How to Improve Healthcare Patient Belongings Check-in / Checkout Chain of Custody

Barcoding, Inc., Honeywell Platinum Elite Partner, announces the release of new IntelliTrack Patient Belongings Tracking (PBT) Application. The application, running on mobile computers like the Honeywell CT40 HC, provides a complete chain of custody for the patient belongings and valuables for all points of a patient’s hospital stay.

The IntelliTrack PBT application is purpose-built to simplify and help secure each step of the healthcare workflow for managing, documenting, securing, and returning patient’s belongings/valuables. The application is easy to learn, use, and helps eliminate costly errors that are associated with traditional manual processes.

Automatically track property collection, storage, return and other movements, capturing user, date and time, and location data. Maintain a history of property movement through your facility. Patients have a complete record of each transaction and can feel secure that their belongings are safe.

The application runs on Android/iOS mobile devices. This means it can work within the processes and devices you already own for seamless integration.

Traditional Patient Belongings Check-in/Checkout Experience

As a patient checks in to a healthcare facility for any length of time, the patient will either give their belongings to another person to take home or check-in their belongings with a clinician to be store onsite.  This check-in process is often a manual, cumbersome and subject to errors.  For example, as a patient checks-in their belongings prior to care, a clinician uses pre-printed paper form to record patient belongs. Following the check-in, the clinician is now responsible for taking good care of the belongings. Actual care of patient belongings/valuables can range from re-entering patient belonging data in some electronic format and placing items in a secure locked room to simply stowing patient items in a closet.  This process is laden with multiple points for possible failure that include data entry mistakes to misplacing patient belongs. Any mistake in this process can open the healthcare facility to costly claims to negative impact on the patient experience. Consider the Emergency Room scenario where belongings are quickly gathered and placed in the clinician’s hands while the patient is being treated.

Patient Belongings Check-in/Checkout Experience with IntelliTrack PBT

Let’s take a closer look at patient check-in episode using the IntelliTrack Patient Belongings Tracking Application: 

1. Open application. Clinician opens the IntelliTrack Patient Belongings Tracking Application on mobile computer such as the Honeywell CT40 HC for Healthcare.
2. Scan patient ID to begin patient belongings check-in. Clinician scans patient ID wristband to begin the patient’s belongings check-in.All of the patient’s belongings will be associated with their patient ID.
3. Scan pre-labeled property bag barcode. Clinician scans a pre-labeled barcode property bag in which the patient belongings will be placed.Additional property bags can be added as needed. As desired, individual barcodes can be printed and placed on individual times.All property bags and individual times will be associated to the patient ID.
4. List patient belongings. Next the healthcare clinician will be presented with the property collection screen displaying a list of user-defined items that a patient might check-in for safe keeping (e.g., watch, ring, phone, purse, shirt, pants, hat).As each item is presented, the clinician checks the boxes of the items being checked-in by the patient.The clinician can also add items from their device if they are not in the pre-populated list.
5. Add photos and notes for checked-in items. The clinician has the option to add/associate photos and notes for each checked-in patient belonging. This additional information helps document property (e.g., type, color, brand, model), property condition details (e.g., scratched, torn, color, brand) and other details.
6. Assign/scan location barcode. The patient property collection is complete. The clinician seals the bag (s), optionally takes an image of the bag, and captures the barcode of the location where the bag will be kept (e.g., bin, room, shelf)
7. Patient signature. The patient reviews what has been collected and provides a signature on the CT40 HC. This is a confirmation that all parties agree to what was collected and item conditions.In the case where a signature cannot be obtained, the clinician also has the option to state why(unable to sign or unwilling).

At patient check-out the clinician,

1. Scans patient ID barcode. Upon patient check-out, the clinician scans the patient ID and is presented all the data that was captured at check-in and directed to the location where the items have been stored.
2. Patient/clinician review patient belongings. The clinician secures the patient belongings. Patient and clinician review the returned items.
3. Patient confirmation/signature. Patient is able to confirm/sign that their checked-in items have been returned and, if needed, note any discrepancies. From check-in to check-out there is complete chain of custody.

Honeywell Patient Care/Identification Workflow Solutions

From Check-in to Discharge, accurately associating the patient with their electronic medical record and belongings is vitally important. Honeywell realizes how important it is to have full visibility on your patient during check-in/admission and checkout. The Honeywell solution makes it very easy to scan/read critical forms of identification such as patient ID cards, driver’s licenses and patient wristband barcodes. This provides secure closed-loop verification that reduces dangerous and costly errors due to incorrect patient identification.  Some of the Honeywell recommended products that are a great fit for patient identification and admission and discharge include:

