Optimization of device availability in hospitals

No more waiting for the wheelchair or searching for the ultrasound machine

Starting situation

Hospitals should not be profit centers, but economic efficiency and patient care do not have to contradict each other. The reality is that staff and patients are often confronted with waiting times and delays. In addition to staff shortages and excessive demands, waiting times are often caused by the time-consuming search for medical equipment that is necessary for treatment. In addition, 10-15% of medical equipment simply disappears every year – equipment that was purchased at great expense after long and complicated tendering and approval processes. The associated problems not only lead to frustration among staff, but can also endanger the health of patients if necessary equipment is not available on time. In addition, the regular maintenance and inspection of this equipment is time-consuming, especially if the equipment is difficult to locate.

Challenge

Efficiently managing and locating medical equipment is one of the biggest challenges in hospitals. When equipment is moved from one ward to another, it is often difficult to find, leading to unnecessary search times and delays in patient treatment. A study by GE Healthcare shows that nurses spend up to 21 minutes per shift searching for equipment*. This lost time is directly detrimental to patient care. In addition, missing equipment often leads to unnecessary new purchases, which further increases costs for the hospital.

Solution approach

Dex7 offers a solution to improve device management through the use of an IoT-based live tracking system. All relevant medical devices are equipped with long-life sensors that continuously transmit their position. This not only significantly reduces search time, but also effectively prevents theft. This system contributes to the hospital’s economic efficiency as it avoids unnecessary costs for new purchases and time-consuming searches.

Implementation

The implementation of Dex7 begins with equipping important medical devices with intelligent sensors that continuously send position data to a central platform. This enables live visualization of all devices and a role-specific display of tracking information. Staff can see the current location in the digital blueprint, which significantly reduces the search time. Mobile devices (Android, Windows, iOS) support access to this data. Service technicians integrate location information into their processes, avoid unnecessary journeys and make maintenance easier.
Asset management receives a tabular overview of all devices with information on service intervals and inventory data, which optimizes resource and capacity planning. Zone monitoring (e.g. entry and exit) replaces complete reservation, while alarms indicate unauthorized movements. Real-time location data facilitates inventories and stock checks, alerts inform about devices that can no longer be located, and a report shows assets that have not reported in a defined period of time. The latest location information helps with the search.

Results

  • Time saving: Shorter search times create more time for patients and targeted treatments.
  • Cost reduction: Reduced new purchases and lower operating costs.
  • Employee satisfaction: Less time spent searching relieves staff and increases satisfaction.
  • Patient safety: Faster care improves patient safety.
  • Planning and maintenance: Transparent location data facilitates maintenance, extends equipment service life and reduces costs.
  • Benefits of Dex7: Optimized device management, better patient care, higher staff satisfaction and increased profitability.