Integration of Additional Data to Provide Advanced Insights
An important consideration when evaluating clinical surveillance solutions for hospitals is the ability to integrate data from additional sources in order to provide more advanced levels of insight. We recently spoke about this with Dr. Russell Ryono, who has over 30 years of experience as an infection preventionist and pharmacist at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and who now oversees Bitscopic’s team of clinical subject matter experts.
What are the specific reports or conditions that can be tracked with perioperative/ICU data integrated into Clinical Surveillance software?
The clinical surveillance system may need to pull in multiple sources of data including specialized data such as Picis and Intensive Care Unit flowsheets. In addition to information present in the electronic medical record, healthcare systems often employ other software and data collection systems that are designed for more specialized patient populations. For example, patients in the operating room or intensive care units require additional and more frequent monitoring. These systems, with their more robust flowsheet-based interface, address these monitoring issues and provide more complete data including vital signs, medication dosing, medical devices being used, and point-of-care laboratory test results in real time. Integrating these secondary data sources will enhance a user’s ability to assess patients and/or expand surveillance.
What other data sets can be integrated?
Every facility monitors and stores their hand hygiene data differently, and they probably have their own data entry systems. It is therefore important to have the clinical surveillance system be flexible enough to integrate this data. To give a patient-specific example: An electronic medical record may list an active medication as Drug = “A”, Dose = “infusing”. With this additional data source, the user will be able to see the exact dose (e.g., 3 mcg/kg/min), including any changes from hour-to-hour if desired.
How can that additional data be used to improve care?
One example of how additional data can be used to improve care is with Quality Improvement. Antimicrobial surgical prophylaxis starts in the operating room. Integrating this additional data source will enable users to identify the key elements of assessment:
1. Which drug was administered in the Operating Room?
2. When was it administered relative to the incision time?
3. Was a second dose indicated due to the length of the operation? If so, was it ordered and given?
4. How long was the antibiotic continued (this is dependent on wound classification of the procedure)?