In September 2010, Basildon Hospital installed the Roche hospital POC data-management system, Cobas IT 1000, to connect its POC Cobas b221 blood-gas analysers.
Despite their many locations throughout the hospital, the Cobas b221 analysers are now connected and managed centrally by the POC Testing Team via the Cobas IT 1000 application, which allows hospitals and hospital networks to manage their POC testing programme and POC data smoothly and efficiently.
As a result, the hospital has achieved measurable improvements in the quality of POC data, patient safety and departmental cooperation.
The Cobas b221 analysers are used to measure up to 17 of the most important critical-care parameters, including blood gases, electrolytes, co-oximetry, metabolites and bilirubin.
At Basildon Hospital, these POC analysers are located on wards where urgent results for these parameters will make an immediate difference to the way a patient is treated, such as the accident and emergency ward, the cardiothoracic centre, respiratory wards and clinic, the intensive care unit, recovery areas within theatre, the labour ward and the neonatal intensive care unit.
Since the Cobas IT 1000 system has been installed, the hospital has been able to reduce POC patient identification entry errors, which enhances patient safety and ensures accurate recording of results.
The project has also increased awareness among clinical staff of the support that is available from the POC testing team and has enhanced interdepartmental relationships between the pathology department, IT and the clinical teams.