• Patient Belongings Chain of Custody. Barcoding, Inc. IntelliTrack Patient Belongings Tracking (PBT) Application provides a complete chain of custody for the patient belongings and valuables. Automatically track property collection, storage, return and other movements, capturing user, date and time, and location data. Maintain a history of property movement through your facility. Patients have a complete record of each transaction and can be feel secure that their belongings are safe.
• Mobile Computer. The Honeywell CT40 HC mobile computer is designed to equip your nurses and other staff with a versatile, productivity tool that’s built for healthcare, from construction to capabilities to data security. The CT40 HC mobile computer is an all-purpose device that simplifies, streamlines, and helps error-proof healthcare delivery. Key takeaways include:
  • Disinfectant-ready housing and connectors are specifically designed to withstand frequent exposure to cleaning solutions recommended for the healthcare industry.
  • Starts with Android O; forward-compatible through Android R. Security updates available through Honeywell Sentinel for up to five years past the last Google patch – the longest security lifecycle in the industry.
  • Security by design in product hardware and software to meet requirements of healthcare use.
  • Rugged, sleek design is ergonomic, lightweight, and simple to use. It fits easily in the hand and is comfortable to use for all day productivity with 12+ hours of battery life.
  • Honeywell 7th generation 2D imager quickly and accurately reads 1D and 2D barcodes on virtually any medium – vials, syringes, IV bags, patient wristbands, and more. And the 13 MP color camera lets you document images to aid in care.
  • Mobility Edge enterprise management tools allow you to test and validate applications once, accelerate deployments, optimize device performance, simplify maintenance, and extend product lifecycle.

• Healthcare Case for IPhone. The Captuvo SL42h enterprise sled encases the Apple iPhone® 7, 6 or 6s with an industry-leading, integrated barcode scanner and a protective, disinfectant-ready housing. The result? A superior tool for clinician workflows.
  • Disinfectant-ready housing and connectors are specifically designed to withstand frequent exposure to cleaning solutions recommended for the healthcare industry.
  • Reduces the number of devices healthcare and IT professionals have to manage and use to effectively care for patients.
  • Increases productivity and throughput with an integrated and easy-to-use imager that provides aggressive scanning of linear and 2D bar codes.
  • Charges the iPhone ensuring maximum uptime with an easy access swappable battery.
  • Assists enterprises to remotely manage deployed iOS devices, lowering total cost of ownership with RemoteMasterMind™ 4.0 software.
• Battery-free Scanning. The Honeywell Xenon™ Extreme Performance (XP) 1952h-bf area-imaging scanner incorporates the latest in battery-free technology and helps you make every second count. You'll have the freedom of Bluetooth® wireless technology without the maintenance hassles or long recharge time associated with traditional batteries. Key takeaways include:
  • Disinfectant-ready housing and connectors are specifically designed to withstand frequent exposure to cleaning solutions recommended for the healthcare industry.
  • At least 450 scans without recharging.
  • Supercapacitors hold their charge for hours.
  • Recharge alerts save you from unexpected downtime.
  • Capable of a full charge in under 60 seconds.
  • In a Hurry? Start scanning in 20 seconds.
  • Accurate barcode scanning – even on poor-quality or damaged barcodes.
• Scanning Software Plug-in. Honeywell's Easy DL™ scanning software plug-in parses barcode data found on government-issued identification cards to deliver ready-to-use information to the host system. The embedded barcode parsing functionality can support applications including age verification or automatic electronic form population. EasyDL age verification and ID scanning software is compatible with the Honeywell 2D barcode scanners. Easy DL™ reduces transaction time by 95%, scanning and populating information in a matter of seconds.
• Wristband Printer. The Honeywell PC23D Wristband Printer is 2” wide thermal printer and is part of PC Series printers which are perfect for space-constrained settings. Their low cost and fast operation make them the smart choice for light-duty labeling applications where users need reliable, easy-to-use printers. Key takeaways include:
  • Disinfectant-ready housing and connectors are specifically designed to withstand frequent exposure to cleaning solutions recommended for the healthcare industry.
  • Ten-language LCD or intuitive icon graphical user interface.
  • Simple to use and maintain, with easy one-handed media reloading.
  • Comprehensive printer command language support, including ZSim2, makes upgrading easy.
  • Flexible, with user-installable connectivity upgrades and accessories.
  • This Smart Printer runs apps right inside the printer; you can add keyboards, scanners or other USB peripherals for increased efficiency.
• Wristband Printer Media. Honeywell Wristband Media is designed for positive patient identification that helps reduce medical errors. From infants to adults, Duratherm™ wristbands provide the positive identification hospitals need for maximum patient safety. Key takeaways include:
  • Superb resistance to soaps, hand sanitizers, moisture, and other common exposures ensures standard and 2D barcodes will be scanned accurately.
  • Full-coverage thermal print coating enables high-quality printing on the entire length of the band, eliminating the need to reposition a sleeping patient to scan their band (not recommended with green).
  • Flexible yet strong construction is easy to apply and offers superior patient comfort, minimizing the risk of patient tampering; antimicrobial coating further enhances safety.
  • A robust tamper-evident closure feature protects the integrity of the patient identification system.

Learn more about Honeywell Solutions for Patient/ Care identification and patient belongings tracking by Contacting a Honeywell Solutions Expert today at 1-800-934-3163.