Durham College implements Biomedical Knowledge Portal at two community hospitals Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:38 pm. Health-care information repository now live at Lakeridge Health Oshawa and Ross Memorial Hospital September 19, 2012 Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College today announced that its state-of-the-art Biomedical Knowledge Portal (BKP) is now live at two Ontario community hospitals after being implemented at Lakeridge Health Oshawa (LHO) on May 22 and Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Lindsay on June 25. Developed in conjunction with the college’s Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI), and lead by principal investigator and Biomedical Engineering Technology program professor Rick Tidman, the BKP is an all-inclusive health technology management system designed to assist hospitals in achieving considerable cost savings on an annual basis by enabling them to manage the purchasing and life cycle of their biomedical devices more efficiently and effectively. It is also intended to support patient safety through the tracking of biomedical devices to ensure they are available at the point of care. Health-care workers type the name of the device (e.g. IV pump, bladder scanner, wheel chair, stretcher, etc.) they are trying to locate into a search bar and information on the device, including its location, is provided immediately, reducing the amount of time spent locating equipment. “It is arguable that the growth of and dependency on medical technology is one of health care’s biggest challenges, but medical technology also offers unprecedented opportunities for improved health outcomes,” said Tidman. “The BKP squarely takes aim at organizing and sharing information associated with the entire life cycle of a technology and could optimize medical device decisions at shared services organizations, hospitals and Local Integration Health Networks (LIHN), to the benefit of both taxpayers and patients.” First created in April 2011 via a research collaboration between Durham College and software development and IT consulting firm Dapasoft Inc., the BKP is designed to meet the ongoing need for a comprehensive database of information related to biomedical equipment. Until now, equipment has been purchased through a series of non-standardized, stand-alone systems resulting in an absence of shared information between hospitals. “We couldn’t be happier that Durham College’s research team – right here in our community – has chosen Lakeridge Health Oshawa to pilot the Biomedical Knowledge Portal,” said Darrell Sewell, vice-president, Human Resources and Hospitality Services, Lakeridge Health. “The portal is helping our medical team access the right equipment at the right time, which is a critical aspect of patient safety.” “Patient care is our top priority at Ross Memorial Hospital so we want our front-line staff to be able to access the equipment they need as quickly as possible,” said Varouj Eskedjian, vice-president of Diagnostics and Support, RMH. “We believe the BKP will cut down on time spent searching for equipment and increase time at the bedside.” The BKP is also supported by Durham College’s research collaboration with Infonaut Inc., a Toronto-based health-care/information technology company, which manufactures Hospital Watch Live, the software the portal uses to supply the information regarding the location, cleanliness and tracking of the mobile medical equipment. Capstone, in association with Expesite LLC, a clinical maintenance management system, is providing the daily asset management and routine maintenance schedules associated with the medical technology inventory. “Effectively tracking and maintaining medical devices across the health-care system in the Central East LHIN is very important and we were glad to partner on this initiative,” said James Meloche, senior director, System Design and Implementation, Central East Local Integration Health Network. “Based on the results to date, the LHIN will be exploring opportunities to include additional hospitals in this promising venture and sharing this best practice with our colleagues in other parts of the province.” Following on the heels of its first two successful implementations, the BKP is also scheduled to rollout at Southlake Regional Health Care Centre in Newmarket in the coming weeks. “Durham College is pleased to offer our students an opportunity to gain real world experience while working directly with the project team auditing and tagging devices in the pilot hospitals,” added Tidman. “Graduates of our Biomedical Engineering Technology program will be the only health-care professionals entering the biomedical field that are ‘BKP-ready’.” About Durham College At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2012, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including approximately 9,000 full-time post-secondary students as well as part-time and continuing education students; apprentices; and online learners. The college offers a wide range of market-driven programs in a number of different disciplines including business, information technology, media, art, design, general arts, science, skilled trades, justice, emergency services, health and engineering technology, enabling students to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. A three-phase expansion of the college’s Whitby campus is currently underway. Phase 1 opened in September 2009 followed by Phase 2 in May 2011. Phase 3 will see the creation of a 36,000-square-foot building focused on agriculture, culinary, hospitality and tourism. Accommodating approximately 900 new students, it will house new classrooms and labs and offer a full-service, green-certified restaurant and lounge and see the creation of a greenhouse – all of which will be open to the general public. In addition, a new Student Services building opened at the Oshawa campus in January 2011. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000. About Lakeridge Health Oshawa Lakeridge Health is one of Ontario’s largest community hospitals, serving people across Durham Region. We are part of our community and it shows in the care we provide – because the people coming through our doors are our family, friends and neighbours. About Ross Memorial Hospital Exceptional people committed to providing exceptional care. Located in the heart of the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ross Memorial Hospital is an active, acute-care community hospital serving more than 80,000 local residents and seasonal visitors. Among our acute and continuing care services, our team cares for 45,000 patients per year in the 24/7/365 emergency department, provides orthopedics and ophthalmology, operates a 15 station dialysis unit, and is renowned for its mental health programs and restorative seniors care. The most recent expansion included the addition of MRI service. The Ross Family takes pride in providing compassionate quality patient care. About Central East Local Integration Health Network LHINs are the only organizations in Ontario that bring together health service providers from the following sectors – hospitals, community care, community support services, community mental health and addictions, community health centres and long-term care – to develop innovative, collaborative solutions leading to more timely access to high quality services for the residents of Ontario and Central East LHIN communities. By supporting these important partnerships, LHINs are ensuring that Ontarians have access to an effective and efficient health care system that delivers improved health care results and a better patient experience. For more information: Allison Rosnak Durham College 905.721.2000 ext. 2333 alllison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca SHARE:
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