Epson scanners help hospital improve treatment times

A new partnership with Epson is enabling medical staff toscan patient charts on site, ensuring the fastest possible administration oflife-saving medication to improve care and treatment times. By using sevenEpson DS-70000N flatbed A3 network scanners throughout Great Ormond StreetHospital (GOSH) recovery areas, GOSH is alleviating pressure on its busyon-site scanning bureau – and ensuring that patients can be treated as soon aspossible.

On average, 53 life-changing operations are carried outevery day at GOSH. Post-op, patients are delivered to recovery areas across thehospital, in seven different departments, and are accompanied by a summarisinganaesthetic A3 chart – which is where Epson’s scanners come into play.

Previously, each patient chart was sent to the scanningbureau at that point. Placed in a different building, the bureau processesthousands of documents each day – meaning that a chart can take a substantialamount of time to be scanned and returned to a patient’s bedside. This canbecome an issue if the chart was required by the anaesthetist when it was beingprocessed by the scanning bureau.

GOSH decided that a quicker way of scanning was needed, andstarted the process to source an A3 scanner that could be used throughout thehospital to meet this need. A simple-sounding challenge, but surprisingly toughto meet – given the lack of suitable products on the market.

“We struggled to find a company that offered a true A3 scanner – most products double up on A4, Canon especially, which wouldn’t have suited our needs. The Epson DS-70000N scanner was the only product we found that met our needs. Not only was it perfectly suited for the task, but it was cheaper than we estimated and in fact very cost-effective,” comments Kamlesh Tailor, ICT Endpoint engineer at GOSH.

Epson loaned the hospital a scanner for over a month,allowing medical staff to practise using the equipment, before GOSH invested inseven units that were then implemented across the hospital.

GOSH now has a scanner in each recovery area of thehospital: in imaging – where a child might be sedated for MRI or CAT scans –radiology, operational recovery and theatre areas. When a patient comes intorecovery, their charts can now be scanned directly, in the same location, by anurse or anaesthetist. The scan is then delivered instantly via the network tothe scanning bureau for further use in all relevant departments. This means achart never leaves a patient, and ensures that medication can be administeredat any time – and that all relevant staff have real-time access to the mostrecent patient information. Essentially, this takes away the risk of treatmentnot being given – which could have a fatal impact on the charge.

Epson scanners will continue to help GOSH administerlife-saving treatment every day. Along with using the seven units currentlyinstalled throughout the hospital, GOSH plans to source a contingency scannerto ensure that it has the resource needed to consistently maintain on-sitescanning in all key departments.