What is Connectivity and Why is it Important for Medical Equipment?

When facilities research medical device purchases some buyers may ask, “Does the product have connectivity?”. When a device has “connectivity” it means the product can send data to another device, such as a vital sign monitor or a PC. This connection to another device can work in variety of ways such as integration partnerships between device manufacturers or Bluetooth? pairing. When data is sent from a device, a scale for example, to the secondary connected device, the information can then be saved into a patient’s electronic medical record. This direct transmission of patient measurements has several benefits in the healthcare environment.

With no handwritten data to transcribe, sending data electronically can eliminate manual errors such as inputting a decimal point in the wrong place or entering an incorrect digit in a weight measurement. Having a correct weight entered into a patient record is especially critical in areas of care where medication dosage relies on an accurate weight measurement. Direct data transmission also greatly improves efficiency. When data is sent automatically into a patient record this saves the caregiver valuable time by not having to manually enter the information. Automatic data entry can also standardize the way patient information is recorded. For example, using a connected kilograms-only scale means patient weights will only be transmitted and recorded in kg units. This is beneficial not only for standardized data but also for safety where weight-based dosing is being used.

Healthcare facilities evaluate new equipment based on several features and connectivity is often a crucial attribute. It’s important to consider how a new device will integrate into a facility’s workflow and system. Choosing a supplier that offers several options to meet the provider’s needs is ideal. These solutions enhance healthcare facility workflow efficiency, patient safety, and provide a quick and simple method to record patient information.

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Discover Health o meter? Professional Scales connectivity solutions for transmitting weight, height, and BMI measurements to vital sign monitors, PCs, and EMR systems: https://www.homscales.com/connectivitysolutions/