Tech Product News

Web-Based ClinicTools Make EHRs Accessible Anytime, Anyplace

ClinicTools Inc (Philadelphia, PA) has established an Internet-based electronic health records (EHRs) application that allows for use without the constraints of time and location. ClinicTools is designed for use by mental health treatment facilities, medical centers and physician offices, and home health agencies. The user-friendly system meets Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 compliance issues, as well as regulatory requirements. ClinicTools offers the ability to collect patient information in order to provide proper diagnoses and determine treatment options; process claims quickly and accurately; and be alerted of potential cases of fraud or abuse, all with the flexibility offered by Internet accessibility. Training for ClinicTools is offered through both PowerPoint presentation and online video. For more information, visit www.clinictools.org.

TimestripPlus Takes Temperature of Meds

Timestrip (Herts, England) has introduced a way to detect temperature abuse during product transit or storage. TimestripPlus, a smart label that can be applied to medications to indicate if a product has been exposed to temperatures outside of a safe range, uses specially formulated materials that each has a specific melt and freeze point. If an item reaches its melting point, the material migrates through the label in a controlled manner, not to stop until it returns to its freeze point. The technology allows for quick and easy appraisal of the amount of time a product spent above its safe storage temperature, even if it was returned to a safe temperature at some point during transit or storage. For more information, visit www.timestrip.com.

New Wristbands Keep Hospitalized Infants Safe, Comfortable

Zebra Technologies Corp (Vernon Hills, IL) has launched a line of Z-Band Direct and Z-Band QuickClip wristbands for infants, with a focus on maximizing comfort and improving safety. Comprised of a soft nylon material, the thermal wristbands employ a new adjustable design to provide an optimal fit for infant wrists. The bands are available with adhesive tab and clip closures and are designed to stay on the patient’s wrist for the entirety of the hospital stay. The wristbands resist alcohol, water, foams, soaps, and blood, and feature a patent-pending antimicrobial coating that protects patients from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus types 2, 3, and 4, S aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. They further enhance patient safety by using bar-code technology for bedside medication administration and breast milk verification. Able to support both linear and 2-dimensional bar codes, the bands include a flat surface print area that increases first-time scan rates while minimizing scanning issues that can result from the curvature of an infant’s wrist. The new Z-bands are designed for use with Zebra’s desktop printers. For more information, visit www.zebra.com/infantbands, or call 800-423-0442.

Virtual Pharmacy Clean Room Trains Pharmacists

Purdue School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (West Lafayette, IN) is now home to an innovative technology that allows for greater training of pharmacy students in an area that has traditionally proven restrictive and cost-prohibitive. The Virtual Pharmacy Clean Room is a computer-generated, 3-D environment housed in the university’s Envision Center for Data Perceptualization. It also is slated to work on wall-sized panels and portable display systems, as well as on desktop and laptop computers. Through the use of 3-D glasses and a wireless controller, users are immersed in, and able to navigate and manipulate a pharmacy clean room. Head-tracking capability adjusts the view as a user looks around the environment. The virtual room is unclean by design, including improper items for students to identify as part of their training. For more information, visit www.rcac.purdue.edu/news/detail.cfm?newsId=333.