Bravis Hospital
invests in smart medication carts
Since early November, the nursing units at Bravis Hospital in Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom have been using AMiS-PRO – an innovative mobile care station that doubles as a medical cart and workstation. Project managers Jay Barendse and Imke van Merrienboer and Marcel Swijnenburg, care manager at the acute complex surgery unit in Bergen op Zoom, were closely involved in the selection, procurement, and roll-out of the AMiS-PRO.
Before AMiS-PRO was introduced at Bravis Hospital, the staff worked with a considerably outdated medication distribution system. In Roosendaal, medical carts with separate compartments were used. ‘It was very old-school,’ says Marcel Swijnenburg.
‘In Bergen op Zoom, the medication carts had compartments and a screen – that’s it. You could open the compartments with a key and access the EPR system on the screen. They were completely outdated models with no uniformity between the locations. The old medication carts were clunky, inflexible, and anything but ergonomic. We wanted to modernize our carts and get on board with the technology and ergonomics of the future.’ This desire led Bravis Hospital to AMiS-PRO.
“We’ll use AMiS-PRO all day as a regular workstation and as a medication cart.’
A significant step in the right direction
Both Jay Barendse and Marcel Swijnenburg consider AMiS-PRO to be a significant step in the right direction. ‘AMiS-PRO is lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, which is a step up from the old, heavy carts that we only used for medication rounds. We can use AMiS-PRO all day as a regular workstation and as a medication cart. That’s why an ergonomic design is so important,’ says Swijnenburg. ‘myHeight is a great ergonomic feature,’ adds Barendse. ‘After logging in to the computer, AMiS-PRO automatically adjusts to the nurse’s preconfigured work height. If the nurse logs in to a different AMiS, the most recent height settings are automatically configured on that AMiS as well.’
”The process of linking AMiS-PRO to the EPR system went very smoothly.”
Integration in the EPR
Marcel Swijnenburg explains that AMiS-PRO contains all of the features nurses need to dispense medication, such as a barcode scanner to scan the patient’s wristband, a needle container, a trash can, and lockable medication bins. ‘The system has a two-factor authentication system to grant access to the medicine drawers. Thanks to the full EPR-integration, authorized nurses can unlock the medication bins at the press of a button. For added safety, the bins close and lock automatically. We’ve configured this at twenty seconds.’ Barendse is extremely pleased with how the software was implemented. ‘The process needed to link the AMiS-PRO to the EPR system went very smoothly. We met with several Alphatron technicians, drew up a plan after just one meeting, and immediately got started. Everything was implemented according to plan. It all went really smoothly.’
Medication filling process
‘We have a real key that can be used in an emergency for unlocking the bins,’ explains Barendse. ‘Both the Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom hospitals have a key in a secure location. The pharmacy uses the key to disconnect the medicine box and refill it once a day to make sure AMiS-PRO contains all necessary medication for a 24-hour period. This includes opiates, which used to be stored in a secure, central location. Now the opiates are stored in the locked medicine cart.’
Medication safety
Before Bravis Hospital implemented AMiS-PRO, a barcode scanner was used to dispense medication. This is also used with AMiS-PRO to ensure medication safety. ‘Scanning the patient’s wristband and the required medication significantly increases safety. The barcode makes it impossible to dispense the wrong medication. The computer system checks everything seamlessly, including the identity of the patient, the required medication, and the dosage. This method is also advantageous for nurses, as it reduces the risk of error and helps them work faster and more efficiently. Given their heavy workload, this is a big plus,’ explains Swijnenburg.
Satisfied nursing staff
Barendse explains that the nursing staff are extremely pleased with the arrival of AMiS-PRO. ‘They were happy trade in the old, unwieldy carts for a sleek, modern workstation. The first impressions have been great!’ he says. ‘That doesn’t surprise me,’ adds Swijnenburg. ‘They basically traded a 1940s Trabant for a 2020 Porsche.’
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