Items not used could then be returned to the shelves. They typically know what they need and may select multiples of some items to ensure anything that might be required during an operation is on hand. The traditional responsibility of selecting equipment for each surgery, Dawkins says, has fallen on highly paid nurses and clinicians, who must go to the supply room and collect equipment before each procedure. RFiD Discovery views the technology as a tool to help hospitals address the backlog of surgeries that have occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, says Simon Dawkins, the company's lead RFID consultant. hospital is now deploying the technology, and RFiD Discovery reports that the system is expected to save its clinical staff time, as well as ensure no procedure is delayed due to a failure to prepare the appropriate equipment in the surgical room. The company designed the system to make the collection of tools and supplies more automatic. RFiD Discovery developed the solution for the NHS hospital and is now selling it commercially for hospitals worldwide. When workers begin their daily picking process, they use a handheld RFID reader and barcode scanner running RFiD Discovery's app.
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The solution is aimed at sparing nurses and other highly paid and busy healthcare providers from having to manage supplies and equipment instead of spending that time with patients. The system was initially deployed in 2016 by the first adopter, a large, acute National Health Services (NHS) trust hospital in the eastern United Kingdom that has asked to remain unnamed, and it has saved seven or eight labor hours a day for clinicians and nurses, enabling non-healthcare personnel to conduct the collection and return of unused equipment for operations. RFiD Discovery's app and software, which provide instructions for selecting each item, ensure that the right products are picked.
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With the system, RFID-tagged or barcoded items are identified every time they are packed for a surgery or returned to supply shelves unused. RFiD Discovery (a Paragon ID company) has released an automated solution to help hospital employees fill medical kits used in surgical units, to ensure the right equipment is available on time for each procedure.