Plug and Play Systems Support Device Interoperability
The Technology Review includes an article that describes new plug-and-play systems under development at Massachusetts General Hospital. Creation of such a system is likely to improve the interoperability between medical device, as well as increasing the use of technology.
A team at the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology in the Medical Device Interoperability Program developed two different programs to assess use of a plug and play system in the operating room. Allowing tools to communicate in the operating room supports patient safety, as well as improving efficiency.
The first system was designed for use with a ventilator. Clinicians commonly need to turn off the machines in order to complete patient x-rays. The machine can disrupt the image that is procured but they do not want to leave the machine off for an extended period.
A webcam was attached to the system, simulating an x-ray machine. This demonstration program completed indicated that ventilator standards require modification. The planned change is to implement a pause in ventilator function to allow completion of chest x-rays without turning off the ventilator. The pause will be controlled by the system network, supporting interoperability.
The team also tested a plug and play system that simulates a pain medication pump which patients self administer. Current systems monitor patient use to reduce the likelihood of an overdose, but those monitoring systems often issue false alarms. The proposed system would integrate information from multiple systems simultaneously to better determine actual emergencies,
Other systems being planned include ways to reduce the incidence of false alarms in the intensive care unit. Rather than discrete systems with individual alarms, the goal is to create a unified system that provides an integrated view of each patient’s status. Integration of data can better explain how a patient is faring and if something critical requires attention.
The systems proposed are required secondary to the multitude of systems used in various hospitals from a variety of different vendors. The research team notes that plug and play systems are the ideal approach to address the current lack of interoperability. Hospitals and clinicians alike are beginning to recognize the utility of sharing information between devices.
July 11, 2008 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Quality, Safety, Errors, Surgery