Solving One of Healthcare’s Most Critical Issues and News About Phoenix
In this edition, you’ll find information on individually locking bins and how they solve one of the most prevalent issues in healthcare. We also share some news from our company, including our expansion in Canada, and a conference in May we’ll be at – see you soon, Texas! You’ll read a few tips on how to keep your residents engaged and stimulated, which helps extend their lives too.
We hope you enjoy this newsletter. If you would like us to address any topics in the future, let us know!
Individually Locking Bins Solve One of The Most Critical Problems in Healthcare
Medicine safety demands that healthcare providers give their patients the right medicines in the right doses at the right times. One of the top 5 most common medical mistakes is medication errors, and considering the importance of properly medicating patients in regard to patient outcomes, it is certainly an alarming statistic.
Phoenix LTC offers bins that lock and unlock individually. This feature gives everyone in your facility peace of mind, as it provides more security and traceability of specific medications. Also, our bins are made of strong steel not puny plastic that’s flimsy and can easily be compromised.
During the dispensing process, bins that unlock individually drastically reduce access to other meds stored in the same cart, mitigating 2 of the most critical medication-related concerns in healthcare – diversion and dispensing errors.
Individually locking bins decrease both legal and financial risk to healthcare facilities by helping to lessen medication errors that occur at the meds dispensing cart. This leads to improved patient outcomes, a notion reinforced by Johns Hopkins. The organization published data on the subject of medical errors, which were then ranked the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 10% of lost American lives from any cause.
Only one bin at a time being able to lock or unlock requires innovation. We introduced StatSafe for automated medication management well over a decade ago. Our newest generation uses the latest in hardware technology and smart software to create a safer, more efficient stat dose process. We will share more specifics about StatSafe later, but here is some information on how it works in tandem with our bins and carts and can help you and your staff lessen medication and dispensing errors, as well as diversion.
- Our StatBin systems have our strong steel bins that lock and unlock individually.
- StatBin works well for a smaller number of medications, and especially if they are high-value and controlled dose.
- StatCube makes it so you can take out a single cube for restocking instead of the entire module. Locked from the pharmacy to your Phoenix LTC cart equipped with StatSafe, they remain so until unlocked at the time of dispensing. The cube cannot be misloaded and the specific medicine inside of it will be easy to find again, thanks to both its digital ID and LED guidance indicator, respectively.
Those who conducted the Johns Hopkins study shared that the medical errors are not necessarily due to bad healthcare practitioners, but instead usually came from “systemic problems, including … the absence or underuse of safety nets and other protocols, in addition to unwarranted variation in practice patterns that lack accountability”. The features of Phoenix LTC’s carts – and especially our bins that lock and unlock individually – can be seen as somewhat of a safety net, as well as providing a precise procedure for dispensing built right in, and also adds a layer of accountability. Individually locking and unlocking bins paired with the right hardware and software offer numerous benefits to your facility, its healthcare professionals, and the patients you treat.
More News from Phoenix
Canada:
Phoenix is expanding its operations in Canada. This includes dedicated representatives in Canada and carts specifically designed for the Canadian market. If you’d like to receive an electronic version of our Canada Catalog, make a request here.
Software Upgrade:
Our StatSafe Software has been upgraded! Now with Two Factor Authentication (2FA) and biometrics, you are getting an extra layer of security, allowing you to minimize risks for your business and comply with government requirements. Contact us for more information and a demo.
QuickTurn:
Need your carts fast? We are launching a QuickTurn Program! Under this program, if you order 20 carts or more, we will ship them to you within 10 business days. Contact our advisors to find out what carts are available for fast delivery.
Gerimed:
Come see us at the GeriMed conference in Texas, May 10-12. We will have our newest carts in the booth for you to check out!
Engagement Really Does Extend Lives!
Most long-term care facilities have some activities to enrich the lives of residents and provide mental stimulation. Research has consistently shown that these activities extend life expectancy and improve survival rates in residents without major cognition or physical issues that could lead to an increased risk of earlier mortality. To be specific, residents that participate in social activities at a high level had an almost 20% lower mortality rate over 5 years, as well as an increase of 3 years in their survival rate, when compared to others in the facility who were much less involved.
What activities does your facility encourage? Do you recommend them a few times a week to make sure your residents have adequate stimulation, motivation, and interest? Here are a couple of ideas to help your residents stay sharp, healthy, engaged, and interested!
Apps on Tablets or Phones
There are so many ways to combine passing time and stimulating the mind nowadays. It used to be that crossword puzzles were done in the daily newspaper and jigsaw puzzles needed a card table, but not anymore. There are apps aplenty that bring those old nostalgic activities to a portable screen.
Daily or Nightly Game Shows
From The Price is Right to Family Feud to Jeopardy, whether new episodes or old, game shows offer residents an opportunity to remind themselves of what they know and to learn new things. If you don’t want your facility tied down to a specific TV schedule, or if you want to offer residents this kind of mental stimulation on their own time frame, old episodes are available on YouTube.
These are just 2 ideas to foster engagement and mental stimulation of those in your care. What activities does your facility promote? Let us know!
Our medication management solutions, our staff, and our 24/7/365 urgent support team are here to make your experience extraordinary, safe, and smooth
