New digital system solution to the Steyr pilot hospital

Strategic innovation partners gespag and Greiner Bio-One have introduced a new digital system solution to the Steyr pilot hospital.

The system optimises the entire blood sampling procedure. Greiner eHealth Technology’s (GeT) system solutions allow the entire pre-analytical process to be executed and documented digitally, from the blood sample request to the end result. Therefore, all manual operations along these lines are now a thing of the past, which guarantees 100% traceability and transparency.

Gespag’s chairman Karl Lehner MBA explains the background of the Greiner Group cooperation: "Promoting collaborations and alliances has been part of the Oö Gesundheits- und Spitals-AG identity for many years. As part of a Medical Technology Cluster (MTC) innovation partnership, we have newly entered a cooperation bringing clear advantages for both sides. gespag patients profit from the innovation and the Greiner Bio-One company enters the market as a renowned reference in healthcare."

Focus on patient safety

Optimum patient safety is a primary objective for gespag and its eight clinics. By successfully implementing the new GeT solutions in LKH Steyr hospital, and subsequently in all gespag locations, the company has taken another important step towards meeting future demands with innovative solutions.

Chairman of the Board for the Greiner Group Axel Kühner says: "The strategic partnership between gespag and Greiner Bio-One has successfully created a worldwide best practice for digital sample processing. The international interest of medicinal technology experts confirms our pioneering role in blood sampling system solutions."

Managing director of analytics for Greiner Bio-One Manfred Buchberger proclaims: "Greiner Bio-One has long recognised the signs of the times, banking on pre-analysis digitalisation for blood sampling. This covers the entire process, from sample request to transmitting the results.

"GeT ingeniously connects blood sampling, one of our core functions, with the software it has developed. Therefore, together with international partners such as laboratory information system manufacturers, we are making an essential contribution to increasing sample and treatment quality."

Paradigm shift in sampling patient advantages and added value

In practice, digitalisation means that all sampling tubes will now carry a barcode. Therefore, manual tube labelling and other administrative steps routinely taken by nursing personnel around the world are history.

Blood sampling begins with identifying the patient. Besides verbal communication, this is performed by scanning an armband ID. The patient’s name is no longer on the tube, which guarantees 100% data protection.

The lab order is also scanned automatically, indicating the required sample containers.

When drawing blood, nursing staff can see at a glance what tubes must be taken out in what order. In the final step, the respective sample barcodes are matched with the patient ID and stored in the system, which automatically initiates the lab order.

Zero mismatching risk and perfect sample quality

Corroborating the essential advantage of digitalisation, head of nursing for the gespag pilot hospital Walpurga Auinger says: "Hence, lab experts know if they’re using the correct sampling tube. Mixing up samples or making false analyses is ruled out.

"Furthermore, the automatic recording technology makes it easy to see exactly when the sample was taken. This is crucial for analyses as it establishes parameters that could change over time. For example, if too much time elapses between sampling and analysis, the resulting values could be incorrect. The new system eliminates sample ageing."

Moreover, efficient blood management allows for the study of as many laboratory parameters as possible from the amount of blood available, making it unnecessary to draw too much from the patient.

Rollout is well underway

Karl Lehner declares: "Due to the positive empirical data collected by experts at both Steyr Hospital surgical stations, expansion to other departments began in April. As soon as the digitalisation procedure has been entirely implemented at LKH Steyr, step-by-step rollout will begin at all gespag hospitals."