2008 Best use of wireless healthcare

Winner

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust

Wireless revolutionises patient care in multiple ways

With the innovative use of wireless technology, clinicians at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, are now able to access information about their patients at the bedside. Through benchmarking, learning from best practice, and improving and supporting process change, the trust's IM&T directorate has combined this wireless capability with a series of seamlessly-linked electronic systems. Clinicians, managers and information and IT professionals have made it possible for clinical information to be recorded during ward rounds, medications verified, drug orders placed electronically and discharge summaries created instantaneously. The result is more effective treatment, increased efficiency and support for staff, and enhanced patient services.

Finalists

The iWard - Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

The Streamlined Ward Working project is a multi-disciplinary approach to innovation, clinically led and supported by managerial and IT staff. It has created a radically transformed ward environment where enhanced wireless-enabled point-of-care tools have removed paper-based collection. This allows clinical staff to electronically record, quality assure and share data on patient observations, handover records and care plans.

WiFi-based equipment tracking - Airetrak

Working in partnership, Airetrak, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Paisley and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, have implemented a Wireless Local Area Network across 15 areas of the hospital and integrated this with Airetrak's ResourceView WiFi based RFID tracking solution. The solution helps staff to manage 1000 portable medical devices with a capital replacement value of well over £2m.