Integrating Medical Devices with Your EMR

In today's healthcare environment integrating medical device technology with electronic medical record (EMR) systems is becoming a vital part of sustaining successful and safe medical practices. By linking assessment and diagnostic devices such as vital sign monitors, EKG, spirometers, holters, FHR monitors, etc. medical practices and healthcare facilities benefit from:

• Reduced errors from human transcription of data between devices and the EMR

• Minimizing duplicate data entry and storage

• Streamlining medical record and diagnostic testing review to one, not multiple, applications

• Cost-efficiency in personnel time use and paperless medical record storage

There are many different manufacturers which have designed medical devices compatible with multiple EMR systems. While this list is not comprehensive, it provides a starting point in discovering how EMR-integrated medical devices can help you provide more efficient, cost-effective, and safer care to patients while meeting the expanding needs of you medical practice or facility.

Vital Sign Monitors

Vital sign monitors are one of the most frequently used assessment devices in the healthcare setting. In outpatient care each patient typically receives at least one assessment of their vital signs and in critical care this monitoring device could be used as frequently as every 2-5 minutes on a single patient. The manual entering of such a large amount of data into an EMR system is not only time consuming, but subject to a heightened level of human error. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have determined that integration of vital sign monitoring with EMRs is so essential to improving healthcare practices that they have included it as a core requirement of their Stage 1 Meaningful Use program. This program offers $2 million from both Medicare and Medicaid if hospitals fully comply with their full set of recommendations.

Manufacturer: Welch Allyn
Product Name: Connex Vital Signs Monitor 6000 Series
Highlights: In addition to being able to integrate with EMR systems, this device has as broad range of models and customizable options to adapt to both an outpatient or inpatient setting.
Where to buy:
Eray Medical
EMRapproved

Manufacturer: ADC
Product Name: Adview Monitor
Highlights: This product has optional Bluetooth technology for wireless EMR integration as well as uses a modular design which allows for customization at time of purchase as well as seamless upgrades for future use.
Where to Buy:
Medical Device Depot

Manufacturer: Spacelabs Healthcare
Product Name: Ultraview DM3
Highlights: This device can be used for both spot-check assessments as well as for continuous use in critical care settings. It was designed to meet the growing technological advances in medicine including a touch screen display, barcode scanner for patient identification, and advanced EMR integration.
Where to buy:
DRE

EKG/ECG

EKG/ECG monitoring is the cornerstone of cardiovascular screening and an essential in every inpatient and general outpatient setting. Advanced EMR-integrated EKG machines have already began to appear on the market, making test result transmission, interpretation, and storage easier than ever. Unlike scanned PDF copies of EKG printouts, EMR-integrated results can be digitally analyzed by computers and clinicians making for more accurate and time-efficient diagnostic interpretations.

Manufacturer: Schiller
Product Name: Cardiovit MS-2010 EKG-Interpretive
Highlights: This new-touch screen device looks similar to an tablet PC but is a fully functional EKG machine designed for high-volume use and features one of the most advanced networking support found on any EKG machine. Automatically integrates with SEMA, HIS and HL7 worklists.

Manufacturer: GE Healthcare
Product Name: MAC 1200 Interpretive EKG
Highlights: This highly functional EKG system gives digital and print copies of EKG tracings while also being fully integrated with EMR systems such as MUSE and CardioSoft Cardiology Information Systems.

Where to buy:
Medsupplier.com

Spirometry

A spirometer is a device used in Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) which helps aid in the early diagnosis and prevention of many pulmonary conditions including asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema. Advanced spirometers use complex interpreting and diagnostic processes which are not easily transcribed manually into an non-integrated EMR system. By integrating the spirometry with your EMR clinicians can immediately see the results within the patients records without having to transfer and interpret from a separate device.

Manufacturer: Midmark
Product Name: IQmark Digital Spirometer
Highlights: This slim device meets all the strict requirements for the American Thoracic Society and is easy to use. The spirometer also comes with a integration software solution which enables most EMR systems to directly acquire the diagnostic data from the device and into their systems.

Manufacturer: Welch Allyn
Product Name: Spiro-Perfect Spirometer
Highlights: This device which plugs directly into a computer has a built-in interface to communicate with EMR and patient management systems.

Where to buy:
DRE

Digital Weight Scale

Located in every healthcare facility, weight scales are an essential part of monitoring patients' well-being and treatment progress. EMR-integreatd weight scales offer precise weight, height, and BMI measurements which automatically flow into a patients medical record for accurate and streamlined documentation.

Manufacturer: Health-O-Meter
Product Name: 499KL Digital Electronic Column Scale
Highlights: This scale supports weights up to 500lbs, automatically calculates BMI measurements, and features a USB interface port for connection and integration with EMR systems.

Manufacturer: Detecto
Product Name: 6439 Digital Electronic Column Scale
Highlights: Supporting up to 400lbs, this digital scale also features BMI calculations, a height measuring rod, and a RS-232C interface port for EMR integration.

Where to buy:
Scale-IT
EMRapproved

Fetal Monitoring

Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring was one of the first medical devices to become fully integrated with EMR systems. FHR monitors record continuous data over extended periods of time (sometimes days or weeks) which result in a large amount of data to be transferred and stored into the medical record. By integrating FHR monitors with EMRs the necessity of storing paper print outs, transcribing data, and the chance for human error is eliminated. Many FHR monitors also feature vital sign assessment devices which are also able to flow into an EMR.

Manufacturer: GE
Product Name: Corometrics 120 Series Maternal/Fetal Monitors
Highlights: This series of monitors can trace multiple fetuses, record uterine activity, maternal vital signs, and fetal pulse oximetriy – all which can flow directly into an integrated QS Information EMR system.

Manufacturer: Philips
Product Name: Avalon FM40 and FM50
Highlights: This product has all the core capabilities of a FHR monitor including multiple fetal tracing, uterine activity measurement, maternal vital signs assessment, and uterine movement detection in addition to an extensive set of internal fetal parameters such as direct FHR and uterine pressure. This device integrates with Philips obstetrical EMR system, OB TraceVue.

Where to buy:
Monet Medical, Inc.
Cardiac Direct

Holter

A holter is a small device that is worn by patients in an outpatient setting in order to monitor cardiac function over an extended period of time. A small recorder, which usually clips onto an article of clothing and is fed information about the electrical activity of the heart picked up by several leads that are adhered to the patient's chest. Typically, the patient wears the device for 24 hours or more, resulting in a large amount of data which needs to be transferred and interpreted into an EMR system. While most holter devices come with software for this function, only a few allow these results to flow directly into your current EMR software.

Manufacturer: Midmark Brentwood
Product Name: IQholter
Highlights: This slim portable holter device uses a brightly lid LCD screen and keypad for ease-of-use by patients and clinicians. It is capable of supporting long-term monitoring of cardiac markers including VD runs and pairs, SVE, R on T, ST level and slope, Bigeminy, Tachycardia, Trigeminy, Bradycardia and more. The IQholter comes with three software applications in addition to being compatible with most EMR systems.

Manufacturer: WelchAllyn
Product Name: PCH-100 Expert Holter Software and HR 100 Holter Recorder
Highlights: This two part system is compact, easy to use, and incredibly efficient. The data from the tiny recorder transfers to the accompanying software program quickly for analysis and can be integrated with most EMR systems.

Where to buy:
Cardiology Shop

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