Airedale and Bradford NHS Trusts, part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), wanted to embark on a GS1 standards adoption journey as part of their mission to drive Scan4Safety across both trust sites.
However, although their existing patient administration system (PAS) created barcodes, they were unable to be read by machines as they were not GS1-compliant.
The trusts decided to deploy the services of a third-party provider to help build middleware which would take the information from electronic patient records and encode it onto a barcode which could be read by a data collection device.
Dakota were able to incorporate relevant application identifiers and check digits to accurately create a meaningful and readable 2D DataMatrix barcode on a wristband without altering the PAS system itself.
"At the start of this process, it seemed like we were faced with an insurmountable task, however with the help of Dakota, we are well on the way to becoming fully compliant with the Scan4Safety initiative."
By implementing GS1 standards, both trusts are now able to ensure the accurate and unique identification of patients, products, and places in alignment with the Scan4Safety principles.
Doing so will now enable the trusts to reduce the risk of human error and improve patient safety, while also allowing them to efficiently monitor equipment usage, maintenance requirements, and product availability more efficiently.
All elements work together to provide a complete picture of each patient and their treatment through every stage, from admission to discharge.
About Dakota Integrated Solutions
As GS1 UK-approved partners, some of Dakota Integrated Solutions’ products have undergone a thorough assessment process by the GS1 UK standards and consulting team. Their approved products have demonstrated capacity to support applicable GS1 standards in order to support a trust’s GS1 standards adoption journey.
Visit Dakota’s partner profile to find out more.