save time here in the operating room, it also saves money; for both the patient and the hospital. "We are interfaced with our materials management system. So that's going to be good for helping to keep up with supplies, usage, and waste," says Surgery Clinical Coordinator Margaret Webb. "It's going to be very efficient as far as a cost savings mechanism," adds Doddridge.
An entire crew was assigned to launch this project because Archbold says it's another tool for better patient care, and that's what matters most.
Archbold also says the new system documents the patient's needs from the moment they walk in the door until they leave. It also averages the amount of time physicians spend on procedures, which helps streamline the day's work.
Posted by stephen.ryan@walb.com
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